


Royal Blood

by VictoryShouldBeNaked



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, F/F, F/M, I'm going GOT on their asses, M/M, Prince Draco Malfoy, Royalty, Slow Burn, Slytherin Hermione Granger, They'll get together eventually, They're both going to date others first, loads of death too, super slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2020-08-09 23:23:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 94
Words: 523,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20125552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VictoryShouldBeNaked/pseuds/VictoryShouldBeNaked
Summary: Hermione is sorted into Slytherin alongside the nephew of the King to the wizarding world, Draco Malfoy.There's Gods, Duels, Mermaids, Swords, and a badass Hermione with an IQ off the charts.Will be one long ass story split into three parts:Part one is year one-three = chapter 1-62Part two is year four-six = chapter 63- ?Part three will be year seven onwards.Currently writing 5th year.





	1. An Old Hat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't own anything but my original characters.
> 
> This chapter was edited by the wonderful theawkwardvelociraptor!

Hermione Granger had read every book on Hogwarts and its houses long before her arrival at the grand castle.

She spent hours pondering what house she would be sorted into. Based on her extreme thirst for knowledge, she figured that being placed in Ravenclaw was a safe bet, but all her research had proven that the sorting wasn’t nearly so straight-forward.

If she was honest with herself she didn’t particularly care which house she was sorted into...with the exception of Slytherin. Though this had less to do with a prejudice against the house and more of a...slight barrier to entry. Their apparent obsession with “blood purity” seemed to immediately strike her out as a candidate, and the fact that a muggle-born hadn’t been sorted into the house for four centuries only stood to solidify her assumption.

She discovered that the nephew of the wizarding world’s king, Draco Malfoy, would be in her year at Hogwarts. She wondered what house he would be sorted into, but after some additional research decided it was highly unlikely they’d be housemates.

In her reading she learned that, with the exception of the current heir to the throne, the entirety of the Royal Malfoy family line had been sorted into Slytherin. The current heir, Princess Matilda, was sorted into Ravenclaw during her time studying at Hogwarts before she continued her education, studying politics at Cambridge. Hermione found herself fascinated by the princess; apparently she was the first royal to spend any significant time in the muggle world, and when she took the throne she’d be the wizarding world’s first female monarch.

The previous king had two sons. The elder son, Armand II, reigned as the current king of the wizarding world and was beloved by many for his progressive social beliefs. His queen, Marie, had been killed during the wizarding war and the king refused to remarry. The younger son, Lucius Malfoy, Duke of Wiltshire, just so happened to be Draco's father.

After all she had learned so far, Hermione was excited to be entering the world of magic under a good king and a promising heir.

Aside from the fact that she’d be attending school with royalty―real, _actual_ royalty!―she was excited to learn that the saviour of the wizarding world, Harry Potter, would be in her year, too. She spent hours reading all about the most recent wizarding war and was curious to meet the boy that had defeated the Dark Lord when he was just a baby.

But the time for research had passed as she stood huddled with the rest of the first-year students in the Great Hall, drinking in the breathtaking sight. She found the enormous room lit by thousands of candles floating in midair over four elongated tables where the older students sat peering at the newcomers. As the first-years walked deeper into the hall, Hermione got a better view of the only other table in the room, another long table perpendicular to the rest where the teachers sat patiently. The majority of them smiled warmly at the incoming students.

She looked upward to see a velvety black ceiling that seemed to be dotted with stars, and Hermione was so distracted by the beauty of it she nearly missed her name being called to be sorted.

She heard a voice in her head as the ancient hat was placed upon her head.

_Plenty of brains and an unquenchable thirst for knowledge... You would certainly do well in Ravenclaw._

Hermione tried not to squirm with delight at the thought of surrounding herself with people she could count on to never call her a know-it-all.

_But lots of bravery too, the hat continued. _Gryffindor_ house would certainly make for an excellent fit._

She felt the seed of doubt embed in her heart at the words echoing in her head; yes, Gryffindors could be brave, but they were also known for being brash and unthinking. Could that really be the best house for her?

_You are incredibly kind and crave the security and loyalty that friendship provides, all necessary values for a true Hufflepuff…_

Hermione smiled.

_...But I think you prefer a challenge._

The young girl sat at attention, her curiosity thoroughly piqued.

_You're ambitious, a perfectionist, and I sense a bit of ruthlessness, too… Yes. I know just where you’ll do best._

'Slytherin!'

To say she was shocked would have been an enormous understatement.

She stood shakily from the old wooden stool as the hat was pulled from her head. Even the teacher manning the hat―Professor McGonagall, if memory served―looked shocked at her placement.

The first muggle-born Slytherin for centuries. Fancy that.

Hands still shaking slightly, she made her way over to the long table on the far right side of the hall. Everyone politely clapped for her, but she noticed the first-years at the other three tables turn to their neighbors to furiously whisper. It wasn’t long before most of the occupants of the other three tables stopped to stare at her with wide eyes as her tie shimmered and turned emerald green.

One red-headed boy she met on the train, whose name she remembered being Ronald Weasley, laughed loudly at her procession. She held her head high and tried not to cry and embarrass herself as she bore his cruel remarks.

Once she reached the Slytherin table, she sunk into the first open seat she could find, hardly paying attention to her neighbors. It wasn’t until they spoke that she looked up and realized she’d sat right next to one Draco Malfoy, son of the Duke of Wiltshire, nephew of the king, who’d been sorted only a few people before her. An older girl on the other side of the table was the first to speak up.

'What a prick.' The mystery student stated, glaring at the still-sneering red-head. 'Do you know who he is, Draco?'

Hermione got her first real look at the royal up-close. She didn't know what she was expecting, but she was a little disappointed by how normal he appeared to be.

'Red hair, hand me down robes, vacant expression... Must be a Weasley,' he replied, clearly in an attempt to cheer up the curly haired witch beside him, who smiled for the first time since the hat came off her head. The Draco turned his warm gaze from her to glare at Ron; he hadn't spoken to the boy but could already tell he would hate him for upsetting the quiet girl next to him.

'Why do you look so terrified?' the older girl laughed, flipping her brown hair over her shoulder.

_Might as well get it over with. They'll all find out eventually,_ she thought.

'I'm a muggle-born.' She told the pair, cringingly slightly as the words left her mouth.

They both looked shocked but neither appeared repulsed.

'That's interesting!' Draco said with unmistakable awe in his voice. 'You’ve got to be the first muggle-born we've had in hundreds of years! You must be pretty special,' he told her, further lifting her spirits before the group turned to watch the rest of the first-year students get sorted.

To nobody’s surprise, the famed Harry Potter got sorted into Gryffindor.

A blond bombshell of pure beauty sat down opposite her and introduced herself as Daphne Greengrass. She was charming and polite and she too was deeply interested in the first muggle-born Slytherin for centuries.

As she observed their interactions, Hermione realized that Daphne and Draco seemed to know each other quite well. Taking in the other students around her, she realised that all of the Slytherins seemed to know each other, even the first-years students. She turned to ask the older girl, who she found was a seventh-year called Ismelda.

'Of course we all know each other! We grew up together. But don't worry, you'll fit right in. You'll be sharing a room with the other girls in your year, so you’ll spend loads of time together. I bet you’ll all be thick as thieves by the end of the week!' She gave Hermione a warm smile, bringing the young student an immense sense of comfort.

'That’s such a relief to hear. I still can't believe that Weasley boy laughed at me!' she said, frowning down at the table.

Ismelda joked that she’d hit the boy with a Bat-Bogey Hex the first chance she got, sending Hermione into a fit of laughter.

Draco pulled her closer to him, urging her to scoot down the bench to make room for the dark skinned boy moving to sit next to her on her other side.

'Blaise, we got a muggle-born!'

The table’s newest occupant smiled at her and Hermione found herself quite charmed.

'Sweet! Don't worry, tesoro, we'll look after you.’ He took her hand in his and gave it a light kiss, his lips barely grazing her knuckles. ‘I'm Zabini, Blaise Zabini.'

Hermione blushed furiously under his attention, unsure of what to say.

'Cool it, Zabini, or she'll think we're all scoundrels,' a boy, whose name was apparently Theo, joked.

Blaise threw his arm around Hermione's shoulders and pulled her in close.

'No need to be jealous, dear. She's just far more interesting than you lot,' he shot back, a chorus of good-natured laughs echoing in response.

Hermione let out the breath she wasn’t aware she’d been holding as she realised these people wouldn't turn on her for her blood status.

Daphne quickly chimed in, asking her to tell them all how she’d found out about Hogwarts. She explained how Professor McGonagall had appeared at her house with a letter. At her parents’ blatant disbelief, the witch had promptly turned their couch into a tiger and back again. The whole Granger family was quite quick to believe her after the display.

Once everyone was finally seated, the aged headmaster stood to speak.

‘Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you.’

Hermione frowned and turned to Draco.

'Is he...okay?'

The young royal smirked.

'Depends on who you ask. My uncle thinks he's the best thing since sliced bread, as they say, but my father thinks he's a blubbering lunatic.'

'And what do you think of him?' she asked, turning back to peer at the headmaster curiously.

'Somewhere in the middle I guess. My cousin is always telling me not to let others’ opinions shape my own, and I’ve only just got here. Ask me again in a few weeks once I've got the size of him,' he replied, pouring her a glass of pumpkin juice.

_He's so smart and charming_, she found herself thinking as he passed her the chicken.

'It was incredibly rude for Weasley to laugh at you,' Daphne whispered to her, an edge of annoyance still apparent in her voice. 'Don't worry, we'll get him back. Us Slytherins protect our own.'

Hermione beamed at the girl. She had a feeling the two of them would be fast friends.

'Just wait until I write home and tell my parents about everything I’ve seen so far! Floating candles, a magical feast, an ancient hat that speaks to you in your head… Heck, I’m even sitting next to royalty!' She made herself laugh as she pictured her mother's surprised face, the Slytherins around her grinning at her visible excitement.

An unpleasant voice chimed in from Draco’s other side.

'It's so weird to think that some people wouldn't know who you are like I do, Drake.' The girl on Draco’s left, called Pansy, smarmed the words out as she leaned heavily into where the young royal sat.

Draco’s body stiffened as he visibly tried to not look uncomfortable at the girl's flirtation. Hermione noticed Theo and Blaise sharing a look and an eye roll over the girl’s antics.

Draco turned away from Pansy, ignoring her completely as he kindly replied to Hermione.

'I'm just little-old-me, certainly nothing to write home about. It's not like I'll ever be King. I'm just another wizard who happens to be an Earl.'

Hermione didn’t have long to ponder this as they were promptly dismissed and sent to bed. While the older students walked ahead in groups, catching up with the friends they’d missed over the summer, the first-year Slytherins were escorted to the dungeons by their prefects.

The entrance to the common room was seemingly a bare stretch of stone wall, which the prefect stepped up to without hesitation.

'Merlin,' he said simply, and suddenly the wall had opened.

The common room looked just as her books had described it, but despite its location in the dungeon she found it to be comfortable and cosy. The glowing green lamps cast a soothing light over the matching cushioned chairs.

The hall appeared to extend partly under the lake; although it was nighttime, Hermione could imagine how the water outside the windows would give the room’s light a green tinge on a sunny day. Even in the darkness she could see beautiful fish swimming past, and could already picture herself curled up under the vast window, reading in peace for hours.

The common room was full of black and dark green leather sofas, button-tufted and appearing luxuriously comfortable. Dark wooden cupboards stood about the room, and Hermione wondered what she’d find inside. The entire room screamed sophistication and comfort, and she already felt incredibly at home.

One of the wooden tables hosted a Wizard's Chess set. Both Draco and Blaise promised to teach her how to play later.

On the walls hung tapestries showcasing the stories of famous Medieval Slytherins. Daphne pointed out an elaborate one that proudly displayed the adventures of Merlin, one of the most famous Slytherins of all time. Draco promised to lend her a book on these aforementioned adventures, and Hermione knew it would be one of the very next books she read.

The prefect informed them that the password to the common room changed every fortnight, and it would be posted on the notice board. They were warned never to bring students from other houses into the common room, or to reveal the password to a non-Slytherin. According to the prefect, no outsider had entered the Slytherin common room for seven hundred years.

The boys were warned not to walk up the girls corridor as they would sink into the ground and require rescuing by a teacher, but there was apparently nothing to stop girls walking down the stairs to the boys room. This comment caused much blushing amongst both genders.

The girls separated from the boys and made their way to their designated room.

Hermione learned that she would be sharing a room with Daphne, Tracey, Millicent and Pansy. She had been thrilled to learn Tracey was only a half-blood, ensuring that she wouldn't be the only non-pureblood in the room.

Each girl had a double four poster-bed, covered in green blankets. Each bed had a nightstand next to it, the dark wood matching that of the furniture in the common room. Their school trunks had each been placed at the foot of a bed, leaving the girl to spend a few moments figuring which bed belonged to who.

They also found they all had a wooden chair with a green pillow and a dresser near the bed. Apparently the Slytherin bedrooms were the biggest of all four houses; Millicent cringed as she told them that in Gryffindor, they apparently all had single beds, room only for their trunks and no other furniture.

They each had a wooden board on either side of the bed to decorate. The other girls started putting up posters of wizarding bands and models, and Hermione put up her poster of the band Queen. The others were interested in the static picture while Hermione was interested the other way around.

The walls and floors of their room were stone, but surprisingly the room didn’t feel cold. The room had a sort of skylight that gave them a slightly different view of the lake as it filled the space with green light. Hermione gasped as she saw a mermaid swim past and wave at them.

The only other door in their room led to a bathroom with a shower, sink, toilet, a ridiculously large bathtub in one corner and not much else of note.

As the girls all started getting ready for bed, Daphne told Hermione about a spell that would turn her hair from frizzy into gorgeous curls if she performed it with wet hair after a wash. Once all the girls were showered, Daphne performed the spell on Hermione's hair for her and told her it only needed to be done once a week. She promised to lend her a book of beauty spells and potions her mother had given her.

Once they were all settled in bed they sat and talked for what felt like hours, the girls falling asleep one by one until Hermione felt her own eyes getting tired.

_Maybe Slytherin isn't so bad after all_, she thought with a smile as she finally drifted off.


	2. Lessons on Romance

Hermione's favourite lessons were, by far, Potions and Transfiguration. Besides how fascinating she found the topics to be, the professors teaching those classes seemed to like her, something she experienced little of during her muggle schooling years.

She sat next to Blaise in Potions on their first day, amazed and enraptured by Professor Snape’s speech on bottling fame and putting a stopper in death. The older students raved and ranted endlessly about his expertise and mastery of brewing complex potions; she felt incredibly grateful to have such an esteemed individual not only as her Potions professor, but also as her Head of House.

Hermione felt a tad scornful towards Potter as he was publicly embarrassed for not knowing the answer to a question that, in her opinion, represented very basic potioneering knowledge. Had he not read a single book before coming to Hogwarts? She found the very idea baffling.

In contrast to the red-faced Gryffindor, Hermione was unable to control herself as her hand shot up question after question, the correct answer always sitting comfortably on the tip of her tongue just waiting to be expressed. Professor Snape was clearly impressed with her knowledge, though he didn’t seem one to regularly give praise outright.

“It appears that the Sorting Hat still maintains high standards for new members of Slytherin.”

Though his lips remained firmly set in their normal grimace, his eye sparkled as though he was smiling. Hermione eagerly grinned back at the veiled compliment as he dismissed the class.

After gathering their things, she and Blaise began making their way to their next class.

“Stop shooting your hand up for every question! You look like a nerd,” he said, rolling his eyes as though exasperated by her antics.

“I second that motion,” Theo chimed in. “You’ll make the rest of us look bad!”

“But… I know the answer?” Hermione scrunched her brows together in confusion. “Why wouldn’t I raise my hand if I know the answer?”

“Oh, leave her be,” a now-familiar voice drawled lightly from behind them. The three Slytherins turned to see Draco walking up, books tucked under his arm.

“Just because you two don’t know your arse from your face―” Draco paused for dramatic effect as the two boys scoffed, their mouths dropping open, “―doesn’t mean that _someone_ shouldn’t help us rack up house points by actually being intelligent.”

Draco winked at her. Hermione blushed, unable to stop the warm smile at him coming to her defence.

“If you’re so worried about looking bad,” he continued, “Maybe you should take this as a hint to actually try studying this year.”

The two scorned Slytherins took boyish slugs at their friend, calling him a right git as they all laughed and continued down the hallway together. Eventually Blaise and Theo apologised for teasing Hermione, an apology she was happy to accept.

Still, she decided she would only raise her hand for every other question. While she didn’t mind showing off her intellect, the last thing she wanted was a repeat of her muggle schooling years. Hermione desperately wished to avoid being called a “know-it-all” before anyone had gotten a chance to really know her the way that Draco and her other friends had started to.

Hermione continually found herself pleasantly surprised by her royal housemate. Somehow he was everything and nothing like she had expected him to be. Despite what she had read about pureblood Slytherins, he could be incredibly kind and was surprisingly humble. And though his standing up for her still made her blush, this wasn’t the first time he’d done so.

That morning at breakfast, Hermione had looked over to see Draco flexing his bruised knuckles as he reached for his morning juice. When she asked him what happened, he lightly blushed and made some silly excuse before scurrying off. As Hermione watched him leave with concern, Daphne whispered to her that Draco had punched a second year in the face the night before after he overheard them calling her a mudblood.

She thanked him profusely when they met by chance in the hallway, sharing with him her favourite muggle tip for reducing the swelling and pain: ice wrapped in thin fabric, applied to the painful area for no more than twenty minutes. And if their hands lingered a little too long when she showed him how to properly apply it, neither of them said anything.

“You know, I _can_ look after myself. I’m not some damsel in distress for you to save,' she teased him as she readjusted the ice, causing him to wince as they sat in an alcove with their fellow Slytherins between classes.

“I know you can,” he mumbled, trying to wipe the pained grimace off his face. “That's one of the reasons I like you. But as it stood, you weren't there and someone had to make him pay.”

She blushed at his comment, quickly looking down and adjusting the ice on his hand again.

“If any boy ever calls you that again, go straight for the balls,” Blaise told her, his tone light but his eyes burning as he hawkishly watched the students passing by.

Hermione thought for a moment. “'And what if a girl calls me one?”

Daphne laughed.

“Society girls don't use that kind of language. We’re taught from a very young age the sort of language that is proper and the sort that is not.” She scrunched up her perfect nose in distaste. “That word is one of the least proper of all. The type that would use that sort of language aren’t the type whose opinions you should worry about.”

Hermione already realised that many parts of wizarding society were a bit outdated but decided that she didn't mind the manners and chivalric aspects. She made a mental note to ask Daphne for lessons on the ins and outs of wizarding high society before she had the chance to make a fool of herself.

The friends headed off to their next classes. Hermione sat next to Draco in Transfiguration and quickly discovered that they were intellectually well-suited to each other. Their first lesson, turning a match into a needle, proved to be a breeze for them both, leading to a healthy dose of teasing competition as they waited for their fellow classmates to complete the task.

Hermione held their needles up to the nearest window, using the bright light to scrutinise the small pieces of metal more clearly.

“Hmm… Well, it appears that my needle is significantly sharper than yours. Better luck next time, Malfoy!” she proclaimed, hardly attempting to hide her growing smirk.

“Yeah, well, mine’s clearly bigger than yours!” he declared, snatching his needle back from her hand. Hermione rolled her eyes at his antics, rolling her own between her fingers and gazing at it thoughtfully.

“Why is it that boys are always so obsessed with whose is bigger? I’m sure I’ll never understand,” she teased, struggling and failing to keep a straight face.

Draco burst out laughing only to be quickly scolded by Professor McGonagall who sent a sharp glare at the two giggling students. It wasn’t long before class was dismissed and the two found themselves dodging other students trying to stick each other with their new pins in the hallway.

“You are unlike any girl I've ever met,” he told her as they walked to the Great Hall for lunch.

“Is that a good thing?” she asked lightly, trying to keep the hope out of her voice.

“It's a great thing,” he told her as she sat down at their favourite table.

“Well, aren’t you quite the flatterer!” She giggled, looking up at him with glittering eyes. He stared at her for a few seconds while looking dumbfounded before he reaffixed his usual smirk.

“Don't go saying things like that to other boys in our year. They just might get the wrong idea,” he warned. “I mean, you’re safe with Blaise, but the other boys… Well, you get the idea.”

She frowned, confused.

“What do you mean? What’s different about Blaise?”

“Let's just say...I don't think you're his type,” he said, skirting around her question and giving her a look she supposed was meant to convey a sense of mutual understanding.

She didn’t understand but responded with a quick, “Oh,” and a nod, pretending they were on the same page. She wasn’t his type? Was it because of her blood status? The fact that she answered too many questions in class? She filed the mystery away to unravel later.

Hermione spent her lunch laughing and joking with her new group of friends. She quickly decided that she never wanted to go back to her old life of loneliness ever again.

While she greatly enjoyed her academic classes, she ran into issues with the sole physical one in her schedule: flying. As she watched Draco’s broom come straight into his hand as he called it, her intense fear of heights echoed chaotically through her mind.

She felt the panic begin to creep up as she tried and failed once again to get her school-issued broom to cooperate.

“The broom can sense your fear, just like a horse,” Draco whispered to her. “Take a deep breath, centre yourself and try again.”

With his encouragement and Theo whispering helpful tips, Hermione finally got her broom to come to her, albeit reluctantly. She’d even managed it before at least a few remaining students which brought her both pride and relief. She’d hate to be the last in the class to do anything, least of all something so seemingly simple. She didn't like failure.

One of the Gryffindor boys, Dean, laughed at her obvious struggles.

“Can't read a book and do this one, Granger!”

Though she could tell he’d meant it good-naturedly, his friend Neville nudged him gently and told him to shut up. Theo and Hermione had to hold Draco back from repeating his face-punching performance and earning himself detention.

Though she hated to admit it, she took solace in the fact that Neville was worse off with a broom than she was. She smiled warmly at the boy with whom she had shared a carriage on the way to Hogwarts, giving him a grateful look as he subtly defended her against his friend. Hermione was so pleased to see him smile back at her that she missed the way Draco's eyes flicked between the two before narrowing, his lips pursed and face tight.

She tried to keep her cheers inside when Neville finally successfully called his broom, then watched in horror as the broom continued to carry him higher and higher before he proceeded to lose his grip and fall into an unmoving heap on the ground.

As the student was escorted quickly to the infirmary, Draco picked up the Remembrall the clumsy student left behind. Potter instantly got on his case, sparking a disagreement between the two. Hermione frowned at the dark-haired boy for lashing out at Draco so quickly with no consideration of the circumstances.

“Why do those two always have to argue?” Daphne whispered in frustration.

Hermione simply shrugged in reply. She was just as frustrated by the boys' constant and unnecessary bickering.

“Because Potter is a jerk,” a nasal voice called from beside them. They turned to see Pansy’s nose wrinkled in disgust as she leapt to Draco's defence, per usual. Subtlety wasn’t her greatest skill, and she did a terrible job of hiding her crush on the blond.

The two boys wound up in the air with Draco spitefully throwing Neville's Remembrall. Potter thankfully caught it before it got broken, but was promptly hauled off by a tight-faced McGonagall.

“Why did you have to take Neville's...thing?” Hermione scolded Draco upon his return to their group, scowling at the grin gracing his visage. “What did he ever do to you?”

The mischievous smile fell from Draco's face at her words.

“Why are you defending him? What, do you _like_ him or something?”

She rolled her eyes.

“Oh, please. Just because I don't want you to be cruel to him doesn't mean I _like_ him,” grimacing at their mutual emphasis on the word like. “Grow up, Malfoy.”

“Ugh. Chill out, Hermione. You're not his mother!”

Pansy’s mocking tone set Hermione’s nerves on edge, and her incredibly close proximity to Draco did her no favours either. She seemed to be standing as close to Draco as she physically could; if she stood any closer she’d be climbing him.

Hermione felt her temper flare.

“And you're not his girlfriend,” she shot back, promptly silencing Pansy’s next comment as her face burned bright red.

Blaise quickly chimed in, changing the topic and dispelling the growing tension.

“You did cut it a bit close, mate. You nearly got caught, too!”

Draco rolled his eyes at his friends and the conversation moved onto the boys discussing Quidditch. The awkwardness between them all was quickly forgotten as they explained the rules to Hermione.

***********************

“So. Draco’s challenged Harry to a duel,” Daphne mentioned casually over lunch.

Hermione rounded on the blonde, exasperation clear on her face.

“Why the hell would you do that? Do you like losing Slytherin points?!”

He passed her a box of sweets his mother sent him and she begrudgingly took one. It escaped her notice that he hadn’t offered the sweets to anyone else.

“Relax, have a little more faith in me than that! I have a plan. The only one losing House points will be Potter.”

She squinted her eyes at him as she bit into one of the sour sweets, clearly sceptical of his supposedly “masterful” plan. Finally, she sighed before popping the rest of the treat in her mouth.

“Fine. I trust you.”

The two spent the following night under the big window in the common room, sitting together while reading and joking. They enjoyed the warmth radiating from the fireplace as they polished off the sweets his mother had sent him.

It was after breakfast the next morning when she heard Potter and Weasley had nearly been caught out of bed the previous night. She finally understood that Draco's plan, despite the fact that it hadn’t worked as expected, had simply been to get Potter in trouble.

Draco's good mood was immediately soured as he saw that Potter received a brand new Nimbus 2000 and was being allowed to play on Gryffindor’s Quidditch team. Hermione glanced at him pensively as the blonde silently fumed.

“Why do you seem to hate Potter so much?” she finally asked him.

“I hate that he gets special treatment for acting like a brat,” he grouchily replied, looking up from the letter he’d just received from his cousin.

“Are you saying you're mad because you don't get special treatment, too?” she teased, nudging him playfully in an attempt to draw out a smile.

She was pleased to see that her efforts worked as he met her eyes and smirked.

“The opposite, actually. I don't think anyone should have special treatment.”

“Not even purebloods?”

“Hermione, you know you're twice as smart as most purebloods. Maybe I put a little stock into that rubbish before I came here, but it would be impossible for anyone to know you and actually believe that stuff.”

He nudged her back before taking a peek at her book.

“Why are you reading a book on courting rituals?”

Hermione blushed as she slammed the book shut.

“Daphne lent it to me. It's a book about the ins and outs of pureblood society.”

“Yeah, I know. I read it when I was younger, same as most other pureblood children,” he drawled, a bit of sarcasm touching his tone.

He glanced up at her face when she didn’t respond, attempting to catch the gaze she was steadily averting.

“Hermione, I'm only teasing. I’m sorry if I embarrassed you.”

The girl nodded her acceptance of his apology, finally meeting his eyes.

“Why so curious about the rituals of pureblood society?”

“I just don't want to make a fool of myself, I guess.”

She shrugged and looked down again, knowing he wouldn't understand. Couldn’t understand, really. How could he when he’d been brought up in a world that had wrapped him up in etiquette and unspoken rules like a perfect present oozing confidence and class? She had an enormous amount of catching up to do.

“You could never embarrass yourself,” he reassured her, sending her an encouraging smile.

“So, what have you learnt so far?”

“Well, you have an absurd amount of rules about what you can and can’t say and do. I'm not sure I’d ever be keen on the idea of being a boring society wife who can only smile and wave as she continually tries to clamber up the social ladder. Oh! And I just started reading about the exchange of jewellery when courting someone!” she told him excitedly.

“You won't be one of those wives, don't worry. Have you gotten far into what kind of jewellery we give?”

She shook her head. “No, I've not gotten that far yet.”

He put the letter in his hands down to give her his full attention.

“Well, consider this your first official lesson!” he declared proudly, causing Hermione to laugh as his silly presentation. “At each step in the courting process, different items are exchanged between the couple. For example, to declare his intentions a man should first gift his intended with a hair pin. If she’s interested, she’ll wear it to signify that she’s open to the man’s interest.”

“And what if a girl just wants to wear a hair pin?” she asked, slightly confused.

Draco laughed lightly.

“Then you just wear a hair pin, silly! That bit is more informal than the rest. It’s really just so the couple knows their interest is reciprocated.”

“That sounds overly complicated!” She frowned at her book as though it’d just offended her. “Why not just tell each other outright? That certainly seems to be the more practical option.”

“The more you learn about wizarding high society the more you’ll realize that logic and practicality are hardly at the forefront of tradition,” he replied after laughing in earnest at her response.

She rolled her eyes at the ridiculousness of it all.

“Fine. What comes next?”

“Keen, are we? Got your eye on someone special already?” he teased, a bit more tension in his voice than before.

She blushed as she skirted around his question.

“I don't like not knowing things.”

Draco paused for a moment to ponder this before shrugging and nodding. He reopened the book Hermione still held in her lap, turning to the chapter on courting jewellery. He flipped through the pages and pointed out the relevant sections as he spoke.

“The hair pin is followed by a bit of back and forth. Next is a bracelet for the girl, followed by cufflinks for the guy. Then she would get a second bracelet, after which he would receive a tie pin or clip. Eventually he would give her a string of pearls; wearing them indicates there’s an understanding between the couple that they’ll soon be engaged. Then finally comes the ring and the official engagement. It sounds like a lot, but it takes place over several years.”

“That’s interesting! I didn't realise the man got gifts too.”

“Only two things. Mostly to warn other women off.” They both laughed.

“Oh, and there's the visits,” he remembered, flipping to that section in the book. “That process generally starts before the jewellery has been exchanged. They both have to be vetted by each other's parents.”

“And how does that work?” she asked. At this rate, she was learning more from Draco than the book which was once again closed.

“Erm... It kind of depends on the age. Most courting starts pretty young. Basically they spend a week at each other's house each summer and if the parents approve then you’re fine to keep courting. If at some point they revoke their approval then any marriage contracts get nullified and the courting ceases.”

He blushed and picked up his letter again.

She decided to leave the lesson there for today and moved to sit next to him on the couch; the common room was cosy but as winter grew closer it still grew chilly.

He lifted the green blanket to let her in. Once she’d settled, Draco put an arm around her and pulled her in close until her head rested on his shoulder. They sat together in front of the roaring fire as he finished reading his letter.

“What's she like?” she asked as he folded the letter and set it down.

“Who, Matilda?” Hermione nodded. “She's...kind of brilliant, to be honest. She's very kind, but she’s a very private person. She doesn't care what happens to her; it's all about the greater good, and all that. She'll be a great queen one day.”

The two adjusted their position to get more comfortable on the couch as he continued.

“We used to see each other all the time when I was little, but the older she got the more duties she had. Now I only see her every few months, which is why we write so much.”

He smiled down at the girl snuggled into his side.

“I think you would be a good king,” she mumbled after completing an impressive yawn.

He chuckled.

“Maybe, but I doubt my father would be. Plus, my uncle is a good man and Matilda is kind of perfect for the job.”

“It's good you two are so close. I don't have any cousins or anything... It's just me and my parents.” She shut her eyes as she began to warm up from Draco's body heat. Then she mumbled so quietly it was practically a whisper, “I miss them.”

They sat together in comfortable silence until an idea came to him.

“You can use my owl to write to your parents, if you want?”

When she didn't reply he looked down and saw her sleeping soundly on his chest. He smiled at the sight and closed his own eyes, resting his head back on the couch.

Theo snuck into the common room after curfew with his arms full of cake and found the pair fast asleep together on the couch, Hermione still on his chest and Draco’s arms protectively surrounding her.

He smiled and placed another blanket on top of the sleeping pair before heading to bed.

=====================

This chapter was edited by the wonderful theawkwardvelociraptor!


	3. It All Goes Wrong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gossip is bad and youths wonder about their sexuality.

The next time she was one of the wonder duo was when she was unfortunately sat next to Ron in charms. Within two seconds her dislike of him was reassured. 

He was arrogant but without ability. He couldn't even say the spell right.

She gently tried to correct his pronunciation only to be snapped at. Ignoring him she made her feather gracefully fly into the air as the first in the class to do so. Theo and Pansy were seated behind her and applauded her for a job well done while Ron had sniggered and called her a know it all.

She looked at the redhead smugly, ignoring his scathing words, as Seamus caused his feather to explode into flame.

'You think you're so clever but you're nothing but an ugly nerd and one day all your friends will realise how pathetic you are and drop you!' Weasley scathingly said to her as they walked from the class.

Tears came to her eyes and she rushed into the girl's bathroom. She heard Potter berating him for being so cruel as she ran. 

She locked herself in a stall and let all of her insecurities have her. When she hadn't turned up for lunch Daphne had come and found her.

'Hermione it's me.' She said gently from the outside of the stall. 'Can you let me in?'

Hermione took a deep breath and let her friend into the stall. 

Daphne passed her some tissue. 'What happened?'

Hermione tried to speak but was overcome by tears too heavy to speak through. Daphne was patient and waited for her to calm down while rubbing soothing circles into her friends back. 

Once she had calmed down enough to speak she told her friend what Ron had said to her. 

Daphne was appalled. 'You know it's a load of rubbish right? You're beautiful inside and out and your friends aren't going anywhere.'

'No I'm not beautiful like you are, my teeth are too big and my hair is too frizzy.' 

Daphne sighed. 'Open your mouth.' She said, pulling her wand out.

Hermione did as told and watched in amazement as Daphne shrunk and straightened her teeth until they were perfect. 

Hermione flew into her arms and hugged her. She would never be as beautiful as Daphne but she already felt more confident in herself. 

'I'm going to write to my mum and ask for stronger hair spells, there'll be one. Now, splash some water on your face and let's go get ready for the Halloween feast.' Daphne cast a soothing charm on Hermione's face to remove the evidence she had been crying.

They left the stall together, to some odd looks from Lavender brown. Hermione splashed some cool water on her face and they left for the common room together. Daphne sent a note to Snape that they were both unwell so they wouldn't be in classes for the rest of the day as they wanted to sleep it off and feel better for the feast later. 

What followed was an afternoon of pampering; they had face masks and painted each other's nails. 

Daphne had duplicated her strapless bikini for Hermione and they had a soak in the massive bath together, they had discovered it had a Jacuzzi function and spent a very long time soaking away their troubles. The bubbles were up to their shoulders and they had joked that it looked like they were both naked.

They were laughing and blowing the bubbles at each other when the door suddenly opened and Pansy walked in. 'Oh! I'm sorry!' She said and quickly shut the door again. 

The duo burst out laughing as they realised Pansy thought they were naked in the bath together, she had been unable to see their costumes under the bubbles. 

They each averted their eyes as the other climbed out. Daphne tried a new spell on Hermione's hair that turned her frizzy mane into soft beach waves.

They got dressed, Hermione borrowed a lovely black dress from Daphne, and she didn't know you wore your best on Halloween. Daphne did her makeup and then taught Hermione how to achieve a natural look for herself.

'Thanks Daph, I'd be lost without you.' She said to her as Daphne put a light coat of mascara on her.

'Don't worry about it.' She said blushing. The blush confused Hermione slightly but only because it made her think Daphne was even more attractive, this caused her to blush as well.

They both left for the feast together linking arms they walked together, joking and laughing through the corridors and entered the great hall to find all their friends looking at them strangely. 

Pansy was sat in her usual spot next to Draco and he was putting food on her plate for her.

The feast was lovely, their friends continued giving the pair odd looks until Daphne clearly lost her patience and snapped. 'What's wrong with you all?'

Pansy sneered at the pair. 'Daphne darling, who and what you do in your spare time is up to you.' She gestured at Hermione.

Draco was frowning at his plate.

Hermione spoke up: 'And what is that supposed to mean?'

'Well I saw you in the bath together, and Lavender is telling everyone you two came out a toilet stall together. If you swing for the same team that's your business.' Pansy filled Draco's goblet, he still would not look up.

Hermione's mouth fell open in shock but it was Daphne that spoke first. 'Are you fucking kidding me? I don't have time for your bullshit Pansy.' With that, she got up and stormed away. 

Hermione looked up at her retreating friend. She too rose to her feet. 'Pansy, when you are ready to apologise to us for spreading gossip about us, come find us. I'm going to go and see if Daph is okay.' She calmly walked away from her friends. 

She passed Professor Quirrel who ran past her in the corridor. She went to find Daphne, she heard her crying in the same stall he was in before.

'Daph? It's me. Don't worry about it Pansy's just trying to cause trouble?'

Daphne opened the door to reveal her read splotched face from crying. 'That's not why I'm upset Hermione.' She said, wiping her eyes.

'Then why are you upset?' She was trying to be understanding but was very confused.

Daphne wiped at her eyes and took a deep breath. 'Because I'm what Pansy says I am.'

Hermione frowned at her. 'I don't understand?' 

Daphne sighed and then she grabbed Hermione's arm and pulled her towards her and kissed her.

'Oh,' came a male voice behind them.

A very shocked Hermione pulled away to see a furiously blushing Draco. 

He seemed to gather his wits. 'There's a troll in the castle. I'm sorry I interrupted you, I was just making sure you were okay.'

Hermione straightened up. 'Right, that's serious. Let's go back to the common room where it's safe.'

Silently, and very awkwardly the trip made it back to the common room. Daphne went straight to bed.

Draco disappeared and sat next to Pansy who snuggled up to him. Hermione felt like her stomach was going to fall out. Her best friend had just kissed her and the boy she liked was now snuggling up with a girl she hated. 

She sighed. 'Urgh, I'm going to bed.' She said as she stormed to her room. 

Daphne was sat in the middle of her bed staring at the wall. She looked scared when Hermione entered the room. 

'Daph, it's okay I'm not mad at you. We are still friends, don't dwell on it. Tomorrow is a new day.' 

Daphne scrambled from her bed and gave her a hug. Hermione rubbed her back soothingly. 

'I'm sorry I don't know what came over me, I know you and Draco like each other.' Daphne muttered.

Hermione sighed. 'I don't think so, he's snuggling up with Pansy right now.'

Daphne rolled her eyes. 'Typical Draco, always ruining a good thing for himself.'

She shook her head. 'Actually, I think he thinks I'm gay.' She said drily. 

Daphne paused. 'Are you?'

Hermione looked away. 'I don't think so. I like Draco but I find you attractive too. Maybe I'm somewhere in the middle, I don't know. So are you gay then?'

Daphne shrugged. 'I think so, I've never really liked boys, but I'm definitely attracted to girls.'

Hermione nodded. 'Well my opinion of you hasn't changed at all; you're still my best friend.' 

Daphne looked relieved and gave her friend another hug. 'I'm shattered; I think I'll go to bed.'

'Okay, I'm going to go get a drink and then I'll probably go as well, I'll see you tomorrow.'

Hermione turned and left the common room and made her way to the small kitchenette that was through a side door in the common room. She poured herself a glass of pumpkin juice and stood in the dark stone kitchen slowly drinking it, pondering on the implications of the day. 

'Granger?' Draco had silently entered the room behind her. 'Do you want to tell me about today?' 

She nodded but did not turn to face him. 'We had costumes on, in the bath. She was just cheering me up-'

'Why did you need cheering up?' He interrupted.

She sighed. 'Short story is that Ron was rude to me and Daph came and found me crying in the toilets and took me back to the rooms to cheer me up, we just had a girly day

Draco frowned, he made a mental note to punch Weasley in the face the next time he saw him, also that Pansy had told him a load of bollocks. He was already regretting letting her kiss him earlier and for snuggling up with her, but it was done now and too late to turn back.

'Our bath has a Jacuzzi function so she duplicated her strapless costume for me and we went in together and then Pansy burst in and left just as fast. We didn't think anything of it until we got to the Great Hall, what had she told you all?'

'That she caught you both in a compromising position naked.' 

She sighed. 'Of course she did.'

Draco waited for her to carry on.

'So Daphne left the hall upset and I went after her because she did the same for me and she was upset and she kissed me and I had no idea what was going on and then you came in. And that's about it.'

'So you two aren't together?' He asked, he sounded nervous but he calmly filled up his own glass of pumpkin juice.

'No. You and Pansy seemed pretty snug together though so I wouldn't concern yourself with who I see.' She replied, anger rising, finishing off her juice in one go she discarded her cup in the sink and left him behind, speechless and ashamed. 

She walked straight past Pansy without acknowledging her and got into bed. 'Tomorrow is a new day' she reminded herself. 

Listening to Pansy giggling with Draco in the common room and imagining them snuggling and kissing, she finally managed to close off her mind and drift off.


	4. Snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione and Draco finally have a talk and friendships end.

Hermione and the other girls, minus Pansy who was off holding hands with Draco, made their way into the great hall for breakfast the day of the first Quidditch match of the year. Blaise and Theo had promised to sit either side of her and explain what was actually going on. 

It had come out that Potter and Weasley had somehow managed to take down the troll that had gotten into the castle. Their victory had been soured when Ron appeared one lunch with a black eye and a busted lip, Hermione was again holding ice to Draco's knuckles but also to Crabbe and Goyle's, those two weren't the brightest but they were loyal and Hermione thanked them all for defending her.

Pansy had seemed annoyed that her new seemingly boyfriend had fought Ron over another girl, Hermione couldn't quite explain why this made her so happy.

She walked to the pitch with Blaise and Theo each on one arm. 'Are you sure I have to be here?' She complained for the fifth time that day, the boys had practically forced her to attend with them. 

Blaise rolled his eyes. 'Yes Tesoro, you have to be there. Don't worry, you'll have fun.'

They settled down into the stands and Hermione removed a blanket from her bag, covering the three with it. It was a chilly day and everyone was decked out in hats and gloves. Grabbe and Goyle appeared with a thermos for each of them filled with hot chocolate. They were joined by Daphne and Tracey, Millicent had somehow already managed to get a detention and was missing the first game.

Theo wrapped his arm around Hermione and pulled her in close, 'Geez Granger you're freezing.'

She laughed. 'Yeah, I run cold.' 

She spent the game laughing and having fun with her friends, Blaise and Theo whispering constant updates in her ear, she found she could stand the game more than the muggle football her father watched.

Pansy had frowned at the one-sided commentary, Gryffindor were playing just as rough and yet they were being painted as brutes by the announcer. 

'Yeah everyone hates us.' Theo told her when she had asked him why this was the case. 'We're all evil remember?' She snorted at the idea that Theo who was tucked into a fluffy blanket and sipping on hot chocolate could ever hurt a fly.

Draco and Pansy had sat a few rows behind them; Pansy had not brought a blanket and spent the entire match trying to hold his hand. Draco had spent most of the match staring at Hermione laughing with Theo. 

The chasers on the Slytherin team were doing a fantastic job; Hermione began to cheer for her team as they soared into the lead. It was only when Potter appeared on the ground and spat out the snitch, winning the game, that her face fell.

'That was disgusting.' She muttered to her friends as they left the stadium, causing them all to laugh.

'Maybe Potter likes to swallow.' Blaise whispered in her ear, causing her to choke on her chocolate milk and laugh hysterically. 

'I can't believe you dragged me out in the cold to watch us lose!' She shouted to Theo once she had stopped laughing.

They made their way to the common room where she and Theo slumped into one of the deep green leather couches. He played with her hair when she put her head on his shoulder and shut her eyes, enjoying the warmth of the fire. 

'Yeah, that game sucked. You should let me take you to a professional game; my father owns the Tornadoes so I can't get us free tickets whenever you want.' Theo offered quietly to her.

She nodded and yawned on his shoulder. 'Okay sounds great.' She sleepily agreed. 

****************************************************************************  
The thick Scottish snow signaled that winter was truly here. She was outside throwing snowballs at Draco and Pansy with Daphne, who could not see them hiding behind the large pillar. The couple were getting increasingly frustrated that they would get a snowball to the face any time that they tried to kiss.

Finally, Draco spotted the pair but instead of getting angry he challenged Hermione to a snowball fight, ignoring Pansy as she stomped away angrily. 

'I like your hair; it's still not as good as mine though.' He teased her.

She and Tracey had tried to beat the winter blues by dyeing their hair a shade lighter, this had given Hermione a dirty blond, honey colour. She thought it matched her uniform better but was terrified at what her parents would say when they saw their twelve-year-old had dyed her hair when she went home for Christmas. Magical dye lasted for months too. 

'Thanks... I'm surprised you two don't come up for air more, it's a miracle you don't get blue faces when you kiss.' She teased him back, causing him to go furiously red and miss his throw, hitting Daphne with a snowball instead of her. Hermione took the opportunity to throw a ball of snow right at his forehead.

'That's cheating! You distracted me!' Draco shouted as he wiped snow from his face.

Hermione could only laugh and the red spot on Draco's face but quickly squeaked and ran as he gave chase. 

He chased her down to the lake where he finally caught her and tackled her into the snow; he put his arm around her to make sure she wouldn't get hurt in the fall. He tickled her until she was screaming laughing until they both seemed to realise that he was on top of her and their faces were very close together. He jumped back and then helped her up.

They walked in silence around the lake for a moment, watching the giant squid scare off some mermaids. They eventually sat together under a large and old oak tree, carved with couple's initials.

'Why are you with Pansy?' She asked curiously.

He sighed and stared out at the lake. It took him a moment but he answered. 'I don't know. But I can't back out now.'

Hermione scoffed. 'What a terrible answer.'

He seemed to snap. 'I can only marry a pure-blood you know! I can't date whoever I want!' 

She was startled at his outburst.

'I can't date whoever I want.' He said again softly. 'No matter how much I might want to.'

She frowned at him. Was he saying that he wanted to be with her?

'I don't understand, why can't you date who you want?' She asked carefully.

He almost laughed. 'You've never met my father. My uncle and cousin might be all for living as equals, but my father definitely believes in blood supremacy. I think he used to run around with the Dark Lord.' 

Oh, so his father wouldn't approve of her at all then. He seemed very upset.

'Draco, you're only eleven. You don't have to worry about making little dukes for years. And if you want to date Pansy then you date her, you and I will always be friends.' She promised him. 

He smiled warmly at her. 'Promise?' 

She beamed at him and gave him a hug. 'I promise.' She whispered in his ear.

They broke apart and looked up at the tree full of couple's initials. There were so many: F.L+A.S, J.P+L.E, S.B+M.M, A.D+G.G, T.R+B.L were all the ones directly in front of her. There was a small space underneath these that was still blank.

Draco spotted the same blank canvas on the tree and withdrew his wand. 'Let's promise right now, we will always be best friends and together.'

She smiled and withdrew her wand. 'You're so dramatic, but okay.'

Together, they carved their initials into the tree; they didn't put the initials in a heart as some of the couples had done. 

The walk back to the castle was spent light-heartedly chatting about classes and their classmates until they were accosted by Weasley and Potter.

Ron's cheekbone was still bruised from Halloween, though it had faded into a light yellow.

'I have to get you back for punching me Malfoy!' He shrieked at him, withdrawing his wand.

'Why did you punch him Malfoy?' Potter demanded.

Draco sighed as he and Hermione pulled their wands on the pair. 'He knows why I did it. He insulted my friend here, didn't he?' 

Hermione took on a cruel smirk; Draco had taken his revenge, now it was her turn for her revenge. 'Yes. He was very rude and it doesn't seem he has learnt his lesson.' 

She pointed her wand at him and shouted: ' Ebublio'. Before either of the duo could do anything Ron was trapped in a bubble.

She and Draco laughed as he tried to pop it.

'Apologise to me and I will let you out.' She told him coolly. 

Potter looked at his friend in the bubble and told him to apologise and get it over with.

'Fine! I'm sorry!' Ron shouted.

'That didn't sound very sincere.' Draco mocked. 'What exactly are you sorry for?'

Weasley growled. 'I'm sorry for saying you were a nerd and that all your friends would turn on you.'

Potter seemed shocked his friend has said such a thing to someone and frowned at his friend. 

Hermione smiled and released him from the bubble. 

The second he did the redhead predictably launched at her, first raised. Draco was prepared for this and smacked him to the ground with one punch to his jaw. 

Potter seemed disgusted his friend had tried to hit a woman. 

'You should have accepted my offer to help sort out the wrong sort in September Potter.' Draco told him. 

Harry went to open his mouth and then shut it again; clearly, he was too shocked to speak. So he just walked off, leaving Ron in the snow clutching his jaw. 

Draco and Hermione stepped over him and walked inside. 

'Thanks Draco, I didn't think he would try to hit me.' She admitted, linking his arm through his she jumped away when he winced. 'What is it?' 

He sighed and cradled his punching hand. 'Okay don't overreact but I think I broke my hand.'


	5. Changes and Rules

Hermione had not overreacted but did order him straight to the Hospital wing and then dragged him there by his good arm. The matron had confirmed he had indeed broken his hand. They had lied and told her he had broken it when he fell slipping in the snow.

He was given some Skele-Grow to heal his hand, he was repulsed at the taste of it and Hermione sat patiently by his side in a nearby chair as he managed to drink the vile concoction.

'It'll take about an hour to heal so you two just sit there and don't get in any trouble.' The matron said as she walked off to tend to her other patients.

'What does it feel like?' She asked as she moved to sit on the hospital bed next to him.

He shrugged, the matron had given him a pain potion the second she had seen his hand, 'it's like really strong pins and needles. Drinking that stuff was the worst part, it burned.'

She patted his leg to comfort him, 'I'm sorry you got hurt defending me.' She mumbled.

He looked up from examining his hand and smirked, 'anything for you dear,' he joked. He stretched his hand out and winced, 'it's definitely getting better, should be good to go in a few minutes. Want to go get some food when she lets me out?'

His hand, though heavily bruised, was fixed within the hour and the pair set off with linked arms to the Great Hall for a late lunch.

They stopped to admire one of the paintings. It was probably one of the largest and oldest in the castle, located just outside of the entrance hall. It was of Godric Gryffindor and an unknown woman, probably his wife, joking and laughing in a beautiful apple orchid. The woman waved at the pair and Godric wrapped her in his arms and spun her in a circle.

They moved into the great hall: 'It's odd to think the founders got married, I don't know anything about their personal lives.' Hermione said casually.

Draco looked up from the floor: 'I can give you a book about them if you want; I think I'm right when I say Ravenclaw is the only founding family that didn't marry into the royal family.' He stroked his chin in thought.

'Really? That's amazing!' She exclaimed, bursting with excitement at the prospect of having rare information.

He laughed at her excited expression. 'Yeah, the first king Armand Malfoy married Gryffindor's daughter. Then Nicholas Malfoy married one of Slytherin's great-great-something-granddaughters. The Hufflepuff name died out in the eighteenth-century when the last descendant married Septimus Malfoy.'

Her eyes widened: 'Wow your family marries well!'

He laughed again, 'well, they were kings.'

'You can probably trace your pure blood back to the start of time.' She teased, nudging him.

He raised an eyebrow at her, 'yes, apart from one little blip. Gryffindor married a muggle, that's why he and Slytherin fell out. The first king married a half-blood. I think her good name allowed the family to except his wife.'

She was shocked. 'Any kings ever marry a muggle-born? Or a muggle?'

He shook his head, 'no, apart from that one time they always had arranged marriages and married pure.'

********************************************************

Hermione was summoned to the staff room the next day after lunch by both Snape and McGonagall. She had fretted all morning since she had received the note at breakfast, Draco and Theo had laughed at her worries she might be in trouble.

'They probably want to give you an award.' Draco had joked as she showed him the note.

She had left her friends in the hall and made her way to the staff room. The two stone Gargoyles guarding it looked up at her but ignored her. She took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

Professor Dumbledore opened the door: 'Ah Miss Granger. How are you finding Slytherin?'

She had never been so shocked; she did not expect to come face to face with the headmaster.

She nodded hastily, 'yes Sir, everyone's been lovely.'

He nodded and smiled at her. 'Well, I won't detain you. Your teachers are waiting for you inside.' With that he strode off quite quickly for a man of his age.

She entered the room. It was long and panelled with mismatched furniture. Snape and McGonagall were waiting inside for her.

'Ah, Granger. Come sit with us.' McGonagall gestured for her to sit on the couch across from her.

'Am I in trouble?' She asked.

McGonagall laughed. 'Quite the opposite actually Granger.'

Hermione let out a breath of relief and sat down on the patchwork couch opposite her two teachers.

'Granger, it has come to our attention that you are usually bright.' Snape said.

McGonagall nodded. 'All your teachers have recorded your progress and we have all reached an agreement that you are working above a first year level, above second year too.'

They seemed to want her to reply to this. 'Thank you?' Maybe Draco was right and they were going to give her a reward.

Snape continued to speak: 'We have spoken to the headmaster and he agrees with our plan. We want to move you into third year after Christmas, you will have extra lessons with each of your professors each day to get you caught up and you will choose your electives for next term too. We will have to speak to your parents of course, but we wanted to see if this would be something you would be interested in?'

Hermione could only stare at them, mouth agape in shock.

*************************************************************

Draco was alone in the common room when Hermione returned.

'Did you get your award?' He asked, looking up from his letter. His joking smile dropped when he saw how pale and shocked she looked. He jumped up and paced over to her, taking her arm. 'Are you okay?'

She nodded her head, speechless still.

This conformation seemed to calm him down, though he was still worried. He guided her over to the leather couch and gently pushed her down. He disappeared for a moment and reappeared with a goblet of pumpkin juice and pushed it into her hands.

'Drink that.' He ordered, she brought the cup to her lips and gulped the drink down. It seemed to bring her back to her senses.

She looked at him wide eyed and spoke: 'they want to move me into third year.'

His own eyes widened for a moment and then he burst out laughing: 'I thought something was terribly wrong! Congratulations!' He shouted, pulling her into a hug. 'We need to celebrate!'

He summoned their friends from their rooms, he informed her that Pansy was in detention so wouldn't be able to join in their festivities.

All of her friends came out and congratulated her with hugs and well wishes. They sat up all night eating cake that Draco's mother had sent him that day and Theo managed to get some Butterbeer from the kitchens, enough for one between two. She and Draco shared a mug.

*******************************************

It was passed curfew when Hermione arrived back at her common room the following week, she dropped into the couch beside Theo, shutting her eyes and groaning with tiredness.

'How is it being the brightest witch of the age?' He asked with a smile.

She yawned. 'I'm so tired. I can't wait for Christmas for these extra lessons to stop. I never see my friends, I'm tired all the time and I can't even read for fun anymore!'

He rolled his eye: 'Can't read for fun ... What a tragedy.'

Draco came in from the kitchen and threw himself down next to her. 'Hey stranger, how was your day?'

'It was awful! I mean, it was wonderful! I'm learning so much, but I'm so tired!' She complained.

'What did you learn today?' Theo asked.

'I was with Snape doing potions all night, he says I'm just about ready to start third year.' She got up and stretched. 'I'm going to bed I'm shattered.'

They boys bid her goodnight and she went and collapsed onto her four-poster face first.

Daphne was sat on her bed next to her reading a magazine and laughed at her. 'Long day?' She laughed.

Hermione managed to groan her agreement and then sat up.

Tracey and Millicent were already asleep but Pansy was up writing a letter at her dresser.

'What are you reading?' she had never seen a wizarding magazine before.

'It's Witch Weekly.' She shut the magazine and put it on her bedside table.

'Anything interesting?' Pansy asked.

Daphne shrugged. 'The Duke of Wiltshire has taken another mistress but apart from that it's all about some Quidditch player getting married.

Hermione jumped up. 'The Duke of Wil- Draco's father has a mistress?'

Daphne rolled her eyes. 'It's like his fifth one, relax it's normal.

'Normal?' Hermione exclaimed, shocked and disgusted.

Pansy spoke up: 'Merlin you're so high and mighty! Wizard men always take mistresses, pure-bloods anyway.'

Hermione got up and walked back into the common room, Draco was alone now and looked shocked at her reappearance.

'Pure-blood men take mistresses?'

He sighed. 'Ah, you've heard about my father. I just got a letter from my mother about that today, she's some French witch who's just turned seventeen.' He rubbed his temples in frustration.

'And this is normal?'

He shook his head. 'Well, yeah. A man can take a mistress if he wants. My father certainly takes them.'

'Will you take one?' She asked.

He raised an eyebrow. 'Hermione I'm eleven.'

She growled in frustration. 'You know that's not what I meant!'

He took both her hands in his. 'I know. The practice started so that men in arranged marriages could be with the women he loved as well. That's why most men take a mistress, my father just sucks and enjoys humiliating my mother.'

Was this her future? To be his mistress while Pansy wore a Duchesses Coronet? She couldn't believe her ears. Draco had told her she wouldn't be a society housewife, is this what he had meant?

'And what about women? Can they take a lover?' She asked though she suspected the answer would be a resounding no. She had known that wizarding society was a little Victorian, but this was positively medieval.

'They can only when they are older and have had their children. Then, don't yell at me for this bit I think it's wrong too, they would need to be sterilised so there can be no illegitimate children.'

'What the actual fuck?'

Placing her anger on the world on the boy in front of him she stormed from the common room and got into bed.

*************************************************

The following weekend she steered clear of all men.

She spent the weekend having her final lessons with her Professor's. They would be returning home for Christmas on Wednesday after a final two days of classes.

She was in the library with Daphne, who was informing her about the Wizard traditions of Yule time.

'It's not that complicated really at our age, there's usually a ball at the palace on boxing day but the invitations go out about a year in advance so you probably don't need to worry about that. Give all your friends a present, nothing too expensive or you look full of yourself, and be wary of accepting any jewellery unless you want to end up engaged.' Daphne told her.

Hermione laughed. 'I'm twelve I don't think I need to worry about getting married.'

Daphne raised an eyebrow at her. 'Most witches are married before they leave Hogwarts Hermione.'

'My God this place is backwards.' She said burying her head in her hands.

She had picked her options with the help of her head of house, Snape. He had talked her out of doing every option and helped her to settle on Arithmancy and Ancient Runes.

Putting her political issues aside she shopped for her friends once she had returned home, meeting up with Daphne, Tracey, and Millicent to do some shopping in Diagon Alley and she took them into muggle London. Tracey had taken quite a large interest in muggle fashion and makeup.

She got a book on European Quidditch for Theo, an Italian book on Quidditch for Blaise, bags of sweets for Grabbe and Goyle, she bought Daphne a book of new beauty spells and potions, Millie some makeup and Tracey some muggle fashion magazines.

Her parents were thrilled to hear she would be moved up two years and gave her five-hundred pounds as her present. Her friends had sent her tools for her new classes; she was now set with many books of Rune history. Theo had sent her tickets to the next Tornadoes Quidditch game with a note reminding her she had promised to go with him.

Draco had sent her a beautiful hair pin decorated with emeralds, along with a note:

_"You'll need to keep all that hair out of your face with all your extra work now"_.

He also sent her an invitation to the royal Christmas ball.

She didn't dwell on the implications of the hair pin, she knew she liked him and knew he liked her but couldn't act on it. She and her mother had raided her wardrobe to find a dress to wear for her tomorrow, she settled on a green dress she had worn to a wedding the year before, she didn't comment on it but decided it would go well with her new hair pin.

She went to bed on Christmas night excited for the ball, her last vision before she closed her eyes was of the green dress hung up on the back of her door, and the hair pin on her bedside table.


	6. The Royal Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione attends the winter ball and meets Draco's royal family.

She had written to Daphne, who had told her that she and her parents would pick her up on the way to the ball at six o'clock.

She rose early that day, too excited to sleep and got into the shower, using her mother's nicest smelling products. She even stole one of her mother's razors and shaved her body for the first time in her life. She wanted to be perfect for tonight. She was happy she had bought some hair potion when she was present shopping with her friends, unable to use her wand she still needed to tame her hair.

Once she was out of the shower she had a simple apple and cinnamon porridge for breakfast before going back upstairs to scrub her teeth. 

She spent the remainder of her day re-reading a book of Wizarding Etiquette, not wanting to embarrass herself among the elite later. She put the worries that she would be meeting Draco's family, a King at that, later in the evening.

At five, she began to get ready. Her mother did her make-up, giving her a light cover of blush and a light coat of green eye shadow to match her dress. She had then done her hair, giving her a half-up style that she pinned back using the pin Draco had given her. She failed to tell her mother the significance of the pin. She finally put on her dress and the small black wedges that went with it.

At six on the dot, their fireplace blared to life with green flame and Daphne and a matching older blonde woman, who must have been her mother, stepped out into their living room. 

Daphne had on a light blue dress and a pair of small white wheels. 'You look lovely Hermione!' Daphne exclaimed as she took Hermione in a hug. 

Her mother introduced herself as Marie Greengrass and instantly charmed both of her parents. 'We'll have her back by one o'clock,' she told them as they turned to leave.

She hugged both of her parent's goodbye and stepped into the fire. She arrived back at Greengrass Abbey. It had been modernised inside, apart from the portraits of ancestors that adorned the white walls.

They would take a portkey to the gate outside of the castle. The item, a pillow, was on the dining room table. Her father and younger sister, who was identical to Daphne and their mother, were already stood around the table waiting for them.

'Once we're out kick your legs so you don't land on your face.' Daphne muttered to her.

They all took hold of the pillow and her father spoke: 'Should be any second now girls.'

As soon as he finished speaking the pillow pulled them. It felt like someone had a hook around Hermione and was pulling her through the darkness. She began to kick her legs and then before she knew it she was on her feet outside a large castle wall of white stone. 

They walked through the gate, presenting their invitations to a man in a purple uniform. 

The castle was breathtaking. Five solid, round towers dwarfed everything below them and were connected by towering, wide walls made of white stone.

Tall windows are scattered thinly across the walls in a seemingly random pattern. There was beautiful stained glass that Hermione imagined held the image of famous wizarding scenes from history, she recognised the founding of Hogwarts and the crowning of a king.

Daphne pointed out a small family of Unicorns drinking from a lake on the right side of the castle, the Unicorn was a part of the royal symbol so it made sense to Hermione that they would keep some on the ground, they were still breathtaking creatures to behold. 

They walked through the massive wooden door into a large entrance hall of large white stone pillars and busts of previous royals, she recognised the busts of the current king, his daughter, and Draco's father, whose faces she knew from seeing them in the prophet. 

They were ushered through a large stone archway by more men in purple uniforms. 

The ballroom was massive, it was already filled with people, and they must have been one of the final guests to arrive.

Hermione walked into the ballroom with Daphne and caught her breath. She had never been in a space that made her feel so small. Crystal chandeliers spiralled down from the arching sky-blue ceiling, illuminating the glimmering golden walls and a floor so polished it looked like an iced-over lake that seemed to twinkle like it had stars trapped under it. It wasn’t just the ballroom, the women sparkled like a box of jewels, shades of emerald and ruby and amethyst swirling. Some young women wore strings of pearls which Hermione took to mean they were engaged or soon would be. Their low chatter was accompanied by pleasant music coming from an orchestra on a stage to the left of the room. 

At the far end of the room sat two thrones of equal size, they were currently empty; the royal family had yet to enter. 

A few more families streamed into the room while Hermione and Daphne helped themselves to a glass of champagne that were being handed out by the men in purple uniform. 

'Don't drink it yet, the king will give a toast when he comes in.' Daphne whispered to her. 

There was a trumpeted fanfare as four people walked through the archway; the guests cleared a pathway so that they could get to the throne at the other end of the hall.

The king had a warm smile. His blond hair was beginning to thin and turn grey, but he was still very handsome. He wore a fine suit with a purple sash that had multiple medals on it. On his head rested a golden crown fitted with rubies and diamonds. 

The king was escorting in a woman she knew to be Draco's mother. She wore a black dress with a purple sash that had one medal, she wore her Duchesses Coronet.

The princess was the most beautiful person she had ever seen. She was slender with fair skin and red lips and she had the signature Malfoy blonde hair that hung around her waist. She wore a white dress with a purple sash; she had five medals on her sash. On her head sat smaller silver grown fitted with sapphires. 

On her arm was Draco. He wore a suit identical to the kings with a purple sash that had three medals pinned to it. He looked very handsome. On his head sat a silver crown, similar to his cousins it only had one sapphire at the front. He didn't look at her; they all kept their eyes fixed ahead of them on the throne. 

The king gracefully sat in the left throne, his daughter stood to his left. Draco and his mother stood behind the empty right throne, his father did not appear to be here.

'Friends and honoured guests, my family and I welcome you to our home at this Yule time. I shan't keep you all with a long speech when I know you are all keen to start drinking and dancing.' The king smiled. The crowd laughed.

'So let us toast to the new year and to a year of prosperity for all people.' He was passed a glass of champagne and held it up to the room before drinking. The room drank their glasses too. She had never had champagne before, she enjoyed it very much. It had a subtle floral and fruity taste to it, Hermione could only guess that in a palace like this they served the very best and expensive drinks.  
He stood from his throne and made his way to the centre of the hall with Narcissa. Clearly, they would open the ball. 

Draco's cousin, Matilda, took the arm of an older looking man that Daphne told her was the Minister of Magic. Draco took the arm of a young girl, who looked to be about their age or possibly a year younger. He looked down at her with a kind face. Daphne whispered to her that she was Louise, the daughter of the French Minister. 

They opened the ball with a waltz. Hermione watched Draco moving fluidly, she had no idea he could dance so well.

The dance ended and other couples took their place on the floor for the next dance while the royals took to the floor to mingle with their guests.

She knew Draco would have to greet all the important people with his family before coming to her, but he did spot her and waved at her from across the room. 

Pansy made her way over to them; she wore a red Bardot dress. 

'You're looking very Gryffindor.' Hermione raised an eyebrow at her.

Pansy rolled her eyes, 'Don't be gross, its festive red not Gryffindor red. I'm surprised to see you here; the invitations go out nearly a year in advance.'

She looked at the girl smugly. 'Yes, Draco invited me.'

Pansy looked annoyed to hear this. Hermione turned to put her glass down on an empty tray behind her and Pansy's eyes narrowed on the exquisite pin in her hair. 

'That's a nice pin Granger, who gave it to you?' 

'Why do you assume someone gave it to me?' She shot back defensively.

Daphne leaned back to look at the pin, having only just really noticed it, her eyes widened.

Pansy scoffed. 'That's Goblin silver and emeralds, very expensive. Not something muggles could get a hold of. Was it Theo?'

Very expensive? Hermione shook her head. 'It's my business. Didn't you get one?' She teased the girl, trying to change the subject. 

Pansy narrowed her eyes before sighing and looking at the floor. 'No Draco gave me a book.' 

Hermione couldn't help her grin. 

'Oh, that's a shame. Maybe he just isn't interested.' Daphne mocked the girl.

Pasny went on the defensive. 'Oh please, I was born to be the next Duchess of Wiltshire.' 

'Oh, is that so?' A cool voice spoke behind her.

The three girls turned to face the tall blond girl behind them. It was Matilda.

The three girls curtsied to her, Hermione was thankful Daphne had taught her how to do so earlier in the year.

'Your Highness.' Pansy addressed her. 'I was just-'

'I heard you.' The tall woman spoke coolly at her. 'I would think that by cousin is quite capable of choosing his own bride and would not be interested in scheming little girls.' 

Hermione liked the woman very much. Pansy stammered. 

Matilda turned from her and Pansy fled, the princess held out her hands to Daphne who took them both. 'Daphne dear, how lovely to see you, how is your family?' 

Daphne smiled back at her, 'they are very well your highness, and they are here somewhere. May I introduce my friend? This is Hermione Granger.'

The princess turned to eye Hermione up. 'So this is the famous Hermione, Draco's told me all about you.' 

Hermione blushed, 'it's a pleasure to meet you, your highness.'

The Princess beamed at her. 'I look forward to seeing you again Hermione. If you'll both excuse me I need to say hello to the American Ambassador.' 

The two girls curtseyed to the Princess as she left. Hermione let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding and Daphne laughed at her expression. 

'So you met the Princess, what did you think of her?'

Hermione and Daphne accepted another glass of champagne from a footman, 'she was very nice, and she brought Pansy down a peg or two which was brilliant.' 

The two girls laughed and began to do a lap of the room, where they bumped into the rest of their friends who were deep in conversation. 

Blaise looked up and spotted them, 'Hey guys, have you heard the gossip?' He asked excitedly. 

They both shook their heads.

'The king rescinded the Weasley invitation because Ron tried to hit you. His mother was furious with him apparently.' Millicent told them.

Hermione's mouth fell open. 'The king knows who I am?' 

'Of course he does.' Draco spoke behind her. Her friends all bowed and curtseyed to him, protocol for the ball. She went to curtsey as well but he stopped her by taking her arm, 'walk with me?' 

Her friends all smirked at each other as she took his arm. 

'That's a nice pin.' He said as they walked slowly towards the thrones where his uncle sat.

'Yes it is, some rich guy gave it to me.' She teased.

He laughed. 

'So why does the king know who I am?' She asked casually.

'Because I mentioned you in my letters obviously.' He told her. He took two glasses of non-alcoholic punch from a footman and handed her one. 'I told him all about you, the first muggle-born Slytherin in centuries, moved up to the third year, my best friend.' 

She blushed lightly. 'And the Weasley invite?'

He sighed. 'Yeah, I wasn't expecting that. I told him that Ron tried to punch you and that I broke my hand on his face. Next thing I knew their invite was cancelled for this year.'

She smiled at him. 'I'm not complaining, I'd much rather not see the prat.'

This caused Draco to laugh as they came upon his uncle, who was chatting to an old man. 

'Nephew!' The king called him over. He was a little red in the face, probably from too much wine. 'Who's your friend?'

They approached the throne, Draco bowed and she curtseyed. 'Uncle, this is my friend Hermione Granger.' 

The king appraised her. 'So this is the famed Hermione?' 

Draco blushed and nodded.

'Come and sit with me.' The king gestured to two small chairs placed to the side of his throne. 

They took a seat and were handed another glass of punch. 

'So Hermione, Draco tells me you have been moved into the third year?' The king asked as he sipped on his wine.

Hermione nodded her head. 'Yes, Your Grace. I start third-year classes when we go back from the holidays.' 

The king nodded his approval. 'Very good. Very impressive. Have you had any thoughts about your future? What line of work you will enter, I imagine you will receive many impressive offers.' 

Draco chucked. 'Uncle, she's twelve. She's not considering life outside of Hogwarts yet.' 

'Actually.' Hermione interrupted. 'I would like to maybe go into law. I want to challenge the laws on house-elves and other non-magical creatures, I think they deserve more rights than they are given.' 

The men around the king all had open mouths, staring at her. 

He smiled at her. 'Is that so? What would you change about house elves? They enjoy the work?' 

She shook her head. 'I have heard so Your Grace. But having them work without pay or holiday is kind of slavery.' 

Nobody ever spoke to the king so casually about such important matters. 

But the king was smiling at her. 'Slavery, you say?'

She nodded. 'In the muggle world we learn all about the slave trade and slavery, house-elves are slaves.' She spoke calmly, though her hands were trembling.

'So it would make you happy if the palace elves received pay and holiday time?' The king asked.

She nodded. 'Very happy sir. You would be setting an example to the wizarding world.'

The king nodded. 'Then consider it done.' Her mouth fell open. 'Consider it my Christmas gift to you.' 

She was speechless so Draco spoke. 'That is very good of you uncle. We will leave you to enjoy your nights. Come on Hermione, let's get you some air.' 

He helped Hermione up, they both bid the king farewell and Draco steered her outside some French doors hidden behind purple curtains. 

They came out by the lake and watched the unicorns gallop in the gardens for a few minutes.

'Well, that was one way to get your agenda started.' Draco teased.

She was still speechless so he continued. 'I imagine the laws will be changed by the years end to follow his example.'

'Next time I see him I'll talk to him about unfair Werewolf legislature.' She joked lightly, but Draco could tell she was serious. 

'I love that you care about everything so deeply.' He muttered, looking at her eyes.

They gazed into each other's eyes for a moment before beginning to learn in, their eyes shutting. They jumped apart at the sound of the doors opening again. 

'I thought I might find you out here my little dragon, oh, who's this?' His mother had come outside.

The pair stood up, Draco was blushing furiously that Hermione had heard his nickname. 'Mother, this is Hermione Granger.'

For the third time that night Hermione felt herself being appraised. 'Ah so this is the famous Hermione?' 

Draco blushed; Hermione wondered how many more times she would be called "the famous Hermione" by his relatives tonight.

She shook hands with Hermione. 'Draco's told us all about you dear, well done on being moved to the third year.'

Hermione smiled at the woman. 'Thank you, it's lovely to meet you. Draco's always talking about you.'

The woman smiled, her eyes flicking to Draco. 'You two should come back inside where it's warm.' 

Draco nodded, 'we'll come back in soon.' 

His mother nodded to them both and returned inside. 

'So, Dragon?' she teased, easing the tension caused by their almost kiss. 

He groaned and put his head in his hands. 'I can't believe she called me that in front of you, she totally did it on purpose!'

Hermione laughed. 'It's okay, it was sweet.' 

She fingered the silver and gold medals on his chest. 'What are these for?'

He looked down at them as if he had forgotten that they were there. 'They're titles. Earl of Wiltshire, Viscount Beauchamp.' He said pointing to two of them. 'That one is my Knight of the realm medal, every royal gets it.' 

'You're an Earl and a Viscount?'

He rolled his eyes and offered her his arm. 'Yeah and one day I'll be a Duke and my children will be Earls and Viscounts. Let's go back in,' 

She took it and he began to steer her back inside, pondering his future and who he would have children with, 'hey, where's your dad? Shouldn't the king's brother be here?'

'Oh, he got called away on business to France last minute.' 

So that was how he had managed to invite her, his father wasn't here. She didn't like that he had to hide their friendship from his own father but she had decided she would take him however she could.

Draco had to leave her for a little while after their talk outside to talk to some ambassadors with his cousin. So she spent the time with her friends, she even danced. She did two with Theo, and one each with Blaise, Crabb, and Goyle. 

She saw several people from school; she had a brief but friendly conversation with Neville and his grandmother and met many of her friend's families. 

She even spotted Dumbledore with his brother in a corner talking to a giant of a lady and the king.

'Ah Miss Granger,' he called her over. He was wearing wonderful blue robes that seemed to sparkle as he moved. 'This is the headmistress of Beauxbatons Academy in France. Olympe this is the girl I was telling you about.' 

She was growing rapidly tired of people appraising her tonight, but bared it one more time for Dumbledore's sake.

'She's made quite the impression on all of us.' The king smiled at her. 

'Such a small thing to be creating such a fuss.' The woman spoke in a thick French accent, gesturing with her large hand to her small height and frame.

Hermione refrained from rolling her eyes. 'I'll grow ma'am. 

Dumbledore and the woman laughed. 'Ah, she has spirit! This is good. She would do well at my school girl' The woman nodded approvingly.

Dumbledore shook his head and smiled. 'You wouldn't be trying to poach my best student now would you?' 

Hermione blushed at being referred to as such and was thankfully saved from further conversation by the arrival of Draco.

'You don't mind if I steal Hermione do you, Uncle? Professors?' He asked politely.

She was released by the adults and walked away on Draco's arm. 'Thank you for rescuing me.' 

He chuckled. 'Any time, but I think you'll have to give me something in payment.'

He began steering her to the dance floor, gaining the attention of several people, apart from when opening the ball the young Earl never danced. 

'Draco, people are staring.' She whispered as he placed his hand on her waist. 

He smiled at her. 'Of course they are.' 

The music began and so did they. Draco spun her around the floor and the crowds melted away, it was just them alone together. They never took their eyes from each other. 

The music finally faded out and they came to a stop. Hermione looked up to see that the entire room was watching them, smiling at the young pair. 

*********************************************************************************

The guests filtered out as the night went on until it was just the royal family together as the servants cleaned around them.

His mother and cousin left to go to bed at around two leaving Draco alone with his uncle.

'That's some girl you're friends with.' His uncle smiled gently at him. 'Will we be seeing more of her?'

Draco sighed. 'I don't think my father would approve of my friendship with her... He keeps pushing the Parkinson daughter at me.'

The king rolled his eyes. 'I trust you will leave my little brother to me. He may be a Duke, but I'm the king. You be friends with whoever you want. I'll make sure she is put on the invite list for all our important functions.'

Draco beamed at his uncle. 'Thank you.' Then he laughed. 'I think you made her very happy about the house-elves, you might have opened a can of flobber-worms on yourself though. She'll start lecturing you on equal treatment of all species soon, it'll be Werewolves next.'

The king laughed and finished off his wine. 'Good, we need some positive changes around here. I'll write to Fudge in the morning and tell him I want to change the laws on house-elves. They do work very hard, they deserve some rights.' He stood up and stretched. 'Goodness is that the time? Off to bed with you Draco.'

He bowed to his uncle and left the room, taking the grand staircase to the guest suite his family kept when they visited the palace. Removing his suit and climbing into his grand four-poster bed he finally shut his eyes, excited to return to Hogwarts and see Hermione and his friends again.

********************************************************  
********************************************************  
Because Hermione would campaign for house-elves the second she meets the king.


	7. New Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione attends the game with Theo with some shocks and starts her third-year lessons, making some new friends along the way.

She told her parents all about the ball and meeting the royal family, they were immensely proud of her for challenging the law at such a young age. She had told them how kind the King had been and how the Princess had shut down a girl she disliked. Her parents had laughed as she re-enacted the horrified expression on Pansy's face.

Hermione had celebrated the New Year with her parents with some simple fireworks in their garden with a few of their neighbours; she had told them all about boarding school in Scotland, sans magic.

'So what is your favourite subject Hermione?' Her elderly neighbour asked her.

'Erm, Chemistry.' She said after a moment, deciding that was the closest thing to Potions.

'Any cute boys? Her neighbour Mai, who was in her early twenties, teased her.

She was saved from answering by her father setting off one of the large rockets.

*************************

She had rolled out of bed the next day and dressed warmly, today Theo was taking her to Quiddich.

She dressed in black jeans with a purple jumper which she wore with black ankle-boots. She smuggled a book into her bag just in case she was still bored by the game.

She was just doing up her thick blue winter coat when her fire-place burnt into life, causing her mother to jump in shock.

'I'll never get used to that.' She had joked as Theo stepped through the flames.

'You must be Hermione's parents?' He greeted them, shaking her father's hands.

'It's lovely to meet you Theo; Hermione's told us all about her Hogwarts friends.' Her mother said.

'It's very nice to meet you; I've never met a muggle before.' He said conversationally. He looked around their living room with great interest. 'What's that?' He asked, pointing at the television.

Hermione laughed. 'I'll tell you later.'

Theo had a very polite conversation with her parents and promised to look after her, the two had left through the green fire to arrive in a large private booth with an impressive view of the massive stadium.

The booth had several leather armchairs for Theo's family and guests. There were two waiters who gave them each a glass of pumpkin juice and some cakes.

The seats in the stadium were full of rabid fans braving the cold all donning their team's colours. The Tornadoes would be playing the Wasps. Theo was confident that his team would win despite the known skill of the Wasp's Seeker.

Their high up box gave them a perfect view of the game as the Tornado chasers dominated the game for two hours. The score was three hundred to twenty when Hermione was given another drink and snack by the waiters.

He had been correct; of course, she had enjoyed the game immensely and was even shouting along with Theo when the two seekers dove for the Snitch. The Wasp Seeker caught the Snitch, but the Cannons still won due to some fantastic work by their chasers. 

They both cheered happily as the Cannons were announced as the winners. Before she knew it Theo had pulled her towards him and kissed her. She stood back in shock.

He walked to the door as if nothing was amiss, 'want to meet the team?'

Putting the kiss from her mind she went with him and was introduced to the Capitan, Brevis Birch**,** in his blue uniform and they posed for a photo with him clutching the game trophy.

'Did you two enjoy the match?' He asked them after the reporters for the Prophet had wandered off.

'Yes, it was brilliant!' Hermione exclaimed.

'I told you I'd make a Quidditch fan of you.' Theo teased her.

Later, Theo had dropped her off at home with a hug; they would see each other in a few days on the train to school, giving her a few days to study and dwell on receiving another surprise kiss from her friend.

*****************************

Hermione had spent the next few days thoroughly confused. She had thought that she and Theo were just friends but apparently she had managed to go on her first ever date without realising it.

She certainly liked Theo, she didn't know if she liked him that way though. She had to admit to herself that she had enjoyed their brief kiss. She had never felt so confused. She liked Draco, but couldn't be with him. She wasn't even going to think about what her feelings over Daphne were, she had no idea if she was attracted to girls.

By the time came to board the train she had decided that if Theo wanted to peruse a relationship with her then she would agree. She knew she cared deeply for the boy and they got on very well, maybe romantic feelings would develop.

She bid goodbye to her parents who wished her luck as she progressed to more advanced classes. She saw Draco helping Pansy load her belongings into a cabin and rolled her eyes.

Theo appeared by her side and helped her put her trunk into a cabin. 'How was the rest of you break?' He asked as they took their seats. 

She smiled at him. 'It was very nice, thanks for taking me to Quidditch.'

He smiled at her. 'Before the others come in, I wanted to talk to you. I really like you and I was wondering if you wanted to be my girlfriend?'

Suspecting this was coming she nodded and smiled at him. 'I would love that.'

He beamed and sat down next to her and took her hand. Draco and Pansy entered the compartment and his eyes fixated on their joined hands.

'When did this happen?' He asked, he was trying to keep his tone light, though there was an angry swelling in his stomach.

Theo smiled and threw his arm around her. 'We went to the Tornadoes game together didn't we?'

Hermione nodded, she could see the pained expression he was trying to hide. 'It's all very new.'

Pansy took Draco's hand. 'Huh, guess you won't be a mistress after all Granger. We should double date over summer!'

She refrained from launching herself at the snotty girl while Pansy and Theo launched into activities the four of them could do together.

She and Draco spent much of the journeys beginnings glancing at each other while Pansy and Theo discussed a trip to Diagon Alley they could take together. Theo and Pansy thankfully didn't notice the tension between them in the cabin.

Finally their other friends came in and greeted them and she fell easily into conversation with Daphne, Tracey, and Millie about the ball and Christmas break.

She spent a part of the journey discussing Quidditch with the boys; the girls groaned that she had now been converted into another fan.

When she left to go to the toilet she bumped into Harry and Neville and had a breif but friendly conversation with them.

After a few hours on the train the trolley began to make its rounds. She went into the corridor with Draco, the only two that wanted anything, her intent to buy some liquorice wands.

'So, you and Theo?' He asked as they stood in the queue.

She nodded. 'Yeah, he kissed me when he took me to the game and that was that I guess. You and Pansy are still together I see?'

He frowned. 'My uncle tried to speak to my father about it but it just made everything worse. He's pretty much ordered me to date her. I am allowed to be friends with you though, so I guess that's something.'

They approached the trolley. 'Jelly slugs, a copy of the Prophet, and some Liquorice wands please.' Draco asked and paid, handing her the sweets.

He glanced at the front page of the Prophet and his face fell. 'You and Theo are on the front page of the society section.'

'What?' She shrieked, he showed her the paper.

_Young love for Knott heir? _

_Theodore Knott, 12, was spotted on a date on New Year's day with Hermione Granger,12. Granger is the first Muggle-Born to be sorted into Slytherin house in four centuries and is rumoured to have been moved into the third year of Hogwarts due to her brilliant intellect. The pair were spotted together in the Knott private box for the family team game. _

She didn't care to read the rest; the picture attached was of them kissing. Although at the time she had been very shocked the picture looked quite graceful and romantic as he pulled her in.

She thanked him for showing her and the duo made their way back into the compartment, she showed Theo the article and he merely laughed it off. She decided to take his example; she had known the wizarding world was a nosey place.

***************************************

She had taken a deep breath before entering the potions classroom for her first third year class. She had gone to splash some cool water on her face to calm her nerves after breakfast; this had made her a few moments late.

Everyone was already seated but were still getting out their belongings. 'Ah Miss Granger, welcome to third year.' Snape spoke out causing all eyes to turn on her. It was a class of Slytherin's and Gryffindor's. The only available seat was between two redheaded boys.

'Thank you Professor.' She replied as she pulled out her books.

He nodded at her and began the lesson. 'Today we will be brewing the Antidote to Uncommon Poisons, open your books to page five and begin.'

The boys on either side turned to face her; she recognised them as Ron's older brothers.

'You're Hermione Granger?' The one on her left asked.

She nodded, she was nervous she was about to receive the same treatment as she did from their brother.

The boy on her right spoke up. 'I'm Fred, that's George. Welcome to third year.' They were very friendly, which she was thankful for.

'We know you've had some trouble with our little brother-' Fred spoke.

'-and we're sorry for it. His beliefs are not ours.' George finished.

Snape came over. 'I'm sure you are having a frightfully interesting conversation Granger but perhaps you could begin brewing? Madame Pomfrey informs me she needs more antidotes so bottle what you brew.' With that he walked off leaving the twins mouths hanging open.

'Just how clever are you?' Fred teased her as she brewed.

'Smarter than you.' She teased the boy, earning a laugh from the duo.

'I think the three of us will do just fine.' George spoke.

'Yeah, don't worry about your other classes, we've got your back.' Fred assured her.

"Their" potion had been perfect, of course, and Hermione had bottled it for the Hospital Wing.

The class was dismissed. 'Miss Granger, please come and see me on Friday after dinner.' Snape called to her as she left. She nodded and left for her next lesson with the twins, laughing and joking in the corridor as they went.

That night, after a day of lessons with Fred and George followed by a nice evening with Theo, she returned to her rooms. As she showered before bed she overheard Pansy complaining to the other girls that Draco had danced with Hermione at the ball, but not with her. Hermione could not help the smile this brought to her face. 


	8. Dating and History

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dating is hard and Hermione gets a history lesson.

Her first week of third year had been brilliant. She loved her electives, Ancient Runes and Arithmancy, liking that she actually had challenging classes now. 

Fred and George had introduced her to some Gryffindor's in their year, like their friend Lee Jordan, who she found just as entertaining as the twins. They had successfully landed them in her first-ever detention for continued chatter during Potions. Snape hadn't been too harsh on her since she had already mastered the Shrinking Solution and she received one detention, the twins received a week's worth. 

She had arrived for her detention expecting to write lines or something equally tedious, Snape however had used the hour to have her mark some second-year essays on a Cure for Boils. She understood how Snape was usually in a bad mood; the idiotic mistakes had her complaining to him at length about the stupidity of some of her fellow wizards. Fred and George, who had been made to scrub cauldrons with no magic all week, complained about the clear favouritism to her at length.

'Well, when you two skip two years, you can have easy detentions too.' She had mocked them. 

That little slip up had been her only detention; she didn't want to thank the teachers for moving her up by misbehaving. This didn't mean she had stopped making general mischief with the twins and Lee, she just became sneakier as not to be caught. 

She spent her evenings with Theo; it had gotten too cold to stay outside in the cold for any length of time, so they had taken to exploring the castle and had discovered a few secret passages. He had also begun teaching her how to play chess, but to her frustration, she wasn't much good at it. They had yet to kiss again.

On Friday, after dinner, she went to her head of house a promised. 

'Ah, Granger, sit down. How are you finding third-year classes? I trust they aren't too challenging for you?' He asked, pouring her a glass of pumpkin juice.

She took the cup and sat down across from him. They chatted for a while about how she was finding the classes stimulating and felt the third year was a good fit for her. 

It was when her electives came up that a question entered her mind. 'Sir? Why is there a muggle studies class but not a wizarding class?

He frowned at her. 'What do you mean?'

She put her empty cup down on the table. 'Well, it's a bit unlikely people will go and live in the muggle world but every year more people enter the wizarding world with all its new rules, it would be good to have a class on the subject.' 

He smiled at her for a moment before answering, 'first you challenge the laws on house-elves and now you're going to change the school curriculum.'

She couldn't help laughing lightly. 'I just think it would have been helpful to have a class on wizarding society. Don't you think it would be a good idea, there could be a class for boys and one for girls?'  
He began writing on a slip of parchment. 'I'm going to set up a meeting for you with the headmaster, he's a busy man so it will probably take a few months. You can tell him all your ideas on the subject. I agree it should be a class.' 

She opened her mouth to thank him but he held a hand up to stop her. 'You remind me a lot of someone I used to know. She used to challenge every rule too.' He smiled off into the distance for a moment with a fond but sad look in his eyes. 'You may go. Don't forget your potions essay, its due Monday.'

She stood to leave. 'It's already done.' 

When she entered her common room a few minutes later she was faced with a couple arguing.

It was Draco and Pansy.

Well, it was less arguing and more Pansy shouting at Draco who looked like he couldn't care less from his armchair by the fire. He didn't even look at her.

'You haven't even gotten me a pin!' She shrieked.

Draco sighed and looked at the girl. 'Will you be quiet? You are making a spectacle of yourself.

This seemed to infuriate Pansy more. 'No I will not be quiet! You should have given me jewelry by now! I saw the letter from your father! We are together! So buy me a necklace and claim me!' 

Hermione couldn't help cringe at the girls words. She realised that everyone else had fled the common room and decided to follow their direction; she began to sneak past them in the background. 

He stood up from his chair, she froze from the look on his face, she had never seen him look so angry and cold. 'I have not and will not ever buy you anything. My father may have ordered me to date you but do not think I care for you. I will never like you or be loyal to you.' 

Hermione felt pity for the boy, he seemed to be doomed to be stuck with Pansy for life and was doomed to take mistresses to find any comfort in life.

Her shoe scraped on the stone as she walked by alerting them to her presence.

'There she is, your beloved mudblood whore!' Pansy taunted the pair.

Draco's face was red with fury. 'Don't you dare speak to her like that! Get out of my sight.' He ordered.

Pansy mockingly curtseyed to him and left for the bedroom. 

'Are you okay?' She asked Draco, who was now staring blankly at the fire.

He sighed and threw himself down on the couch. 'No.' 

She smiled sadly at him and sat down beside him. 'I don't understand why you have to date who your father says.' 

He shut his eyes. 'I just do. Gods, I hate him for this.' He opened his eyes and looked at her. 'I'm sorry she spoke to you like that. You aren't my whore.'

'I know, and I never will be.' She replied. 'I know you gave me that pin and I wear it but I won't be a mistress when we're older.'

'I could look after you?' He said softly.

'I know. But it's not me. I wouldn't be anyone's mistress.' She sighed.

'I know. I wish things were different, I'd have you in a necklace already.' He said sadly. 

'Hey, we're only eleven and twelve, things might change.' She tried to lighten the mood with her joking tone. 

'I doubt my father will ever change.' He looked close to tears at the prospect of being without her.

She pulled the pin from her hair and stroked the jewel. 'Then we will never be together and we should move on.' She held the pin out to him.

He shook his head. 'Keep it.' With that, he stood and hurried into his bedroom. 

Hermione rubbed at her eyes and stood to enter her room. She hurried in and placed the pin in her bedside drawer, she didn't think she would be able to wear it anymore. 

It was then she tuned into the conversation Pansy was having with Millie, who looked rather disgusted at what she was hearing.

'I don't care what he does though Millie, if he wants to fuck painted whores than he can, I will be a Duchess.' 

Hermione was repulsed by the girl's cold words. 'Pansy you really are a bitch.' She said as she walked into the bathroom for a shower.

Pansy shrugged her off. 'You're just jealous.'

As Hermione locked the door and climbed into the shower she unhappily admitted that Pansy was, for the first time, correct.

***************************************************

The term seemed to continue quite quickly as January turned to February and the snow got heavier, they rose in the darkness and by the time classes had ended it was dark again. She had an appointment set up with Dumbledore for the following week to talk about adding a Wizarding studies class. 

She had stopped wearing the hair pin Draco had gifted her and now kept it safe in her bedside drawer. He and Pansy could now be spotted holding hands at any point throughout the day, though he still refused to buy her any jewelry. 

Theo hadn't bought her any jewelry either, but she couldn't help being thankful for it. Theo clearly liked her and they had now pecked a handful of times, but those feelings still hadn't grown for her. She certainly liked his company and didn't mind the kisses, but he was still just a friend to her. 

She and Draco had avoided each other for a fortnight but eventually, the awkwardness from their conversation faded and they were back to being the best of friends. 

It was a particularly cold Wednesday when they were huddled together in the Library. Hogwarts stone build was beautiful, but it didn't allow for much heat to remain inside. She was thankful the library had a grand fireplace; she and Draco were sat on the purple rug in front of the roaring fire under a purple chunky crocheted blanket that his mother had sent. 

He was reading a book on the Giant Wars at the turn of the millennium, she was reading about the history of the wizarding royalty.

Draco noticed what she was reading and raised an eyebrow. 'Why are you reading that?' 

'Why wouldn't I?' She asked, not lifting her eyes from the book.

He chuckled. 'No, I mean, why not just ask me?'

She looked up from her book. 'There was something actually, the first king, er-' She trailed off trying to remember his name.

'Armand I' He filled in for her.

'Yeah him. My book says he came over to England with William the conqueror, how did he know him?' She asked.

'William was his son.' He replied.

'What William the Conqueror was a wizard?' She was shocked.

He shook his head. 'No, he was a Squib.' 

He spent the next hour teaching her some interesting facts of memorable members of his family tree.

He had reminded her that the first king, Armand, had married the daughter of Godric Gryffindor. 

There had been Nicholas, who had married the great-great-granddaughter of Slytherin and used to kill muggles under the guise of the plague. He was one of the most hated kings and had been assassinated in the end.

There was Lucius I, who had proposed to Elizabeth I, Draco had told her the Queen had obviously declined but she was no longer the "Virgin Queen" everyone thought she was, causing Hermione to blush. He had done amazing things for improving Wizarding-Muggle relations and had built Malfoy Manor. One of his ancestors had even married Merlin's granddaughter.

'Wait, you have the same blood as Merlin?' She had exclaimed. 

He merely laughed at her expression and continued with the lesson. 

'Yeah, she was married to Audric.'

There was Brutus, who had tried to bring in legislation against "blood-traitors" in the seventeenth century. He was eventually deposed by his council and sent to Azkaban, which had just been built.  
Then there was Septimus, who Draco told her was his favourite king. He had ruled in the eighteenth century and had banned muggle hunts and revels. He had married the last descendant of Hufflepuff, thus that name had died out.

'How come you never married a Ravenclaw descendant?' She asked him, interrupting for the hundredth time, he didn't seem to mind her many questions though and had burst out laughing when she began taking notes. 

'Ravenclaw only had one daughter and she died childless.' He told her, she added it to her notes.

There was his uncle, Armand II, who was doing great things for Wizard-Muggle relations, he had monthly meetings with the muggle ministers and even met with Queen Elizabeth on occasion.

'What happened to the Queen?' She asked quietly, she knew his aunt was dead but Draco never spoke about her. 

He wasn't mad at her question. 'Her name was Marie, she died in the war. She tried to stop a muggle revel and the Death Eaters killed her. I wasn't even one when it happened so I don't remember her but Matilda told me she was an incredibly kind woman.'

'Poor girl, she must have been very young when her mum died.'

'She would have been about ten.' Draco looked into the fire. 'It's one reason I don't understand why my father believes in blood superiority, the Queen died defending muggles and he believes they're lesser.'

This was one of her favourite things about her friendship with Draco, they could discuss any form of adult or difficult topic without any awkwardness, with no fear of judgement and only receive support.  
He spoke up again smiling. 'You would think we would have a better name than Malfoy.' The only awkwardness between them had come from their discussion about the future of their relationship.

'I think it's a good name.' She told him.

He laughed. 'Do you know what it means?'

She shook her head.

'Malfoy is of French extraction, mal foi, and means ‘bad faith’, or ‘unfaithful’ it's not something that connotes royalty.'

She couldn't help laugh at his dry expression as he told her. 'Why don't you change it? The muggle royals changed it because of the wars.'

He shook his head. 'The royal family has been Malfoy for millennia.'

She frowned. 'But it wouldn't be anymore when Matilda becomes Queen? She'd take her husband's name right?'

'No, she would keep her name; her husband would have to take her name actually.' He told her calmly, picking his book back up.

'Why isn't she married? I thought wizards got married really young? Isn't she like twenty?' She asked.

He shrugged. 'She's twenty-one. I guess it must be hard for her, her husband would be made a royal Duke, not a King. She has to find a pure-blooded man who is okay being inferior to his wife.' 

She picked up a new book on OWL Charms, she liked to read ahead. 'What about you? Could you be "Inferior" to your wife?' She teased.

He scowled at her. 'Well, seeing as I'm stuck with Pansy I don't with that's a worry.'

They both laughed and continued reading together in a comfortable silence. They paused occasionally to discuss interesting chapters in their books, they talked about their relationships that they were not interested in, and their friendship with each other fondly remembering their initials carved into the oak tree outside currently buried in a foot of snow outside just waiting to thaw in the warm weather.


	9. Meetings and Invites

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione meets with Dumbledore and receives an unexpected letter.

_Miss Granger_

_I would like to discuss your ideas for a new class on Friday at ten pm. I will inform the teachers on duty that you will be out of your dorm after hours._

_The password is Jelly Slugs._

_Prof. Dumbledore_

The girls, sans Pansy who was off holding hands with Draco, helped her gather information on changing the curriculum. She and Daphne had spent many hours in the library forming a plan of what should be taught in such a class.

She had left her friends after dinner the night she was due to meet the headmaster to do some last minute work and lesson plans in the Library.

She was immersed in a chapter of _The Art of Courting_ when she heard a throat clear in front of her.

It was Potter. He looked to be incredibly uncomfortable, twiddling his thumbs and looking at his feet.

'What can I do for you Potter?' She asked, putting down her book. Folding her arms she leant back in her chair.

After a moment he looked up at her, meeting her eye. 'I wanted to say sorry.' He looked at her hopefully.

She raised an eyebrow. 'Go on then.'

He seemed to take a deep breath before speaking. 'I didn't realise what Ron was like, I'm sorry if I ever upset you with him. I haven't spoken to him since he swung for you.'

She smiled weakly at him, normally she was excellent at holding a grudge but she was inclined to forgive the boy. She gestured for him to sit down across from her, which he did.

'Why were you friends with him in the first place?' She asked gently.

He shrugged. 'His family helped me to get onto the platform in September and then I sat with him on the train. I didn't know anyone, I guess I just attached myself to the first person that was nice to me, I didn't have many friends in primary school.'

That was something Hermione could understand, she was thankful she had fallen in with the right crowd in Slytherin. She pitied Harry for being placed in a house with Ron, the two had been forced together.

After pausing as if in thought for a moment, she smiled kindly at him. 'Okay, I forgive you.'

He let out a breath of relief. She picked her book back up and continued to make notes.

Harry didn't leave; instead he pulled out his potions essay and began to work on it. They sat together in a comfortable silence together, working on their respective works. He asked her the occasional question, knowing her skill in potions, and she gladly assisted him with his essay

'No, no. You've missed a step. You add the porcupine quills before you stir it.' She pointed out to him upon being asked to inspect his completed essay.

He thanked her for all her help as he packed away his work. 'Aren't you leaving too? It's nearly curfew.' He looked at her unmoving form.

'No not yet. I'm meeting Dumbledore at ten. I'll stay a little longer.' She had finished writing her notes and was now just placing them into order.

'You meet with the Headmaster regularly?' He asked.

She shook her head. 'No, I'm going to talk to him about adding a Wizarding studies class for muggle-borns.'

Harry nodded. 'That is a good idea to be fair. There are so many rules. Well, good luck.' He bid her a goodnight and left her to her books.

She had remained for a further ten minutes, running over her arguments in her head, before packing away her belongings and making her way to the Gargoyle that led to the Headmasters office.

She arrived before the stone Gargoyle. 'Jelly Slugs.' She told it and it leapt aside, revealing a slowly ascending circular staircase. Upon reaching the top of these she found an oaken double door.

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she knocked on the door.

'Come in.'

The room contained a vast number of portraits of past headmasters; she recognised many of the faces from Hogwarts: A History. Some were evidently asleep but some sat quietly chatting to each other. There were many tables with intricate silvery devices upon them. She spotted the Sorting Hat resting on a shelf; it seemed to be asleep as well.

Dumbledore was stood behind his desk. 'Miss Granger, do sit down.' He gestured to a seat in front of his desk.

She began to walk up to him when she spotted a beautiful red bird on a perch, it was a Phoenix. He seemed fairly old; she could see the beginnings of sickness, as he sat staring back at her with intelligent eyes.

'Ah, you've found Fawkes.' Dumbledore smiled at her.

She smiled back at him, then looking back at the bird she asked. 'He looks quite old; do you think he will burn soon?'

Dumbledore walked over to her and strokes Fawkes head. 'Not for a while yet, he's probably got another year before being reborn.'

She raised a hand to pet the bird and he nuzzled his head into her hand.

'Well, shall we get down to business?' He asked gently.

They sat down together at his desk and he poured them each a glass of Gillywater.

'Professor Snape tells me you think we should introduce a Wizard Studies class for first years?' He asked, retrieving some parchment and a quill to take notes as she spoke.

'Yes Sir.' She said, she pulled her notes from her bag and passed them to him. He seemed taken aback at the level of research she had done, but this surprise melted from his face into a smile.

'You see, there are so many rules and protocols to the Wizarding world that just don't exist in the Muggle world. Muggle-born students are entering this world at a disadvantage for not knowing how to behave or what to expect.'

'What do you mean not knowing what to expect?' He asked, as he took quick notes on his parchment.

'Well, all the rules on what one can and cannot say or do. One wrong move and you could be blacklisted.'

Dumbledore nodded, writing this down too.

They spoke for quite a while. He had her go through all of her lesson plans with him and he agreed upon her chosen curriculum.

'I notice you haven't mentioned the monarchy?' He asked once they had finished with her papers.

She sighed. 'One lesson a week for a year just isn't enough time to go through everything, the time table is just too full to allow more.'

He thought for a moment. 'Well, it could continue into second year. Actually, you mentioned something about mistresses.' He said finding the paper in question.

She nodded. 'It's important, people should know.'

'I agree. But not when they are eleven. Perhaps they could cover this during a term in fourth year?' He asked her opinion. 'You must remember that not all of your classmates are as mature as you.

She recalled George and Lee giggling over a picture of a topless catalogue they had managed to smuggle in from Hogsmede before she caught them and nodded. 'Yeah, that's probably for the best.

They outlined a firm plan. First years would learn all the societal rules on how to behave in different situations. Second years would learn about courting rituals. Third years would learn about the monarchy, the history of Pure Blood families, and a more in depth look at etiquette, as it would be at this point they might begin to be invited to royal functions. Fourth years would learn about marriage for one term and be done.

'I think the girl is correct Professor.' One of the portraits spoke up. 'Our students should learn these things.'

Dumbledore nodded. 'I agree Everard. I will speak to the minister tomorrow and I'm sure these lessons will begin next year.'

Hermione beamed at him. 'What about current students?'

Dumbledore thought for a moment. 'They will be offered these classes too. Older students will be offered a more intensive study after classes have ended so they can learn it all in a year.'

'Thank you Professor.' She was so happy at this accomplishment.

He walked her towards the door. 'Oh, you'll be happy to hear that the Hogwarts Elves will receiving pay and holiday beginning next week. I had a letter from King Armand a few days ago; the law will come into effect in a few months.'

Hermione wanted to cheer but refrained from doing so in front of the Headmaster.

'That is good news.' She said happily.

The headmaster bid her a goodnight. 'Hurry back to your dorms now Miss Granger, it is very late.'

She realised it was nearing midnight and said her farewells to the aged man.

She positively skipped down the corridor back to the Slytherin corridors. She had seen Professor Sprout on patrol who merely nodded to her, having been informed she was meeting the headmaster.

Only Theo was in the common room when she entered. In her excitement she ran up to him and kissed him hard.

'I take it the meeting went well them?' He asked with a smile when they broke apart.

She had told him all about the meeting over a glass of water and eventually went to bed; the other girls were all asleep when she entered her dorm so she snuck into her bed as quietly as possible, though she felt like she could explode from joy at any moment.

*******************************************

The news of her triumph had spread through the school the following week once Dumbledore had announced the plans for the classes to begin the following year.

She had received many offers of congratulations and thanks from other Muggle-born students who were keen to begin learning; to some she had recommended books on the subject.

All was well in her world as she sat in between Theo and Draco for breakfast when a flood of owls entered the great hall; there were many more than usual.

'The ball invites must have been sent out.' Theo muttered to her.

Indeed, she saw most in the hall had received letters from home detailing the next invite for the next Christmas Ball.

'Wow, they really do send them a year in advance.' She muttered to Daphne across the table who chuckled at her friend.

'Oh, it's going to be a Masquerade.' Pansy gushed over her letter. Then she looked up at Hermione. 'No letter for you? Guess you're not invited.' She sneered.

Pansy gleefully took a drink of her pumpkin juice just as a beautiful Eagle landed in front of Hermione.

'That's a royal bird.' Draco announced. He noticed the Eagle had a purple band around its foot. 'It's my uncle's bird, Prince.' He said, shocked.

The hall seemed to fall silent and she could feel many eyes on her. She had received a letter from the king. A letter from the king delivered by his personal bird no less.

Her hands shook slightly as she undid the envelope, fastened with a black ribbon.

The great animal pecked fondly at Draco, who fed him some bacon, before flying off.

'What does it say?' Daphne asked.

Hermione pulled a black card from the envelope to the gasps of the table.

'A black invite!' Millie exclaimed. 'Oh my gods Hermione you lucky thing! So few of them are issued a year!'

'What's a black invite?' She asked a very silent Draco.

'There's a feast before the ball. It's normally full of ambassadors, you're invited. Then you'll stay over at the castle after the ball for the breakfast.'

'There are three types of invites. The standard invites which are just for the ball. There's a red invite, which is for the ball and the feast before, they send out about fifty of them. Then there's a black invite, they only send out like ten.'

'Why would the king give me this invite?' She asked him quietly as her friends began to pass around her invite to inspect the card they had never seen.

Pansy had gotten up and stormed away, though this had been ignored by everyone.

'He must like you.' Draco smiled at her.

'Is there a letter?' Theo interrupted.

She broke away from her shared smiles with Draco to look back into the envelope.

_Dear Miss Granger,_

_I imagine you will be surprised at receiving this invite, however I deem you to have a very bright future and thought it might help you to meet some important people at the feast and the breakfast. Also, my family all enjoy your company. _

_I must congratulate you as your ideas on the treatment of house elves becomes law this month and I hear you are now addressing educational reforms at your school. _

_I have no doubt that a person such as yourself has a very bright future and I look forwards to the day you come of age and I can offer you a seat on my council, or before if I can manage it._

_Fondly,_

_HRH, King Armand II of the Wizarding World. _

'What does he say?' Millie asked.

She handed the letter to Draco who read it aloud the group as she calmed herself with a glass of pumpkin juice.

'Well, he definitely likes you.' Draco told her with a wide smile.

'He wants you on his council when you're older?' Daphne asked, shocked.

'There are only seven seats on the council. It's full of great and accomplished witches and wizards who are handpicked by the monarch.' Theo whispered to her.

'Who's on it now?' She asked, her hands were shaking from the shock of it.

'Dumbledore is one of them, you wouldn't know the rest.' Draco told her.

Draco, thankfully, drew the attention back to the black invite she had received and she prepared to spend the following week basking in the attention that she would undoubtedly receive because of it.


	10. To the Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ron lashes out and Hermione learns some more history.

The snow had begun to thaw and taking a rare opportunity of early spring sun, Hermione was sat outside with her friends.

Crabbe and Goyle were wrestling by the lakeside, Theo and Blaise were laughing with Tracey Millicent at some joke in the Prophet. Daphne was reading Witch Weekly on her left side and Draco sat on her right reading Seeker Weekly and he was complaining loudly about the terrible performance the Wasps in a recent game.

'I thought you supported Puddlemere United?' She asked him.

He scoffed. 'Unofficially. Royals aren't allowed to show favourites.'

It had taken a full two weeks for the gossip of her black invite to settle down, she was thankful the talk of councils remained within her own friendship group or it probably would have ended up in the newspapers. Pansy still wasn't speaking to her over the invite; she had received the usual standard invite. 

She spotted Harry and Neville walking the grounds together, also enjoying a brief flash of sun.

She placed her book of ancient blood magic, that Draco had given her, back into her bag and hurried after them.

'Hey guys.' She said as she caught up to them.

They turned and smiled at her.

'Hey Hermione.' Neville said fondly. 'Enjoying the sun?'

It was still fairly cold, and everyone wore jackets, but her response had been that yes she had been out reading in the sun.

'Oi!' An angry voice came from behind her.

She sighed and turned around to see a familiar angry red head. 'Hello Ronald.'

She had expected him to stop before her and argue at whatever she had done to offend him this time. Instead, he slapped her across the face knocking her to the floor.

Pain radiated from her right cheekbone and Neville helped her up while Harry begun to scream at Ron.

'I wasn't invited to the next ball because of you!' He roared at her.

'What are you talking about?' She cried. 'Your family was invited Fred and George told me about it!'

Ron turned a shade of red to match his hair. 'My name wasn't on the invite!'

Neville finally pulled her up off the floor and she swayed as she stood, the hit had left her disorientated. Neville tried his best to hold her steady, she saw in the distance her group of friends all running towards her in the distance.

'It's your own fault!' Neville roared at him in disgust.

Ron went to pull his wand on the two boys but Harry tackled him to the ground first. Neville left Hermione wobbling on her own to assist Harry in the fight. They made quick work of Ron and left him a sobbing mess on the floor, Harry had gotten a good hit in which she was sure would leave him with a black eye.

'What on earth is going on here?' A dry voice came from behind them.

It was Snape. He only then seemed to notice Hermione clutching her face and swaying. He walked over to her and moved her hand to inspect her face.

His face grew very cold and stern. 'Someone will tell me what happened this instant!'

'Sir!' Her friends had arrived, they were all very out of breath from running the length of the grounds.

'I saw the whole thing Sir.' Daphne spoke calmly. 'Ron knocked her to the ground and Harry and Neville defended her.'

They all looked at Ron on the floor in disgust. 'Was that the way of it Granger?' He asked.

She managed to nod her head but the motion made her feel sick. She brought her hand up to the side of her head and felt dampness, her hand was red when she looked at it.

'I think I hit my head on the floor.' She managed to say before falling to her knees.

Draco immediately scooped her off the floor; she was surprised he could carry her with such ease, he was only eleven after all. She knew he went for a jog of the grounds every morning with Blaise but had no clue he was strong.

'I'm taking her to the Hospital Wing.' He said before walking off with her.

Her head was cradled on his shoulder and she seemed to drift in and out of consciousness as one second she was in one location and then found she had travelled a few minutes ahead on the path. 

'Draco?' She whispered.

'I'm here.' He said. 'You've hit your head when you fell; you're going to be okay.' His voice was oddly calm, Hermione realised he was incredibly angry under it all though.

She listened to Draco's steady breathing. He had carried her across the castle and he was barely breathless. She settled into the warmth of his body and shut her eyes.

...

She jolted awake. She was in a hospital gown and it was dark outside. Draco was sat asleep in a chair next to her.

She smiled at his sleeping face and winced at the pain that shot up her face. Ron must have done some damage to her cheekbone.

She heard voices coming and shut her eyes, feigning sleep.

'He refused to leave her side.' A woman's voice said. It was the Matron.

'Ah, young love.' A man's voice spoke, it was Dumbledore.

'He fractured her cheekbone and when she fell she hit her head quite badly. She'll be out of lessons for the rest of the week.' The woman told the Headmaster.

'I've suspended him for two weeks.' The man told her calmly. 'His mother was not impressed when I told her,'

So Ron had been punished, good. She thought.

'So he didn't leave her side at all? It has been several hours?' A new voice asked. It was Snape.

'Not even when I fixed the bone, he helped me to hold her down when she screamed.' The matron said softly.

She was happy she didn't remember that. She had broken her arm when she was seven and remembered the pain of it too well. All she could remember was Ron swinging at her and Draco carrying her, she oddly found herself thankful for the head wound blocking her memories.

'What of the other two boys?' The matron asked.

'Oh, I gave them each a detention for fighting and then I gave them each ten points for defending a friend.' Dumbledore said.

She felt bad the Harry and Neville had been punished for defending her.

'I wish you'd let me poison the brat.' Snape spoke coldly. This almost caused her to smile.

'Gods forbid anyone ever hurt your favourite student Severus.' Dumbledore spoke warmly to the man. 'I've never seen you take such an interest in a student before.'

Snape did not reply to this.

'We should leave her to rest; the boy should go back to his common room now.' Madam Pomfrey said.

'Good luck getting him to leave her side.' Snape said. 'I think we're looking at our future Duchess'

'They're only young Severus. A lot can happen in time.' The matron spoke. 'Besides, aren't they both seeing other people?'

Dumbledore laughed lightly. 'Even I can see their hearts aren't in those relationships. They should just confess their love to each other and have done with it.'

That was enough for Hermione; she groaned lightly and opened her eyes. 'What happened?' She asked, feigning ignorance.

The two male professors stepped back as the matron began fussing over her.

'You had a small accident Miss Granger.' She told her as she gently felt her head wound, which had healed nicely thanks to a generous coating of healing potion.

'Ron attacked me. That's not an accident.' She replied coolly, wincing as the Mediwitch probed her probably bruised face.

Snape smiled down at her. 'It's nice to see you haven't lost your spark, Miss Granger.'

'It takes more than a head wound to keep me down.' She stated.

'Mr Weasley has been suspended for two weeks as punishment.' Dumbledore told her.

Draco snored lightly from his chair and she smiled at his sleeping form from her bed.

'What time is it?' She asked quietly.

'It's a little after one in the morning.' Snape told her.

She stretched, 'do I have to stay here or can I go back to my own room?'

'You'll stay here tonight, I can give you some dreamless sleep. You may leave in the morning if I am satisfied your face has healed enough.'

She nodded and yawned.

'Come on Severus, let us leave Miss Granger to her rest.'

Both teachers bid her a goodnight.

'Feel free to poison him if you want Sir!' She called after Snape's retreating form, both men blushed at realising she had heard their entire conversation and hurried from the room.

***************************************

She had been discharged just before lunch the next day; she felt that awful that she didn't even protest at missing the next three days of lessons, she was far enough ahead as it was. She would take the opportunity to read for fun, she had only just begun to the book on old magic, including blood magic, that Draco had randomly gifted her.

Draco, who had been awake and reading in the chair next to her when she awoke, had linked arms with her and guided her back to the common room; she was still a bit disorientated from all the pain potions. She had caught sight of her face in the bathroom mirror that morning and was horrified at the massive bruise that ran from under her eye down the side of her face. Silently, she swore revenge on the boy for doing this to her.

They had entered the common room to be swarmed by her housemates, all concerned for her state; she knew she wouldn't be the only person going after Ronald Weasley upon his return.

Draco had handed Hermione to Daphne who had helped her into her pyjamas and to get back into her comfortable bed.

.............

The next week was spent with her reading the book Draco had given to her in front of the common room fire. She had learnt a lot about blood rituals and the old Gods wizards used to follow.

She had learnt about wand cores and woods and what they had meant, she had a conversation with Draco about his wand who told her that apparently the unicorn tail hair in his wand meant he must have a good side, and that the Hawthorn wood was suited to highly skilled wizards, she had teased him for boasting.

'Why Wiltshire?' She asked him on the last day of her so called confinement.

'Pardon?' He asked.

'Well, my book says wizarding homes like yours are built in magical locations. Malfoy manor is in Wiltshire right?'

He blushed. 'It's because of Stonehenge and the magic that used to be performed there.'

'What kind of magic?' She asked, although from his blushes she suspected the answer.

'Every solstice they would perform blood magic and erm, sex magic there.' He told her quietly.

'What would they do?'

He sighed. 'You know, they would curse their enemies with blood magic or bless the ground or the harvest. Then they would worship the old gods with sex rites.'

'Tell me about the gods.' She asked, she had read a little about them, worship of them had died out a few centuries ago but some still followed the old ways.

'There's only three. Atune, the life Goddess. Then there's her husband Ledur, the shadow God of death. And of course there's the most powerful of them all, Vutris, Goddess of magic.' He told her. 'The blood magic is for Atune and Ledur, the sex magic is for Vutris.'

'Are there many that still follow the old ways?' She asked curiously.

He nodded. 'Yeah loads, my uncle for one. The monarch has to.'

This was news to her. 'Does that mean you believe in the Gods?'

He shrugged. 'Kind of, I did a blood ritual with my Uncle last year, you can feel the power.'

'You going to go to magic sex orgies when you're older?' She teased him and he burst out laughing.

'It's not like that at all. Sex magic is between one couples that's the point of it. Vutris is also the Goddess of love so she likes it when people consummate their love for her.'

Blaise dropped down in the couch next to her. 'We talking about sex magic?'

His arrival effectively ended their impromptu lesson and the discussion moved onto the upcoming Quidditch game.

...............

She had returned to lessons, thankful that the bruise on her face had nearly vanished thanks to a healing paste Tracey had given her. Tracey's mother was a healer and had sent her the very best paste, to which she was very thankful.

She had attended the game with Theo, which she did find more entertaining after going to see a professional match. She had cheered as Harry had again caught the Snitch and had cheered for him.

Much tension had left between Gryffindor and Slytherin now that Harry and Neville had come to her defence against Ron. Neither boys were picked on any more and inter house unity was at an all time high.

All had returned to normal when she was walking back to the common room after the match alone and had come across a couple making out in an alcove. It was Pansy and Draco. They were very much wrapped around each other. So much for not having his heart in the relationship, Dumbledore had been wrong, he seemed very much into it.

She practically ran back to the common room but came across Theo first.

Fuelled by jealousy she grabbed his shoulders and pulled him in for a deep kiss.

'Blimey keep it in your pants Granger.' Pansy spoke from behind her. Draco was on her arm and had a pained expression on his face at the sight of the two of them wrapped around each other.

Hermione merely shrugged and stepped around the group into the common room, heading straight for her dorm she slammed the door behind her.


	11. A Baby Dragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hagrid has a new pet.

Hermione had, at the first opportunity, made herself a time-table for the upcoming exams.

'Do you want me to make you one?' She had asked Theo with a smile. She was yet to kiss him again since their sudden entanglement in the corridor a few weeks prior.

He pulled a disgusted face. 'No thanks, I'm not as big a nerd as you are.'

She ignored the jibe but it had hurt her feelings slightly. She pulled out her Charms essay to read over it, focusing hard on not crying.

Daphne had jokingly told her one night that Theo didn't seem comfortable having a girlfriend who was so much smarter than himself. Hermione had rolled her eyes but was now coming to realise that it was probably true.

After dinner that night she had decided to take a stroll of the corridors on her own to clear her mind from thoughts of her failing relationship.

She was successful in her endeavour as she ran into a breathless Harry and Neville. 

'Hello boys.' She smiled. 'What are you doing out at this time?'

They exchanged a nervous look. 'Just to see Hagrid.' Neville finally announced.

'You two would be awful in Slytherin. What's going on?' She teased the pair.

They shared another look.

'Actually she could probably help.' Harry muttered to Neville.

Neville nodded his agreement to his friend.

'Basically. Hagrid's got this Dragon.'

.........................

They had immediately journeyed to the library.

'But it's after hours?' Neville had commented.

She shrugged. 'I'm always in the library late. Teachers never say anything.' 

'They probably don't see you.' Harry replied.

She raised an eyebrow at him as she took a seat with her small pile of books. 'I once had a conversation with Flitwick about his duelling at one am.'

The two boys sat back in wonder.

'I guess they let you get away with anything when you're a genius.' Neville said in wonder.

Hermione smiled. 'Do you want help with your friend's illegal pet or what?'

'Yes please.' Harry said.

The two boys were silent for a while, helping Hermione find the type of dragon Hagrid had managed to get a hold of.

The boys had told her the story of the dragon. Hagrid had won the egg from a stranger in a pub and it had hatched that night. From the description the pair had given her of the black ridges on its back and brown texture in its scales, she could tell it was a Norwegian Ridgeback.

'We need to get rid of this thing.' She told them, reading from the book. 'It's venomous and in the top ten most dangerous dragons.'

'And what are you three doing here after hours?' A dry voice came from behind them.

The two boys jumped up from their seats to face the voice.

It was Snape. 'Professor!' Neville exclaimed.

Snape rolled his eyes and looked to Hermione for an explanation.

She hadn't stood, 'we were reading about dragons.'

He sighed. 'It's late, Potter and Longbottom detention Friday night, go to bed.'

The two boys seemed relieved they didn't have a worse punishment and quickly fled.

'Don't stay up too late.' He told her once they were gone, he then turned to leave.

'Professor?' She stopped him before he could leave her.

'Granger?'

'Are there any dragon sanctuaries in England?'

He frowned at her. 'Well that's not suspicious at all. There's one in Wales... Do you need help?'

She shrugged. 'Don't suppose you know how to contact them?'

He raised an eyebrow. 'That's even more suspicious. I hope your aspirations go higher than stunning dragons for a living?'

She smiled. 'No my ambitions are not to stun dragons. How much trouble would I be in if I told you there was a baby dragon at school and I'm trying to get rid of it?'

He stared blankly at a minute before sighing and pinching the bridge of his nose.

'How did you get a dragon?' He asked slowly.

'I can't tell you.'

He lowered his and from his face and raised an eyebrow. 'You're asking for my help but you won't tell me how you got it?'

She nodded. 'That about sums it up.'

He walked over to Madam Prince's stand and opened a drawer full of papers. He rooted through it for a minute before retrieving a slip of parchment.

'Here.' He placed the paper down in front of her. 'This is the mailing address for Alexander Fleming, he runs the Welsh sanctuary, this is the address we use for setting up internships.'

She smiled up at him. 'Thank you Sir.'

He held up a hand to silence her. 'I wasn't here. If the dragon hurts anyone you will probably be suspended or expelled. Write your letter and go to bed.'

She nodded at him and he went to leave again.

'Sir?'

He sighed and turned to face her again. 'Yes?'

'Why did you give them a detention and not me? You see me in here all the time after hours and you've never punished me.' She asked curiously.

He rolled his eyes at her. 'Goodnight Granger.' He turned and left.

She sighed and pulled out a fresh piece of parchment.

_Mr Fleming_

_I am writing to you from Hogwarts where we have discovered a newly hatched Norwegian Ridgeback. I was wondering if there is any room in the Welsh Sanctuary for him. _

_Looking forwards to hearing back from you. _

_Hermione Granger_

She packed up her books and left the library, tucking the small letter into her pocket. She hurried back to the common room.

Draco looked up from his game of chess with Blaise. 'Where have you been all night?' He asked.

'Can I borrow your owl?' She asked, ignoring his question.

He nodded. 'Yeah sure we can go before breakfast.'

She sat and watched their game, she had no idea what was going on, apparently it was an intense game. Draco won, as usual and Blaise left for bed.

They sat together in front of the fire discussing the upcoming exams. Draco had made a revision timetable for himself. She had told him that Theo had called her a nerd; he agreed that he shouldn't have said that.

'I don't know how much longer I can carry on with it to be honest. I don't think I like him that way.' She admitted as they both snuggled under the blanket. She put her head on his chest and he pulled her legs over his.

She shut her eyes, enjoying the warmth from his chest. 'I don't think they would like us being sat like this.'

Draco didn't respond, she looked up to see his head thrown back on the couch with his eyes shut. He looked so peaceful asleep, his mouth was slightly open and he was snoring lightly. She snuggled into his chest more and shut her eyes.

..............

'You two should get up before anyone else sees you.' Daphne walked past them into the kitchen.

It was light again; they had fallen asleep together on the couch.

Daphne's whispering hadn't woken up Draco. Hermione put the thought they had slept together out of her mind and lightly shuck his arm.

Apparently Draco was a heavy sleeper because at this action his arm wrapped around her tighter.

She ignored the hammering of her heart and shook him harder. 'Drake wake up.' She whispered in his ear.

This at last woke him up and he released her, a light blush on his cheeks.

She jumped up. 'Am I still okay to use your owl?'

'Yeah of course, let me just get changed.' He said quickly, standing up.

She also went back into her dorm to change out of yesterdays clothes and brush her teeth.

She met Draco back in the common room a few minutes later and they left to post her letter.

'Who are you writing to?' He asked as she attached the letter to his great Eagle Owl.

'Welsh Dragon Sanctuary.' She watched the owl fly away.

If Draco was curious he refrained himself from asking.

Together, they made their way to breakfast.

Draco poured her a glass of orange juice and placed the sausages and toast she wanted onto her plate for her as Theo stared at her from across the table. Pansy was not at breakfast.

'Hermione?' A voice came from behind her, it was Harry and Neville.

'Oh hey guys, sorry you got detention.' She told them.

Neville shrugged. 'It's okay, how much trouble did you get in?'

She shrugged. 'None.'

Neville rolled his eyes. 'Blatant favouritism, but okay.'

She smiled at the pair. 'I wrote to the sanctuary this morning, I should probably hear back from them soon. I'll let you know.'

'Thanks for your help Hermione.' Harry smiled down at her.

'Sorry you two got in trouble,' she told them.

Neville smiled. 'It's okay, we can't all get the genius special treatment.'

'We're going to go to see-' Harry looked up and saw the table of Slytherin's listening in, '-our friend after dinner about the thing if you want to come'

He really would suck in Slytherin she couldn't help thinking to herself. 'Yeah I'll meet you by the doors at seven?'

The two boys nodded to her and walked off to their own table.

'What was that about?' Draco asked her.

'Oh, that. I'm just helping them with a project, nothing major.' She dismissed, reaching for another sausage.

She made her way to classes where she sat in her usual spot between Fred and George. The two boys had apologised to her profusely for their brothers behaviour and had assured her that their entire family was disgusted by his behaviour.

They had told her that one of the older brothers, Bill, a curse breaker in Egypt had offered to take Ron for the summer and see if he could straighten him out. Their other brother Charlie had said he would take him to Romania too but Mrs Weasley had decided that a dangerous curse breaker environment and a dragon sanctuary were not what Ron needed.

'Charlie works with Dragons?' She had asked curiously.

Fred nodded. 'Yeah, he went out there in August straight after he graduated.'

'That sounds awesome, how long do you think he'll stay out there?' She asked as she took out her charms books as Flitwick walked in.

George had laughed. 'Forever, he loves it.'

Flitwick had shushed the class and begun their lesson on Cheering Charms.

The Cheering Charm had left her feeling elated and the sight of Fred overdoing the charm and being overcome with fits of hysterical laughter had only heightened her good mood.

She had met up with Harry and Neville at the entrance doors after dinner and had walked down to Hagrid's hut together.

It was a small wooden hut by the edge of the forbidden forest. There was only one room inside, with hams and pheasants hanging from the ceiling. There was also a fireplace where a copper kettle hung, in the corner stood a massive bed with a patchwork quilt over it.

'You must be Hermione? It's a pleasure to meet you.' The massive ma spoke. 'The boys have told me all about you.' He said causing both boys to blush lightly.

'It's nice to meet you too Sir.' She replied, taking a seat and looking around the small room.

'It's small but it's better than a cupboard under the stairs.' He said, looking to Harry.

Ignoring that statement she didn't understand she decided to get to the subject at hand. 'The boys told me about the dragon?'

'Norbert?' He went and retrieved a tiny baby dragon from a large pot in the owner. 'Isn't he beautiful?'

'I've written to a dragon sanctuary to ask if they will take him.' She told him.

The large man pulled back. 'What? Why would you do that? I'm going to take care of him.'

Harry sighed. 'Hagrid he's dangerous.'

'Don't you think he should be with his own kind? Wouldn't he be happier that way?' Neville argued.

It took about half an hour to convince Hagrid to part with his beloved pet, but eventually they had him accepting that the dragon would not be happy nor a well received addition to the Hogwarts grounds.

It was nearing midnight when they left. Hermione was cradling her right hand.

'It bit me! I'm not going to be able to hold a quill for a week! How am I going to revise now? Did you hear him? When it bit me he told me off for frightening it. Unbelievable, for an adult to act in such a way!'

The boys nodded their frustration. 'Did you hear him singing it to sleep as we left?' Neville asked.

Harry had stopped walking. 'We can't be caught out again, this isn't the library either we'll all be in a lot of trouble.'

Neville nodded to him and Harry pulled out a shimmering cloak. He pulled it over the three of them and they made their way to the dungeon to drop off Hermione.

'Harry where the hell did you get an Invisibility Cloak?' She asked as they descended the dungeon steps.

He smiled at her under the cloak. He wrapped an arm around her to pull her in closer under the cloak. 'I inherited it. Don't let your arm stick out like that, a floating arm in the corridor is fairly obvious.'

They had walked past Snape on patrol but to her amazement he hadn't noticed them at all.

She arrived back at her common room at just gone midnight. Bidding the boys a goodnight she waited for them to leave before speaking the password and entering, the rooms were empty and her hand was throbbing so she sat and held some ice to it for a few minutes before retiring to bed.

...............................

In the morning she took one look at her hand before declaring it infected, Daphne had escorted her to the Hospital Wing on her way to breakfast.

'And what happened here?' The matron had asked, inspecting her hand.

Deciding it was pointless to lie to a physician she spoke. 'I was bitten by a baby dragon.'

Madam Pomfrey stood back in shock before taking a deep breath to settle herself. 'I'll be right back.'

She had walked into a store closet before returning with a jar of foul smelling paste and rubbed it generously into the wound. This was the good thing about the witch, she didn't ask too many questions and she would never try to get someone in trouble or else people might stop telling her what ailed them.

She was then sent off the breakfast, her hand already in a much better condition than it had been upon waking.

Her friends all enquired after her well being, apart from Theo who was already eating, she assured them she was absolutely fine and they all moved on in their morning conversation.

Of course, Draco was his usual self and fretted over his hand once the attention was off them. He picked it up and inspected them as the others discussed some Quidditch game with the older students.

'Something's bitten you.' He noted, inspecting the healing wound on her hand.

She tried to pull her hand away but his grip was firm. She sighed. 'Yeah something bit me.'

He frowned. 'You got hurt with Potter and Longbottom.'

'It's really nothing. I'm fine; I would tell you if I wasn't.' She tried to assure him.

'They should have looked after you.' He said more to himself than to her.

She frowned at him and finally managed to wrench her hand free. 'I don't need anyone to look after me so you can get rid of that idea right now.'

'Oh come on you know I didn't mean it that way.' He backtracked.

'I'm not your girlfriend, I'm not yours to protect.' She said coolly.

She ignored him from then on and turned back to her meal.

She had been about to depart for her classes when a barn owl landed in front of her.

She removed the letter which was sealed with red wax.

_Miss Granger_

_We would be thrilled to take in your Norwegian Ridgeback. This dragon would be a welcome addition to our breeding program._

_I imagine this dragon is a secret and I do not wish for you to get into trouble._

_Would it be agreeable to you if we collected the dragon from you at midnight on Friday from the gates by the entrance to Hogwarts?_

_Looking forwards to hearing from you,_

_Alexander Fleming_

She smiled and quickly replied that yes that would be perfect.

She parted from her friends and made her way over to the Gryffindor table to show the letter to Harry and Neville.

...................

Draco had caught her leaving the common room that Friday and insisted on coming.

'A dragon!' He quietly exclaimed in the corridor. 'A fucking dragon!'

'Shh! Someone will hear you.' She ordered. 'If you insist on coming then you need to behave.'

They had met up with Harry and Neville, who had collected the dragon from Hagrid earlier, outside the great hall.

'What's he doing here?' Neville asked her.

'It's fine, he won't tell anyone.'

They four of them and the baby dragon made for a tight fit under the invisibility cloak, Draco had marvelled at its magical properties.

It took quite a while to walk all the way to the entrance to the school, she was thankful spring had warmed the air slightly as it drew closer to midnight.

The wizards were waiting outside the grand gates that marked the entrance to Hogwarts grounds.

The dragon handover had been strangely easy. The two older wizards had taken the dragon off them through the gates and had disappeared back into the darkness.

They had been on their return journey to the castle when McGonagall caught them; they had left the cloak by the gates.


	12. Detention

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Detention occurs and we all know what happens when they go into the woods.

Fifty points each, detentions for all, and letter to their parents. To say McGonagall had been angry had been an understatement.

Nobody in either houses were particularly pleased with them for losing a hundred points each, though the Ravenclaw's and Hufflepuff's had been much nicer to the four of them for increasing their chances of winning the cup this year.

The Slytherin's got over the loss much faster than the Gryffindor's had done. Their principles of rallying around each other prevented them from holding the grudge for longer than needed. Harry and Neville however, were still being tripped in the corridor between classes.

Theo had been incredibly angry. 'What were you doing out of the castle that late with Draco? Are you seeing him too?'

This accusation had positively made her see red. 'I think you are forgetting Harry and Neville were also there!'

The other Slytherin's had the good sense to vacate the common room and leave them to it.

'Oh yes! My girlfriend roaming around with a bunch of boys that all like you! I'm thrilled!'

She scoffed. 'They don't all like me.'

Theo had rolled his eyes. 'Don't insult your own intelligence Hermione. Okay, maybe Neville doesn't he doesn't like anyone. But Potter and Malfoy?'

She shook her head. 'Even if they did it doesn't matter! I'm not with them I'm with you.'

'Yeah and you don't even like me!' He fired back instantly.

Crap. She thought. She didn't want to have _this _conversation right now.

'Of course I like you.' She said quietly.

He looked impossibly sad and looked at the floor. 'Not like I like you.'

She sighed. 'No.'

He sat down in one of the armchairs and placed his head in his hands.

She knelt down in front of him. 'We're not a very good couple are you?'

He laughed through the tears and wiped his eyes. 'No, I guess we're not.'

After that it had all been simple, they had decided to return to being friends and both had retreated to their dorms where Daphne had given her a tight hug.

**********************

She had been seeing Harry in the library a lot recently.

'What are you after Harry?' She had gone up and asked him as he perused a book shelf.

'Oh, nothing.' He said defensively.

She raised an eyebrow and stared silently at him for a minute.

He rolled her eyes at her expression. 'Terrible Slytherin, I know.' Then he sighed. 'Don't suppose you've ever heard of Nicolas Flamel?'

As it turned out, she knew exactly who that was.

'The Philosopher's stone?' He had asked, as she looked for the book that mentioned him.

'Yeah, it can create the elixir of life and turn objects into gold.'

Harry nodded. 'That's what Fluffy is guarding.' He muttered to himself.

'Who's fluffy?'

.............

'I'm sorry; did you just tell me that Dumbledore had a killer three-headed dog in the school?'

Harry nodded. 'It's guarding something. When Hagrid took me shopping before school he collected something small for Dumbledore, then Hagrid said what he was guarding was between Dumbledore and Flamel.' 

She nodded. 'So you think he's guarding the stone.'

Harry nodded. 'All year I've been trying to figure out what it was, I should have come straight to you.' He smiled at her.

They had discussed theories on why such an object would be kept in a school and had eventually concluded that Dumbledore was doing his incredibly old friend a favour. Just in time too as it seemed someone else was after the stone.'

Hermione had immediately dismissed his theories that it could be Snape after it.

'Hermione, the Troll on Halloween? He was injured trying to get past Fluffy.'

She rolled her eyes. 'He is a teacher; he probably went to protect the stone.'

She had found the book of magical objects that had a chapter on Flamel and gave it to Harry to check out.

.............

She had arrived back at her dorm after dinner to find Daphne sat at the edge of her bed looking pale.

'You okay Daph?' She asked, shrugging out of her school robe and sitting at the edge of her bed in her shirt and shirt.

'If I told you I didn't like boys at all would we still be friends?' Daphne asked quietly, looking at the wall.

Hermione stopped in the process of removing her shoes and looked up at her friend. 'Of course we would. You're my best friend no matter what.'

Daphne flung herself off her bed and into Hermione's arms in a tight hug. 'Thank you.'

They had discussed the issue of Daphne's sexuality until Pansy had entered at which point they were silenced with her chatter of how magnificent Draco was.

*************************

Friday night arrived quickly. She had passed Ron in the corridor a few times since his return but each time they had happily ignored each other.

After dinner, as darkness approached, Harry, Neville, Draco and Hermione were led down to Hagrid's hut by Filch who spent the walk pining for the days he was allowed to whip students. She and Neville had shared a horrified look at the statement.

'Ah there you are!' Hagrid emerged from his hut and quickly dismissed Fitch who stalked back to the castle after sharing a charming story of the horrors that were in the woods.

'We're going in the woods?' Hermione asked horrified.

'We can't go in there! It's dangerous!' Draco proclaimed.

One look from Hagrid had silenced all their protests that in fact they would be going into the Forrest. 

'There's a unicorn hurt, we're going to find it and help it.' He told them as they walked into the Dark Forrest.

He handed a large lantern to Draco.

'We'll cover more ground separately.' Hagrid mused.

'You can't be serious! We're not trained Wizards! What if we come across something that wants to kill us?' Draco had asked, stunned.

Hagrid rolled his eyes. 'Then send up red sparks.'

Hermione folded her arms. 'Ah yes, and while we're awaiting rescue we get eaten.'

'Hermione, you're probably the brightest witch of the age, you'll be fine.' Harry assured her.

'I'll go with Harry and Neville and go this way; Hermione and Draco go that way.' Hagrid told the group.

Hermione rolled her eyes; of course Hagrid would want to go with his Gryffindor friends.

'Come on,' Draco said pulling on her arm. 'The sooner we find this thing the sooner we can leave and I can write a strongly worded letter to my uncle about risking student live.'

She took his hand and they navigated the tricky turf of tree roots together.

Something howled in the distance, forcing them to clutch each other, and their wands as tight as they possibly could as they walked through the dense fog of the woods.

The forest was thick with aging trees: Oak, Sycamore, and Yew. They blocked out any moonlight that could have possibly reached the woods. The small, twisting, pathway was thick of tree roots and stumps that they kept stumbling over. Draco's cloak kept snagging on low hanging branches, each time he would grab her arm tight enough for her to believe there would be a scattering of bruises up her arm.

They had stopped to admire some black flowers that were hidden amongst the trees. Draco remarked that it was odd such a beautiful flower could exist in such a gloomy forest.

They had jumped almost a foot in the air when a tree ranch had snapped behind them, there was nothing there. Hermione decreed it was probably just a Thestral seeing what they were doing so deep into the forest.

They had been walking for what felt like an age when they heard the snapping of tree branches and a large thud, drawing their attention into a small clearing.

'I don't think that was a Thestral.' Draco muttered. They shared a look and a deep breath before walking on.

They went in wands aloft as they entered.

The Unicorn was dead. There was some figure in a black cloak draped over it, feasting from the fatal wound on its neck.

Silently, they began to back up out of the clearing. All without turning their back on the dark figure, that so far had not noticed their presence.

They made it a few paces backwards before a twig snapped beneath one of their feet. The hooded head snapped up, Hermione could see the silver blood of the Unicorn dripping from its mouth.

Immediately, before the creature could move, she sent up the summoning red sparks.

The creature stood and Hermione realised it was probably a man, seeking immortality through this cruel venture.

Draco pushed her behind him firmly as the robed figure began to advance on them.

'Shit we're gonna die.' Draco said in alarm.

The creature pulled a wand from its sleeve and pointed it at them.

Hermione, however, was faster. 'Consaucio!' She cried. It was the most severe curse she had read about in her late night library sessions, she was thankful in that moment Dumbledore had granted her access to the Restricted Section permanently to aid in her academic studies.

The effect was instantaneous. The creature staggered back, now mingled in with the silver Unicorn blood was the very red blood of a human.

The figure dropped to it's knees, too injured to stand.

Draco pulled on her arm. 'Let's go!'

He dragged her out of the clearing, constantly looking back to make sure the robes figure had not risen to give chase. It was clear to him that Hermione must have just performed a serious curse, the figure was clutching at its various wounds, he could just make out a small pool of blood forming under the monster.

They ran straight into Hagrid. 'What is it? What happened?'

Hermione seemed to be in shock and unable to speak, so Draco spoke for the pair. 'We found it. It's dead! Someone was feeding from it! It tried to attack us but Hermione stopped it.'

Hagrid had hurried into the clearing. The robed figure had vanished; the pool of dark blood was still present on the ground.

'Gods Hermione, what did you do to it?' Neville asked, noting the blood.

Hermione knelt down next to the pile of blood from the monster she had attacked and dipped her index finger into it.

She just opened and closed her mouth, still in shock; she was frantically looking around in search of the lingering creature.

Hagrid was knelt down next to the dead Unicorn; he raised his hand to touch the wound on its neck.

'Who could hurt a Unicorn?' Neville asked sadly.

'You don't want to know.' Hermione finally spoke, looking up from the blood on her hands. 'We need to leave right now.' With this she turned, taking Draco's hand, and led the way back to the castle.

She didn't check to see if the others were behind her and following she could hear their heavy footsteps behind them.

Hagrid had sent Harry and Neville straight to bed but had taken the other two straight to the Headmaster's office.

It was nearing midnight when they had arrived; Dumbledore was in his night robes.

'Sorry to wake you Professor Dumbledore Sir, but we found the Unicorn.' Hagrid spoke.

Draco scoffed. 'Oh please, you left us alone in a forest full of danger, my uncle will hear about this.'

'Hagrid would you take Mister Malfoy back to Slytherin, I would speak to Miss Granger alone.'

Draco had protested but Hermione had assured him she would be fine, and he left with Hagrid.

She sat in front of a fire Dumbledore had quickly conjured; he noticed the blood on her hands.

'Miss Granger I think you might still be in shock, I think this would be easier if you allowed me to enter your mind and witness the events through your eyes.'

She nodded her permission, staring into the flames.

Dumbledore pulled out his wand; she heard him cast the spell and could feel him probing her mind of tonight's events it was hard to see herself use that curse with such an emotionless face.

She could feel him pull out of her head and took a deep breath. 'That was a dangerous curse you used, I could expel you for that.' He said quietly.

This seemed to fully snap her out of any remnants of shock.

'I think we both realise who it was feeding on that Unicorn Sir. You will not punish me for using a curse that probably saved mine and Draco's lives.'

He sat down across from her. 'No, I won't. Who do _you _think it was you saw Miss Granger?'

She looked at him, allowing the fear to fully grip her of what she had just faced. 'It was Voldemort, wasn't it?'

Dumbledore nodded. 'I won't insult your intelligence by pretending I think otherwise.'

'So he is alive.' She said to herself, leaning back in her chair.

Dumbledore nodded. 'In a way. He's had to resort to Unicorn blood to survive.'

She looked back to the flames and after a few moments she spoke. 'I'm lucky to be alive aren't I?'

Dumbledore nodded slowly. 'He underestimated you because you are a child, he will not do so again. That curse you used will have left scars.' 

She shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself. 'It just came out of my mouth, I didn't even think about casting it. He was going to kill us.'

'Your actions saved not only your life but Draco's too. What book did you get it from though I don't want dark curses in the Library?' Dumbledore assured her.

She looked up at him from the fire and shook her head. 'I'm not telling you. Without that book I would be dead. You shouldn't deny someone's opportunity to learn just because you're afraid. I used that curse to save lives, not to do harm.'

'Well put Girl.' One of the portraits spoke from the wall.

Dumbledore shrugged and stood from his seat across from her. 'Fine if that's how you feel. I should probably give you a detention for abusing your library privileges.'

She was angry now. 'I accept punishment when it is earned. If you give me a detention for defending myself from a murderer I won't attend it.'

Dumbledore opened his mouth to argue back, but she was not finished.

'-And what's more! You sent a bunch of children into a dangerous forest where we could have been killed! You'll be lucky if King Armand doesn't get involved for putting his nephews safety into such danger!'

Dumbledore seemed very shocked at her outburst.

'It's an absolute disgrace! You teachers are put in place to keep us safe as we learn magic not put us at risk with ridiculous punishments! And don't even get me started on your little pet on the third floor!'

She didn't know when she stood up to yell, but she was now on her feet gesturing wildly as she yelled at the most powerful wizard in the world.

Realising she was probably in the most trouble of her life for this act she sat back down. 'Sorry.' She said quietly.

Dumbledore spoke and sent something silvery from his wand. 'You just survived an encounter with Lord Voldemort, I think I can forgive a slip of the tongue. I'm sorry you were sent into the woods, it will no longer be used as a punishment at this school.'

They sat in silence for a few minutes watching the flames dance.

'You should probably up the protection on that stone. If he's drinking Unicorn blood then his next natural choice is to go for that stone.' She looked at Dumbledore's unsurprised face. 'Oh my god you knew he was after it didn't you? Why on Earth would you keep something like that around children?'

There was a knock on the door to his office. He stood to walk over to it.

'I didn't want it near students, but if Voldemort is after it then I want it somewhere I can keep my eye on it.' He answered honestly as he opened the door.

Snape stood behind it, he wore black silk pyjamas and a grumpy expression. 'What is it Albus and why couldn't it wait until mor-' His words died as he noticed a shaken Hermione in an armchair.

'I'm afraid Miss Granger has had a brush in with Voldemort in the forest. She's fine, nothing a good night's sleep won't cure. I trust the events of the night will not leave the four of you from detention.'

She nodded and left with Snape.

On the way back she had told him all about what had happened during the detention. Unlike the Headmaster her head of house had praised her quick thinking.

Instead of taking her straight to the common room he guided her into the potions classroom, he left her sitting on his desk while he went into his private stores. He returned with two vials.

'This one is a powerful calming draught of my own invention, only take it tonight and tomorrow otherwise it can be addictive. This one will knock you out.' He said handing them to her.

'Dreamless sleep?' She asked.

He shook his head. 'I tweaked it, it only allows for pleasant dreams.'

She thanked him for the potions and made her way back to the common room.

Draco was the only one sat up, which she was thankful for. 

She sat down next to him and he wrapped his arms around her. She allowed him to pull her down so they were lying with her head on his chest.

'That spell you used was terrifying.' He said quietly.

'I know.' Suddenly she was crying, she buried her head further into his chest.

He wrapped his arms tightly around her and kissed her head, if he minded that his top was getting wet he didn't say it. He just rubbed soothing circles into her back and let her cry.

When she had finally stopped crying he spoke.

'That was Voldemort wasn't it? What's left of him?' He asked, staring at the fire.

She nodded but didn't speak.

They lay together in comfortable silence.

'I don't want to be on my own tonight.' She admitted.

He smiled down at her. 'I don't think we can get away with sleeping on the couch again.' He murmured into her hair.

'Come sleep in my room?' She asked.

'I can't. Boys can't walk down that corridor.' He said sitting up, pulling her with him. 'Go put your pyjamas on and come sleep in my room if you're serious.'

She nodded and stood to go to her dorms.

'Wait.' He called from behind her. 'What if someone catches you?'

She rolled her eyes. 'I don't think I need to worry about my reputation, I'm a muggle-born, I won't be marrying any Lords.'

She got changed into her shorts and vest and brushed her teeth, she scribbled a quick note to Daphne that was safe but she and Draco wouldn't be at breakfast tomorrow, she placed her hair into a plait and made her way back into the common room where Draco was waiting for her.

He guided her down the stairs that led to the boy's rooms and shushed her before entering his room.

He silently stripped down to his underwear and she averted her gaze. Looking at the other boys sleeping forms, she nearly laughed to see how Blaise was sprawled in his bed.

Draco quickly pulled on some pyjama bottoms and pulled her into his bed. She took a sip of each potion and handed them to Draco.

He pulled the green curtains shut around his bed and performed a quick sticking charm on them so that none of the other boys would be able to pull them open in the morning and discover them.

Hermione settled down on his chest and shut her eyes, she didn't know if she was drifting off so easily because of the potions or because of Draco's soothing presence, but she found she didn't mind whichever it was.

That night, she dreamt of passing her exams and of sitting reading peacefully under the sun with Draco while their friends were sat having fun around them.


	13. Adventure Calls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I took some of this straight from the book for obvious reasons.

She had awoken late the next day; Draco's arm was thrown over her. Knowing that at this time everyone would have left for breakfast so she snuggled back into Draco lying behind her.

The thought that she was only twelve and he was eleven entered her mind and that they were too young to be sharing a bed like this, but she dismissed it as two friends with a shared trauma comforting each other.

Her movement however, had woken Draco.

'Morning.' His voice was low and scratchy when he first woke, she liked it. He pulled her in closer and shut his eyes again. They lay together like that for several minutes; she rubbed small and slow circles into the inside of his wrist as he held her.

Eventually they sat up together as her stomach rumbled.

He smiled down at her. 'Dobby?' He called.

She shrieked as a house-elf appeared at the end of the bed. 'Yes Sir?' The small creature asked.

'Please could we have some breakfast?' He asked calmly.

The elf nodded before disappearing and reappearing a few minutes later with a plate of sausage butties for each of them and a glass of orange juice.

They ate quickly.

'Do you want more of that calming potion?' He asked her.

She shook her head. 'No, I want to be alert. Do you want any?'

He shook his head. 'No, you're right. If he-who-must-not-be-named is here, we need to be alert.'

He undid the sticking charm on his curtains and got out the bed and stretched high. 'What should we do today then?'

'Exams start on Monday; we should probably go to the library.' She shrugged.

'Whatever you want. Go get dressed and we can go.' He said.

'Can we go in like an hour? I really want a shower after last night.' She said, getting out of his bed.

He nodded his response and stood to open the door for her.

Blaise almost fell through the door which he had been reaching to open.

His eyes widened at the sight of Hermione stood before him in her light summer pyjamas.

'Well well well... What do we have here?' He smirked, leaning against the doorframe.

'Nothing!' They both declared at once. Draco was very aware now that he didn't have a top on and that Hermione was only in little shorts.

Hermione hurried past both boys and quickly made her way into her own dorm before anyone else could see her.

She had showered and cast all of her usual hair charms before dressing in leggings and a loose jumper and went out to meet Draco at the agreed upon time.

'What did Blaise say?' She asked nervously as they walked down the corridor to the library.

He laughed. 'Oh I told him you were in there to borrow a book.'

She laughed. 'And he believed that?'

He shrugged. 'It's Blaise, he won't say anything if he doesn't.'

They met Harry and Neville in the library.

'What did Dumbledore have to say?' Neville asked her as they sat down with them.

She looked around to make sure there was nobody listening; thankfully everyone was too busy revising to pay any attention to the group.

'Don't freak. The thing that killed the Unicorn? It was Voldemort.' She told them.

The four of them sat in silence for a few minutes letting the news settle.

'Oh my god.' Harry spoke. 'He wants the stone doesn't he?'

She nodded. 'Dumbledore thinks so.'

They had discussed Voldemort and the Stone for some time before Hermione had ordered them to revise in preparation for Monday. Fred and George had also joined the group, deciding two days of revision would be better than none thanks to Hermione's pestering.

Considering the tense detention that had just occurred her weekend was very tame in comparison. She spent the entire time frantically revising for her exams. She was hoping for straight O's, if she could prove she had deserved to be moved up two years she would be happy.

*******************************

She had been stressed, of course, but the week of exams had flown by. Sure, she had been concerned that Voldemort would burst into the castle looking for the stone at any moment and kill them all, but she put it from her mind and concentrated on the task at hand, she had always been good at compartmentalising. She was sure that she had mistranslated a rune during her Ancient Runes exam but apart from that she was confident about her results.

Draco was also confident in his results, the rest of their friends however were frantic that they had failed everything. Hermione had assured them, even Goyle, that they had at the very least passed everything.

She had been settling in for her final weeks of easy lessons and sunny days spent by the lakes with her friends.

She and Draco had been discussing summer plans alone under the shade of the tree they had carved their initials into at the start of the year when their peaceful day was interrupted by Harry and Neville running towards them.

'He knows!' Harry told them breathlessly. 'He knows how to get past Fluffy.'

'Shit.' Draco said while staring horrified at Hermione at this most dreadful news.

'He'll go tonight then.' Hermione stated. 'We have to stop him.'

'Agreed.' Said Neville. 'But Dumbledore isn't here and none of the other teachers believe the stone is at risk.'

She took a deep breath and nodded at Harry. 'Then we will stop him ourselves.' Harry spoke.

.............................

They had met at the entrance hall just before curfew. Under the cloak, they made their way to the third floor corridor and towards Fluffy.

Hermione had learnt how to enchant a simple harp to play for Fluffy so that they too could get past him.

It turned out to be unnecessary as there was a large enchanted harp playing in the corner of the room.

The dog was massive. She was thankful it was asleep and she hadn't had to face it. Even asleep, it filled the whole space between the ceiling and the floor. The head of the left snored heavily and the head on the right had a twitching nose, she had the strangest urge to think it was cute but dismissed it quickly when one of the mouths opened and she caught sight of the massive fangs that adorned its great mouth.

It had shifted in its sleep so that its massive paw covered the wooden trap door. Harry kept clutching his scar in pain, the warning the Voldemort was in the castle.

Harry, Neville, and Draco lifted the massive object out of the way while Hermione monitored the music. It was a good thing she had decided to do so as the second as the boys opened the trap door the harp had stopped. She had swiftly pulled out the harmonica and enchanted it to play all night, so they would have safe passage out again. She tried not to think about the fact Voldemort was at the end of this journey and that there may not be a return journey.

'If you want to go back, I won't blame you.' Harry suddenly said.

They had all silenced him and promised not to leave his side, whatever may lay ahead.

After a quick debate Hermione had cast a quick cushioning charm to be safe. Harry sat on edge of the trapdoor, his legs dangling into the darkness bellow.

'Can you see anything?' Neville asked.

Harry leaned forwards and shook his head. 'Nothing, it's completely black. There's no ladder or anything, I think we just have to drop.'

He lowered himself through the hole until he was handing by his fingertips. Before he let go he looked up at Draco. 'If anything happens to me, don't follow, you must make them leave me behind. Go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, right?

Draco nodded, accepting his orders of dragging a probably hysterical Neville and Hermione away from the room.

He took a deep breath, and let go.

'It's okay!' his voice called from bellow, 'it's a soft landing, you can jump!'

Neville went next. He had sat on the edge and wiggled until he fell in.

Draco took a deep breath and entered in the same manner as Harry had done

She didn't hear any shouts not to follow, so she took a deep breath to steady her nerves. Walking up to the edge she did not sit down as the others had done, she shut her eyes and jumped.

With a muffled thump she landed on something soft. Sitting up she began to feel around, she had landed in between Neville and Harry with Draco opposite them. It felt like they were sitting on some form of vines.

He sat up and felt around, his eyes not used to the gloom. It felt as though he was sitting on some sort of plant.  
  
She looked up at the small light coming from the trapdoor, which was now the size of a postage stamp. 'We must be miles under the school,'

Then she looked to Harry to see him wrapped tightly in the vines, Draco was also becoming trapped.

She and Neville leapt up before they could become trapped and struggled towards a damp wall.

The pair watched in horror as Harry and Draco fought to pull the plant off them, only to see the plant wind tighter around them.  
  
'Stop moving!' Neville ordered them. 'This is Devil's Snare!"

'Of course!' Hermione exclaimed, 'fire spells on three!' She told Neville as they both pulled out their wands.  
  
They each sent a jet of bluebell flames at the plant and suddenly the plant shrunk back from its two victims and they were able to pull themselves free.  
  
'Lucky you pay attention in Herbology, Neville,' said Harry as he joined the pair by the wall, wiping sweat off his face.  
  
'Yeah,' said Draco, 'and lucky Hermione doesn't lose her head in a crisis, that fire spell was some quick thinking.'  
  
Together, they made their way down a stone passageway, their only way forwards. They had breifly raised the issue of how to get back out of the trapdoor but Draco had dismissed this claiming they had more pressing concerns ahead.

As they walked, they could hear the gentle drip and trickle of water as it flowed gently down from cracks in the stone walls. The passageway was a fairly decent slope, Hermione knew they must be travelling even further beneath the school, she wondered if they were under the black lake.

'Can you hear that?' Neville asked.

They all nodded; there was a soft rustling and clinking coming from the path ahead.

Draco squinted. 'There's light ahead, I think there's something moving.'

They hurried to the edge of the chamber and entered a wonderfully lit chamber. It had a high vaulted ceiling of light stone and flying near it were small, bright birds. On the opposite side of the room was a massive and heavy looking wooden door.

'Do you think they'll attack us if we cross the room?' asked Neville.

'Probably,' sighed Draco. 'These are defences against Voldemort, it won't be easy.'

Draco took a deep breath and covered his face with his face with his hands to protect it, and ran quickly to the door. The birds ignored him. He tugged at the door, to no avail, it wouldn't budge. He tried Alohomora but that didn't work ever.

'These birds... they can't be here just for decoration,' she said, staring up at them.  
  
'They're not birds!' Harry said suddenly. "They're keys! Winged keys -- look carefully. So that must mean-' he looked around the chamber while the other two squinted up at the flock of keys. '-Broomsticks! We've got to catch the key to the door!'  
  
Draco examined the lock on the door.  
  
'We're looking for a big, old-fashioned one -- probably silver, like the handle. Unless Voldemort took it through with him?'  
  
'I'll do it.' Harry said, walking towards a broom.

Neville caught his arm. 'No, you need to save your strength for Voldemort, they might attack, I'll do it.'

He seized a broomstick and kicked off into the air, soaring into the midst of the cloud of keys. They didn't attack him badly but he was hit in the face with a few and Hermione thought she could spot a nasty cut on his cheek. After a minute's weaving about through the whirl of rainbow feathers, he noticed a large silver key that had a bent wing, as if it had already been caught and stuffed roughly into the keyhole.  
  
  
Finally he managed to catch up to the injured key and pinned it against the stone with one hand. They all cheered at him from below as he flew towards them.   
  
He landed quickly and handed Harry the key while Hermione did what she could for the gash in his cheek. She had had the good sense to bring some healing paste and applied it generously to his cheek, it stemmed some of the blood and his colour returned.

The moment the lock had clicked open, the key took flight again, looking very battered now that it had been caught twice.

'That must have been Flitwicks room.' She stated. 'Does anyone else think these rooms are a bit too easy for Voldemort if we are managing to get through?'

The others ignored her and pulled the door open.  
  
The next chamber was so dark they couldn't see anything at all. But as they stepped into it, light suddenly flooded the room from massive torches placed around the circumference of the room.  
  
They were standing on the edge of a huge chessboard, behind the black chessmen, which were all taller than they were and carved from what looked like black granite. Facing them, way across the chamber, were the white pieces. They all shivered slightly the chessmen had no faces, and it was an unnerving sight.

'Now what do we do?' Harry whispered.  
  
'It's obvious, isn't it?' said Draco. "We've got to play our way across the room. I think we need to take the places of some of the pieces.'  
  
Behind the white pieces they could see another door.  
  
He walked up to a black knight and put his hand out to touch the knight's horse. At once, the stone sprang to life, turning his massive helmeted head to look down at the blond.

'Do we have to join you and win to get across?' The black knight nodded and Draco turned to the other three.

Harry, Neville and Hermione stayed quiet, watching Draco think. Finally he said, 'Now, don't be offended or anything, but none of you are better than me at chess.'

There was no offense, just nods of agreement.

'Just tell us what to do.' Neville said.  
  
'Right, Harry, you take the place of that bishop, and Hermione, you next to him instead of that castle, Neville I'll have you as the other bishop. I'll be a knight.'  
  
Once he finished speaking the corresponding pieces walked off the board, leaving four empty squares for them to take.

A white pawn had moved forward two squares, the game had begun.  
  
Draco was a masterful player; he didn't move them unless he had to. He had sacrificed a pawn just to see what would happen and had since done his best to avoid killing his own friends.

Their other knight was killed by the White Queen. She smashed his head and threw him from the board.   
  
'Had to let that happen,' said Draco, "now you can take that bishop, Hermione.'  
  
Every time one of their men was lost, the white pieces showed no mercy. Soon there was a huddle of limp black players slumped along the wall. He barely used the other three, not wanting to risk them. He himself darted around the board, taking almost as many white pieces as they had lost black ones.  
  
'We're nearly there,' Hermione heard him mutter.

The white queen turned her blank face toward him.

'Yes.' He said softly, 'It's the only way. I've got to be taken.'  
  
'NO!' Hermione shouted.  
  
Draco ignored her. 'I take one step forward and she'll take me -- that leaves you free to checkmate the king, Harry!'  
  
'But-'  
  
'Do you want to stop Voldemort?' Draco cut her off, silencing her.  
  
'Potter, you get her out alive.' Harry nodded at the order.

'Ready?' He asked Harry, his face pale but determined.

Harry nodded slowly. He took a deep breath and stepped forward, and the White Queen pounced. She hit him hard across the head with her stone arm, and he crashed to the floor, blood flowing from a wound on his head and staining his blond hair.

Hermione screamed but Harry ordered her to stay on her square. She watched in horror as an unconscious Draco was dragged to the side of the board.

Harry moved three spaces to the left. The white king took off his crown and threw it at Harry's feet. They had won. The chessmen parted and bowed, leaving the door ahead clear.

She rubbed her paste into the wound on his head and the bleeding slowed. Confident he wouldn't die from the wound and with one desperate look back at Draco, she, Neville and Harry hurried ahead onto the next passageway.  
  
'What do you think is next?' Harry asked her quietly, trying to take her mind off Draco. She had begun lightly crying when she saw Draco's blood on her hands.  
  
'We still have Quirrell's spell, and Snape's.' She counted off on her fingers. 'So much for this being easy for Voldemort, that was some serious magic McGonagall did on that board.' She answered, wiping the tears from her eyes.  
  
They had reached another door and Harry pushed it open. They both instantly pulled their robes over their noses at the eye watering smell that greeted them. A troll was unconscious, possibly dead, on the floor in from of them.

  
'I'm glad we didn't have to fight that one,' Neville whispered as pulled open the next door.

The rooms seemed to get progressively harder; they dreaded to think what Snape had set up. But there was nothing very frightening in the room, just a table with seven differently shaped bottles.  
  
They stepped over the threshold, and immediately a fire sprang up behind them in the doorway. It wasn't ordinary fire either; it was purple. At the same instant, black flames shot up in the doorway leading onward. They were trapped.  
  
'Look!' Hermione seized a roll of paper lying next to the bottles. She had read the poem to them and then sighed and smiled.__  
  


'Snape, I should have known.' She said to herself. 'This isn't magic, it's a logic puzzle. You can't just be powerful and get through unless you know exactly what spell he used and Snape makes his own spells.'  
  
'Are we trapped?' Neville asked.  
  
'No.' She replied. She reread the paper a few times and examined the bottles.

Finally she smiled, remembering Snape telling her about a fire spell he had created during her extra studies before Christmas.

'The small bottle will get you to the stone, but there's only enough for you Harry. Voldemort has already had some. That one will take us back the way we came.' She pointed to the bottle at the far right of the table.

She and Neville watched as Harry drank from the small bottle and walked onwards through the flames.

Neville took a sip from the end bottle and walked back the way he came, she had just been about to walk through as well when an idea occurred to her.

'Neville! Get Draco to the hospital wing! Use the brooms in the key room!' Hermione ordered to him through the fires. 'I've figured it out! I know how to go on to help Harry.'

Neville nodded at her order, told her to be careful, and hurried back towards Draco.

Sending a quick prayer to the wizarding Gods that was right in her theory, she raised her wand at her torso and cried, 'frigore corporis!'

The feeling of ice ran through her veins and she shuddered, taking a deep breath she walked through the flames. She knew Snape would have worked in a simple way to get through the flames in case he had been trapped down here with no potion. She could see the flames touching her, but could not feel them.

She noted her left leg was slightly singed where she hadn't casted the spell properly but she could not feel the pain, so she continued.

She made it to the final room, Harry was there, and Voldemort stood before him.


	14. First Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens next.

She realised quickly it was only Voldemort's head on the back of Quirrel's body, who's still face she observed looking into a grand gold mirror, and she shuddered.

Voldemort's face had an ugly scar running across it; it looks like a chunk of his right cheekbone was missing, she realised it was from the curse she cast on him in the woods. There would be no healing it; she had given him a cursed scar much like he had marked Harry. This did nothing in support of his appearance of chalk white skin and red eyes. He truly looked every bit the monster he had been made out to be.

'Never!' She heard Harry exclaim at something Voldemort had said.  
  
Harry sprang toward the flame door, noticing her for the first time and reaching for her.

'You!' Voldemort screamed at her. 'Get her!'

Quirrel's hand gripped her wrist tightly until Harry grabbed Quirrel trying to make him let go.

Quirrel released her with a roar of pain, his fingers were blistered where Harry had grabbed him.

'Seize him!' shrieked Voldemort, and Quirrell lunged, knocking Harry clean off his feet landing on top of him, both hands around Harry's neck.

Quirrell howled in agony, she could see his hands being burnt.

She needed to get him off him.   
  
'Kill him, fool, and be done!' screeched Voldemort.  
  
Quirrell raised his hand to perform a deadly curse, but Hermione was faster.

'Consaucio!'

Quirrel screamed in pain as several deep cuts marked his face and body, it must have been agony on his already burnt hands.

He removed his hands from Harry to clutch at them in pain; Harry seized his opportunity and grabbed Quirrel's face.

They had all figured it out by now that Quirrell couldn't touch his skin, not without suffering terrible pain.

Hermione dragged Harry to his feet as Quirrel wailed in agony. He caught Quirrell by the arm, and hung on as tight as he could.

Quirrell screamed and tried to throw Harry off but Hermione was helping to hold his hands in place.

She could feel Harry getting woozy as he had begun to sway; he was in a much better condition than Quirrel right now though.

All she could hear in the moment was Quirrel screaming in agony and Voldemort screaming for him to kill the pair of them.

Quirrel's knees gave out just as Harry passed out.

Arms wrapped around the two children and yanked them away from Quirrel. It was Dumbledore.

Quirrel fell down onto his front and for a moment Dumbledore locked eyes with the terrible face on the back of his face.

Suddenly he was gone; he turned to smoke before them and fled back up the stone passage.

'Are you okay?' He asked her quickly.

She nodded her response and he turned quickly to Harry, who lay unconscious on the floor, and began muttering a series of charms over him.

Her eyes drifted away from the scene as Harry's breathing became more even and she looked at Quirrel on the floor. He had stopped screaming and was bleeding heavily from the cuts she had caused and his skin was almost melting away where Harry had touched him.

She knew he was going to die.

She silently knelt down next to him; he was no longer a threat. She rolled him onto his back and took his hand.

His eyes were closed but he was still breathing. She held his hand until the breathing stopped.

She stood and placed his hands on his chest. She walked over to the grand mirror. She saw herself, only older, in her twenties. An older Draco stood next to her wearing his father's Duke Crown. His arm was around her waist and she noticed that she too wore a crown, the one she had seen his mother wearing.

She tore her eyes away from the mirror when she heard Dumbledore moving.

'Hermione, let's go.' Dumbledore ordered. He had levitated Harry and was walking back towards the wall of fire with him in tow.

She hurried behind him as they walked back through the different chambers and long corridors.

They arrived at the Devils Snare and Dumbledore quickly levitated them all up.

'What was that mirror?' She asked him as they hurried through the corridors.

'It shows your deepest desire.' He said quickly as he rushed towards the hospital wing.

'How did that protect the stone?' She asked confused, ignoring what she had seen in the reflection for now.

The door to the hospital wing loomed in the distance.

'You could only get the stone if you didn't want to use it.' He told her. He reached into the pocket of his long robes and withdrew a blood-red stone. 'It was in Harry's pocket.'

They barged loudly into the hospital wing, she saw Draco unconscious on a bed with Neville sat next to him.

Madam Pomfrey instantly rushed Harry onto a bed and forced a potion down his mouth and starting muttering incantations over him with her wand.

'What on earth happened to the poor boy?' She had asked to Dumbledore.

'He touched Voldemort.' He said as casually as one discussed the weather.

'Is the Malfoy boy okay?' He asked, casting a glance as him.

She nodded as she worked over Harry. 'Just a nasty head would, I fixed him up instantly, he'll probably be very confused for the next week, it's a good thing exams are over.'

Relief flooded her system, Draco would be okay.

After a straight hour of working on Harry she had finally cast her last spell and left Harry to rest.

'He'll sleep for a long while but he'll be fine.' The two adults turned their heads together in quiet conversation.

The spell she cast to walk through the flames suddenly wore off and she screamed her burnt leg now unable to support her weight.

Madam Pomfrey had got her up on a bed very quickly and vanished her pants so that she could see the burn on her leg. It was like a comments tail had been printed onto the outside of her right thigh.

The Mediwitch cast several numbing and antiseptic charms on the area and heavily applied a balm that instantly removed the burning sensation.

'This will probably scar.' She had been told as Pomfrey wrapped the wound in a cooling bandage. 'Magical flames like that, you're lucky I do not have to remove your leg.'

She could accept a burn; it wasn't terribly big or ugly and was easily hidden; besides it was a mark of her adventure with her friends. One day she would probably tell the story of getting it to a captivated audience at a party in the Slytherin dorms. 

Pomfrey had then helped her into a medical gown, informing her she would be spending the night.

After all the healing that had been done to the group the first rays of light were beginning to stream through the massive windows, all of her energy had left her and the two adults left the four friends to sleep in peace.

She was the first to wake, she could hear Draco's light snore from the bed next to her, and they contrasted with the heavy snores coming from Neville across from her.

'Good morning, Hermione.' Dumbledore spoke, entering the room.

She sat up in her bed, pulling the white linen sheets around her waist, and he perched lightly at the end of it.

'Did you get Quirrell's body out?' She asked, feeling numb to the fact she had witnessed a man die at the age of twelve.

'Yes, some ministry men came for it while you were all sleeping.'  
  
She noted that at the edge of each of the beds in the room was the content of the entire sweet shop and several cards, Harry and Draco had the biggest piles for obvious reasons.

'Ah, you've all received many tokens from your friends. What happened in the dungeons was supposed to be a complete secret, so naturally, everyone knows. I think it'll probably be in the morning's prophet, its due to arrive soon.'

As he spoke, Fred and George entered holding a toilet seat. She didn't understand the reference but knew it was probably some personal joke between the three. They managed to get within five feet of Harry before Madam Pomfrey had confiscated it, yelling at them about hygienic conditions.

They had approached her with flowers and chocolate, not wanting to linger when she was obviously talking to the headmaster, they quickly placed some sweets onto the other two boy's piles and left in an uncharacteristic silence.

'When do you think Harry will wake up?' She asked him as they sat in silence watching him sleep; there was a little more colour to his face though she thought he still looked tremendously ill.

'A few days. You, Neville, and Draco should all be discharged at various points in the day.'

'How did you get there?' Hermione asked him.

'The second I arrived at the Ministry I realised it was a clever ruse and came back.'

She nodded. 'Harry nearly died, didn't he?'

He nodded. 'I was afraid I was too late. The effort involved nearly killed him.'   
  
'I made him hang on.' She whispered, thinking in horror that she had nearly played a hand in her friend's demise.

'Of course you did, you saw that it got results. If I was you it was what I would have done.'

She frowned. 'What would you have done though?'

He smiled gently at her. 'Oh, some complicated and powerful magic probably.'

'Would you teach me? I'm Harry's friend; I'll probably end up fighting him again or his followers.' She asked, thinking of the benefits of being able to protect her friends.

He looked at her seriously. 'Probably a good idea, when you're a bit older.'

She nodded, that response would do for now.

'What are you going to do with the stone now?' She asked, remembering the blood red stone he had pulled from Harry's pocket.

'I spoke to Flamel, he is going to destroy it. The stone is on its way to France as we speak.'

She nodded slowly. She felt bad for Flamel but knew that they could not risk Voldemort getting hold of it.

'Does he mind dying?' She asked, realising as she said it what a stupid question it was, but the old teacher only smiled at her.

'No, he's been ready for many years now I believe. Death is his next adventure. To one as young as you, I'm sure it seems incredible, but to Nicolas and Perenelle, it really is like going to bed after a very long day.'

She nodded, 'I can't imagine living for so many centuries, you would have to watch everyone you care about die.'

They sat in silence again as Madam Pomfrey examined Harry and eventually declared he was recovering.

'Voldemort's going to try and come back isn't he?' She asked finally.  
  
Dumbledore nodded. 'He was beaten by two children; I don't think he is too much of a threat in his present state. But, he cannot die. We have delayed his return to power, we can do so again.'  
  
'Why couldn't he touch Harry?' She asked.

'His mother died to save him, that kind of love grants a serious protection. Some say from the Gods themselves.' Dumbledore told her. 

She looked up. 'Do you believe in the Gods Sir?'

Dumbledore was prevented from answering by Neville waking up. After chatting with him for several minutes, he left to catch the end of breakfast, leaving her alone with the Headmaster again.

'Yes. I do believe in the Gods.' Dumbledore answered her. It was then she decided that if a great and wise wizard like Dumbledore believed, then she should probably start to as well.

'Wait.' She called him as he had turned to leave. 'All this happened because he tried to kill Harry as a baby, why did he want to kill a baby?' She asked, it had been a question on her mind ever since she had found out she was a witch and read her first book on the wizarding war.

Dumbledore sighed. 'I'll tell you when you're older.'

.................................

Though she had been discharged, she remained seated by Draco's bed, reading the Prophet until he woke.

Dumbledore had been right, it had made the morning edition.

_The Boy Who Lived, a hero again. _Read the title.

_Harry Potter, 11, prevented an insane Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher from stealing the Philosopher's Stone from Hogwarts grounds in the early hours of this morning._

_He was aided by his close friends, Neville Longbottom, Hermione Granger, and HRH The Earl of Permberly. _

The article had been factually incorrect and hadn't mentioned Voldemort once, she settled on the opinion that they didn't want to cause a mass panic when so many believed the Dark Lord to be dead.

Draco had finally woken up in time for lunch, though he was incredibly confused. She decided they would be better eating in their common room away from the hustle and chatter of the great hall for his benefit.

He was discharged after lengthy checks from Pomfrey and orders to go back in each morning for a check-up.

'Gods my head is killing me.' He complained as she sat him down in one of the great sofas.

Even though it was summer, their common room was unfortunately underground and was always chilly, so the fire was always lit.

'Dobby?' She called to thin air, feeling ridiculous.

The small, wide-eyed elf appeared. 'Yes Miss?' It asked, noting Draco sat in the chair behind her.

'Please could we have some lunch brought to us? Draco isn't feeling very well so make it all his favourite foods.' She asked as kindly as she could.

The small elf beamed at her and vanished.

'He shouldn't be able to respond to you.' Draco muttered quietly while frowning at her. 'You're not a Malfoy.'

She shrugged. 'He probably knew I was with you?'

Draco nodded. 'Yes, that must be it.'

The elf had appeared with two cheeseburgers and chips with a large pot of mayo for each of them.

Hermione had laughed. 'Really? Burgers and chips? I was expecting something classy.' She teased as they ate quickly.

He laughed lightly. 'I always eat fancy food. It would always be a treat when dad went away and mum and I would eat food like this.'

After they had eaten she had again ventured into the boys rooms and helped him get into bed, she sat on the edge of the bed and chatted to him until he fell asleep again.

.........................

It had taken three days for Harry to wake up, and another for Pomfrey to allow the three of them in to see him.   
  
'The entire school won't shut up about it.' Neville had informed the bedbound boy.

There were all sorts of tales going around the school speculating what had happened, none of them remotely correct and oddly enough the truth was wilder than anything the students seemed to be capable of coming up with. Her favourite theory was that Quirrell was actually a Vampire trying to drink the blood of the royal family and the four of them had staked him to prevent the death of Draco and his family. Draco was amused by the theory that they had just straight up murdered him for no reason, his confused state had thankfully vanished and he was back to his usual snarky self.

Neville had told them that Dumbledore had passed them in the flying key room and asked if it was Harry and Hermione still ahead, and that he visibly calmed when he had told him Hermione was with Harry. She had tried not to blush at this comment of her power. He had left him to fly Draco out and gone on to help them immediately.

Harry had told him about his conversation with the old man, that his cloak had belonged to his father.'

Hermione was happy for her friend that he finally had some physical reminder of his parents; she couldn't imagine not having her parents there for her.

After that the conversation took a turn to the end of year feast.

'Slytherin won obviously, it's the feast tomorrow though so you need to get discharged before it, I hear the food is amazing.' Draco told him.

They had shared the devastating news that without their seeker his precious Gryffindor had been destroyed in the match against Ravenclaw.

It was at this point that Madam Pomfrey had kicked them all out.

The three of them spend their final full day at Hogwarts playing by the lakeside and feeding the Giant Squid bits of toast.

Hermione had wondered off to do some packing when Neville turned on Draco.

'Why aren't you two together? It's plain as day that you like each other.' He had asked.

Draco sighed. 'It's not that easy.'

Neville nodded, accepting this answer for now. 'When you got hit playing chess she screamed. I'll never forget that scream, it was gut wrenching.' Neville had told him.  


.................

Harry had appeared at the feast, on his way to sit down he had stopped by the Slytherin table to tell them happily that Hagrid had made him a book full of pictures of his parents before trotting off happily to sit next to Neville. Ron sat alone, and was glaring at her.  
  
The Great Hall had been decked out in Slytherin colours, it's serpent banners flying proudly around the room, to celebrate their seventh consecutive win. A huge banner showing the Slytherin serpent covered the wall behind the High Table.

She was wondering when the feast would start when Dumbledore arrived.

'Another year gone!' He had proclaimed with a smile. 'Before we have our delicious feast I understand the house cup needs awarding. In fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred points. In third, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty. Ravenclaw comes in second with four hundred. Last but not least our victors, Slytherin, with five hundred points!'

There was a polite clap for each of the tables scores and a large cheer from Slytherin as their points were announced.  
  
Dumbledore waited for the chatter to die down. 'However, recent events must be accounted for, and I have some last minute points to award.'

The entire room seemed to sit up at this news. What is he up to? Hermione wondered.

'First, to Draco Malfoy.' Everyone turned to look at the blond, who was thankful he usually had people watching him his entire life or this moment would have been very uncomfortable.

'For a fantastic game of chess, I award Slytherin a further fifty points.' The applause from the Slytherin table was deafening.

They were close to breaking to all time points record of five hundred and sixty.

.Dumbledore raised his hand and silence fell. 'Second, for Hermione Granger. For cool logic in the face of fire, I award Slytherin fifty points.'

Everyone was cheering and clapping and patting her on her back.

Six hundred points, it had never been achieved in Hogwarts history and now she and Draco had accomplished it for their house.  
  
'Thirdly, to Mister Neville Longbottom, for some fantastic flying, I award Gryffindor fifty points.'

The cheer at the Gryffindor table was deafening and Neville had turned bright red at the attention and praise. He had never won so much as a point for Gryffindor before.

'Finally. To Harry Potter, for outstanding courage in the face of doom, I award Gryffindor one hundred points.'

It took quite a while to calm down the Gryffindor table after this announcement. It meant they had come second and not last like they had last year and the year before.

Slytherin had still won by miles; nobody was near touching their score. All the heads of houses had to shake Snape's hand and Hermione laughed at the smug expression he wore.

It was probably one of the best evenings of her life, she laughed and feasted with all of her friends and in the after party in the common rooms she had shared a very small glass of Fire Whiskey with Daphne and Draco that had left them all feeling quite tipsy.  


...................................

She had, of course, achieved perfect exam results, she was the best student in her year. Draco was the best student in his year, he had dismissed this accomplishment saying that it was still her. Harry and Neville had passed with god marks and even Fred and George had performed well thanks to her forcing them to actually revise for a change. Everybody had passed in both of their years and they had celebrated by the lake with their friends in the morning before they had to board the train home.

It sometimes felt like she had only arrived at Hogwarts a few weeks ago, she thought of how much her life had changed in this short year.  
  
They were all handed letters warning them not to use any magic over the holidays, she had decided this wasn't a terrible loss and could use the time to study her magical theory.

They crossed the lake in the same fleet of boats that had brought them here, she sat with Draco, Blaise, and Daphne in one of them.

The train journey back home was spent laughing and making summer plans, eventually they had began to pass muggle towns and had changed into their muggle clothing, it didn't feel like hours had passed when the train finally pulled into King's Cross Station.

'I'm probably going to have a group of friends over for a week this summer while my father is away.' Draco had told her. 'I'll send you an owl with the details.' He had hugged her tightly goodbye before he stepped through the platform.

She would be exiting the platform with the next group, with Harry and Neville.

Ginny Wealsey had pointed at the three of them when they exited the barrier on the muggle side before being shushed by her mother, who had smiled politely at them.

Harry pointed out his uncle to her, he was a purple-faced fat man who looked permanently cross, but she had faced Voldemort and found it hard to be scared of a muggle.

'You must be Harry's family.' She said politely to him.

He ignored her. 'Hurry up boy.' He ordered, and began to walk away.  
  
'Harry.' She said to him before he could walk after his uncle. 'They don't know you can't use magic over the summer, have fun.' She winked at him and walked away as a great smile bloomed on his face.

She finally spotted her parents and ran to hug them, looking forwards to a good summer of writing to an visiting friends for the first summer of her life.  



	15. Summer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A summer visit to Malfoy Manor

It had been a particularly hot summer that year. She had spent two weeks in the south of France with her parents and had come back with a deep brown tan that had led her to develop dark freckles across her cheeks and nose, her mother said it made her look very cute.

She had slipped away one day to visit the French Wizarding world. Their twisting streets of ancient wizarding shops kept her attention for the entire day.

She had purchased two books, in English. One, on ancient forms of blood magic that held quite a lot of information on the Gods that she couldn't wait to read under the sun the next day. The second had been a book of beauty spells and rituals that she couldn't wait to go through with the other girls in her dorm, there seemed to be a good one for hair that she was looking forwards to trying out once she was allowed to use magic again.

Once she had arrived back home with her parents she had never had a dull day. She was either doing things with her parents, who missed her greatly while she was away, or taking advantage of her house that was still connected to the Floo and visiting with her friends.

She had a sleepover with every girl in her dorms, except for Pansy naturally. Each of the girls had been fascinated with her muggle home and her parents, who were the first muggles any of them had met properly. They had all behaved perfectly towards her parents, who were glad to see she had fallen in with such a good group of girls.

She had tours of all her friend's wonderful homes; Daphne had the biggest home of the girls. When she stayed over at their estates, their parents and families had all been very welcoming to her, every single one of them had asked her about the black invitation she had received for the next royal ball.

The ball was becoming an increasingly common topic as summer rolled on, everyone already had their outfits planned and dresses ordered.

She had attended one of Astoria's dance classes with the other young girls about to start Hogwarts, in one day she had learnt so many new steps for the ball, she was happy she would be able to dance more than a waltz this time around, she looked forwards to dancing every dance come Christmas. She couldn't help wonder if she would dance with Draco again.

She arrived home from visiting her grandparents one afternoon to see Draco's Eagle Owl sat on the roof of her father's Ford.

Her parents, who had seen her so unhappy and lonely before, would never complain about her communicating with her friends but she was sure she heard her father mutter: 'scratching the car.'

She took the letter from the owl and gave him a fond scratch behind the ear. The great owl flew onto her shoulder as she entered the house, Draco's loyal pet would await her reply before returning to him.

She took the letter to her room and shut the door to read the letter.

_Hermione,_

_I'm sorry I haven't written this week, it's been chaos around here. Honestly, I don't know how it's stayed out of the papers._

_The Ministry raided the Manor on Monday; apparently they were tipped off that my father was hiding dark artefacts in the house. They completely trashed the place; mum and the elves were hysterical. Obviously they didn't find anything. _

_I've never seen my uncle so angry. Matilda came and took me out of the manor for a day but Dobby told me you could hear Armand shouting from outside and he said my father is dragging the family name through the mud, which is true. He ordered him to get rid of all objects in his possession that could be deemed dark; he locked me in my room for two days because I said he'd have to chop his left arm off._

_He's up to something. I don't know what it is but promise me you'll be on the lookout for anything strange. _

_The good news is that he's gone to Russia on business now until I go back to Hogwarts so I'm having everyone over next week. I'll come get you on Monday at ten if you can come. Let me know. _

_In regards to your last letter, I haven't heard from Harry all summer either. Neither has Neville. Don't worry, if he doesn't appear at Hogwarts on the first then the school will send someone to check on him. I heard talk that before last year his family kept him locked under the stairs, so if they were preventing him from sending any letters I wouldn't be shocked. _

_Everything is so stressful around here, my dad leaves tomorrow and I'm going to stay in my room and avoid him all day._

_I hope you've had a good week._

_Yours always,_

_DM_

She tried not to blush at the 'yours always' and pay attention to the rest of the letter.

She felt so sorry for Draco, his home had been torn apart but from his letter it was not without merit. She had read the "left arm" comment several times and was forced to conclude he must have meant the Dark Mark. She wondered if Draco had meant to tell her that detail or if he had forgotten himself in his upset. She couldn't say she was surprised from the things he had told her of his father.

The news that Harry had been kept under the stairs for most of his life was deeply disturbing, she wondered why Harry had been placed with such awful people after the death of his parents, surely his parents had friends willing to take him in.

She thought about her reply for a moment before pulling out a pen.

_Draco._

_I'm so sorry to hear this but very glad they didn't cause any further trouble. _

_If you want distance from your father tomorrow, you are always welcome in my house? I could make you a full blown blood-traitor and take you into muggle London for the day?_

_I would love to come and visit with everyone next week. We might have to have a day out in Diagon Alley once the school lists arrive though I doubt I'll have a chance to go once I'm home._

_Yours always_

_HG_

She had decided to not mention his father's arm and that she would use the same sign off as he had done. She had attached her short letter to his owl and watched the sky long after he had taken off, until she was called down for dinner by her mum.

She had been halfway through her jacket potato when his owl had swooped through an open window and drop a letter into her lap before flying off again.

'You can read it after tea.' Her mother told her firmly, so she placed the letter on the table next to her and did her best to ignore it for the rest of the meal.

Finally, she had been dismissed and had ripped open the letter once away in her room.

_Blood-traitor it is. Meet me outside the Leaky Cauldron at nine. _

...................

_  
_She woke early the next day in order to shower and dry her hair before she met Draco. She had gone into London with her parents on their way to work.

She was just walking up to the door of the pub when Draco stepped out of it.

She hadn't had a chance to see him yet this summer, she had been away and then so had he. Although he had been travelling with his cousin on a small royal tour he had told her was them "training him" for when he was older, so he had been trapped inside on the sunny days in dull meetings around the world. She had seen many pictures of them on the front cover of the Prophet, he always looked very regal.

He had grown a little over the summer, he was slightly taller than her, she wondered how tall he would be when he was older. Judging on the height of his uncle he was destined to stand at over six foot.

He was wearing muggle jeans and a button down white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, he even had some muggle sunglasses on. His look screamed money, everything he had on was a big name designer.

'You've gone native.' She teased as she approached him.

He smiled at her and wrapped her into a tight hug.

'You okay?' She asked quietly as they began to walk away from the pub.

He nodded. 'So, what's the plan?' He asked.

Clearly he didn't want to discuss the subject of his father at the moment so she let it drop.

She smiled. 'I thought I might educate you. We're going to the science museum.'

He groaned mockingly. 'Of course, my first time in the muggle world and you take me on a history tour.'

She linked his arm once she realised he didn't understand the laws of the road and had to pull him out from oncoming traffic.

'I promise you'll like it.' She said. 'Have I ever steered you wrong?'

He thought for a minute and raised his eyebrows at her. 'Well, you did lead me into a pit under the school where I was injured by a giant killing chess piece.'

She lightly elbowed him in the side as they walked in return to the jest.

They walked for around ten minutes, Hermione pointed out interesting details they were walking past.

'Why are people staring at us?' He asked, noting how many adults were staring at them as they passed.

'Oh, kids don't normally walk around central London, they'd be nicked off the street.' She said.

He frowned. 'Are we safe?'

She laughed at his concerned expression. 'Don't worry; I'll keep you safe from the nasty muggles.'

They arrived at the science museum and she took him straight through into the room of space exploration.

'Muggles have been on the moon?' He asked astonished as they walked around.

He had been very fascinated with space exploration and had left with more questions as they made their way to the next destination.

'I don't think Wizards would stand a chance in a war against muggles.' She admitted. 'Not now.'

He frowned. 'They've been to space sure, they don't have magic.'

She raised an eyebrow. 'Ever heard of a nuclear bomb?'

..................................

Their day out had been long, they had gone to the science museum, the Tower of London, and had gotten on a sightseeing bus. They had gone to TGI Friday's for their dinner and both ordered a cheeseburger and chips, to his delight.

They had taken the tube back to her house and arrived at about eight.

He had been perfect with her parents, having a cup of tea with them before using the Floo to return home.

'He was nice.' Her mum said, nudging her as they sat down on the couch together, her dad was doing the washing up in the kitchen. 'Is he your boyfriend?'

She shook her head and stood. 'No, we're just friends.'

She had gone to bed early after seeking permission to stay at Draco's the following week, after being told other girls would be staying too they felt much more comfortable with the idea and gave their permission.

*****************************

On Monday Draco appeared in her fireplace at the agreed upon time. He engaged her parents in polite conversation before picking up her bag and carrying it through the fire.

'Have fun with your friend's sweetie.' Her mother said, hugging her goodbye.

She stepped through the fire and emerged into Malfoy Manor.

The drawing room into which she emerged was massive; she suspected it was probably the grandest room in the house. The ceiling was thirty feet high, at least with two grand chandeliers. There was a pipe organ at one end and at the other sat a long ornate table.

They had emerged from a large marble fireplace that had a gilded mirror on top of it.

She took in the dark purple walls and many portraits that adorned the long walls.

It was exactly the kind of room that Draco belonged in.

'I'll show you to your room, I've got you in the room next to mine.' He told her as he led her from the room.

'Where's everyone else?' She asked as he led her up the grand staircase.

'Oh, I came and got you a few hours early. I'm going to show you around before they all get here.'

It occurred to her that all of their friends would have been coming to the Manor for years. She had a sudden feeling of feeling like an outsider but it passed when Draco turned and smiled at her.

They came to a pale wooden door. 'This is me, the Earls Suite.'

He didn't stop to show her the room, he led her to the next door.

'This ones you, the yellow room.'

He pushed the door open and she walked in.

The first thing that caught her attention was the wallpaper, there was no wonder they called it the yellow room. The design was of dragons and phoenixes in a vigorous chrome yellow.

The vivid yellow dramatically set off the bold colour of the oil paintings and watercolours and various portraits that adorned the walls.

The bed and curtains, however, juxtaposed every other item in the room. They were a deep royal blue.

'Is it an antique?' She asked him, gesturing to the massive four poster canopy bed.

He shook his head then paused. 'Well, now it is. But it's the original bed.'

'When's it from?' She asked, fingering the blue patterned drapes on the bed as he placed her bags on the bed for her.

''I'm not sure, around the wars of the roses I think?' He looked to the portrait of a beautiful blond woman in flowing purple robes who nodded.

She would be sleeping in a bed from the fourteen hundreds. 'What if it breaks?'

He laughed. 'I used to jump on this bed with Matilda when we were little, it won't break.'

He pointed at three doors. 'That's the bathroom, that's the closet, that one goes to my room but my mum locked it don't worry.'

With a quick tour of her room over he pulled her out the room, it was time for the tour.

They began outside. The gravel driveway to the manor house had a large, well trimmed, hedge running alongside it. In the distance, she could make out massive wrought-iron gates.

An albino peacock ran along the perimeter.

'Peacocks? Really?' She asked him, raising an eyebrow.

He laughed lightly. 'My father likes them, my mum wanted Unicorns.'

The lands around the house sprawled many acres of trees and flowers. They passed his mother in the garden, who was trimming the roses under the heat of the sun.

They stopped for a minute of polite conversation before continuing the tour.

They continued walking the grounds, he pointed out the massive artificial lake that was kept well stocked as well as the maze that he had once gotten lost in for several hours.

They stood outside the front of the house as she admired it. It was the most handsome manor she had ever seen, with pale brick that matched the palace, she wondered if they had made it from the same stone.

The entrance hall was dimly lit and well decorated; it had a magnificent flowery carpet covering the stone floor.

He took her down some steps. 'I didn't take you down here.' He told her as they descended the stone steps.

The cellar was dark with vaulted stone ceilings and no windows. The room was empty as far as she could see until he led her through what appeared to be a secret doorway.

It was very dark, she couldn't help feeling scared.

He took her hand, 'I'll keep you safe.'

He pulled her down into further darkness.

An oil lamp burst into life as they entered this new room. It was small, with no other doors. There were just shelves cluttered with various objects.

'Don't touch anything.' He warned her as she walked closer to the objects to appraise them. 'This is why the house was raided.'

There were some seriously dark artefacts in front of her. Some objects she was clueless about but there were some that she could physically feel the dark energy radiating from them.

'Draco there are things here for killing muggles.' She said carefully, taking note of a black opal bracelet in front of her.

'I don't know what to do.' He said quietly behind her as he wrung his hands.

'Tell your uncle? Let him deal with this.' She suggested.

Draco nodded. 'So you agree? This stuff can't stay here?' He asked.

She nodded. 'I can't believe he kept this stuff in the house with you!'

He shrugged. 'I'm not meant to come down here.'

They left quickly, the dark room creped them both out.

They decided that snitching on his father would need to be a covert activity, letters to the King tended to attract some notice, even from his own family. It was decided that he would write to his cousin instead, their regular correspondence would gain no attention.

They had an hour before the others were due to arrive and took the time to pen a few drafts, all of which were burnt, before coming up with a final letter to his cousin.

_Matilda,_

_I hope you are enjoying your trip to Italy to open their parliament and I look forwards to hearing all about it in your next letter._

_On a more pressing note, as you know your father spoke to mine about certain dark artefacts. He said he had gotten rid of them all but he has not and I'm not sure what to do. _

_He keeps them in the concealed room in the cellar, he has some seriously dark objects down there so I can't dispose of them myself. I'm not even sure if my mother knows they are there. _

_My father is out of the country all week, please could you help me to come up with a solution before his return?_

_Your servant_

_Draco._

'That's way more formal than your normal letters to her.' Hermione raised her eyebrows.

He nodded as he attached it to his owl. 'I know. It'll let her know something is seriously wrong.'

He had sworn her to secrecy on the objects and the letter sent as they made their way downstairs.

They made it back to the drawing room just in time to see the fireplace burst into life. Their friends had begun to arrive.

*****************************

They all had a great week together; Pansy was acting very high and mighty the entire visit. After a few days, Daphne whispered to her one night that Pansy was of the belief that this was her official inspection visit with his parents.

Matilda had replied to Draco the next day:

_Dragon_

_Leave it with us._

_M_

'Aw she calls you Dragon too?' She had teased him lightly as he blushed.

..................

'Is it Pansy's inspection?' She asked him once everyone had gone to bed last night; he was walking her back to her room.

He pulled a sour face that didn't suit him at all in Hermione's opinion. 'No. She thinks it is though, she keeps trying to get my mum on her own for a chat it's so embarrassing.'

Hermione frowned. 'But your mum's spoken to me loads of times?'

Draco smiled. 'Yeah, Pansy really didn't like that.'

Hermione paused and looked down the corridor they were on. 'Hey, how come the others are all staying on a different floor?'

All of their other friends were in an entirely different wing of the house now that she thought about it.

He paused, opening her door for her. 'They're in their usual rooms; I just wanted you in the best rooms.'

'The best rooms?' She asked, stepping between him and his exit.

'Yeah, you're in the adjoining suite to my rooms Hermione, why do you think that is?' He raised his eyebrows at her as it sunk in.

This wasn't Pansy's inspection, it was hers.

'But... But you're with Pansy?' She asked.

'I can't stand her. I just have to do what my father says until my uncle steps in.'

He stepped up close to her, she had to look up at him now, he really had shot up over the last few weeks now that he had turned twelve.

There was a look in his eyes she had never seen before as he looked down at her. For a moment she thought he was going to kiss her but he just stepped around her.

'Goodnight Hermione.'

.....................

Dobby served her breakfast in bed the next morning. He gave her a massive stack of pancakes in thanks for helping to introduce the laws on elf pay and holiday. He had beamed at her when she told him she would try and push through more elf rights when she was older.

The week continued to progress. The fact that she was being observed by Narcissa didn't seem to bother her that much, as they got on well. She also figured that they were only twelve, and nothing could be serious at that age, they weren't even together.

Draco had introduced her to the Malfoy library, while the others were outside playing Quidditch she sat inside with Draco's mother having a tour of their different books. She had nearly exploded over a first edition copy of _Hogwarts: A History. _It didn't even go past Slytherin departing the school; it was all about the founding and the four that founded it. She learnt some interesting facts about old Hogwarts, such as they used to teach Alchemy and Pyro-osteomancy, and that they used to have a ball on Halloween, and the older students were taught how to correctly worship the Gods.

Narcissa had promised she would help to track down the other early editions so she could learn more about Hogwarts through the years in as much detail as possible as Dobby served them afternoon tea.

Pansy had come in and sat with them. Hermione had tried to engage her in a conversation about the beautiful library but Pansy wasn't interested, wanting only to discuss the expensive artwork in her bedroom. Narcissa ignored the girl in favour of continuing her discussion with Hermione; she tried not to feel smug about being the favourite.

Eventually Pansy gave up and went back outside to join the others.

...

'Whether you meant to or not you live a lot like rich muggles. You have cultivated grounds and a house and you keep lavish pets.' She told him as they walked the maze together.

They had all entered it and soon split up, but Draco and Hermione had stayed together.

He laughed. 'Gods don't tell my father that.'

They had found their way back out of the maze first naturally, soon followed by the others. Pansy emerged last with leaves in her hair and a frustrated expression.

...

Lunch that day was interrupted by the arrival of a Hogwarts owl. It carried all of their letters.

'There's a lot of Lockheart books on here.' Tracey muttered.

'New teacher must be a fan.' Millie answered.

'You like his books don't you?' Blaise asked Hermione.

She nodded. 'I think he's great. Have you heard about some of the things he's done?'

Draco rolled his eyes. 'I met him a few years ago, he's a bit full of himself.'

Theo nodded his agreement with Draco.

'Oh please,' Millie turned on them. 'You're just jealous he's so handsome.'

Narcissa had stopped their debate quickly and ordered them to get ready for a day out in Diagon Alley to get their school supplies. She told Hermione that since they had sprung this shopping trip on her and she didn't have access to a bank account that they would be paying for her, she tried to protest but it was to no avail.

They floo'd in small groups: Narcissa, Blaise, and Pansy went first. They were soon followed by Daphne, Millie, Theo, and Tracey. Crabbe and Goyle went as a pair leaving the two of them behind.

'My father was here this morning.' He told her once they were alone.

'Really? Why?' She asked, stepping into the great fireplace.

'I think my uncle got involved about my letter. Dobby said he went straight into the cellar then left again, didn't even speak to my mum.'

They stepped into the fire, pleased that their letter seemed to have done its job.

'Diagon Alley!' Draco said clearly.

The green flame enveloped them for a moment before they stepped out onto the busy streets of Diagon Alley.

Since Hermione took completely different lessons to her friends, Narcissa proclaimed that she would take her shopping. The other first year girls left to get their new robes while the boys all went to admire the latest brooms. Draco had talked all summer of trying for the Quidditch team, he was sure to make the team.

They first bought her potions supplies apparently Snape had written to Narcissa telling her how gifted she was in his class and she insisted on purchasing a new caldron for her. They went into Olivanders, the oldest shop of the street, and Narcissa treated her to a wand polishing kit. She bought her new robes from Madam Malkin's along with a new purple dress to wear outside of class and a couple of new jumpers to keep her warm in the cold dungeon in winter, and then bought her a new set of ridiculously expensive quills from Amanuensis Quills. She supposed that money was no object to a Malfoy at the end of the day.

She had a fantastic day shopping with Narcissa. They took a break to meet up with the others in the Leaky Cauldron for lunch; they had a roast dinner in a large private room.

The last shop for the group was Flourish and Blotts so they went in as a group instead of splitting up again.

Outside they bumped into Neville and Harry shopping together.

'Hey guys!' She said, hugging the pair.

'Hey Hermione.' Neville answered cheerfully.

'Harry, how come you haven't been answering our letters?' Draco asked, walking just behind Hermione and carrying both their bags of shopping.

Harry looked awkward and Neville sighed. 'My nan and I went and rescued him a few days ago, the Muggles had him locked in his room.'

'Gods that's awful Harry! You can come stay at mine whenever you want.' Hermione offered and Draco nodded along with her.

'Thanks guys,' Harry answered, smiling at Hermione.

'Hey look what my nan got me!' Neville exclaimed, pulling out a new wand.

'That's great Neville, should work better for you than your last one.' Draco told him.

Neville nodded. 'She let me get it because I went down to fight Voldemort with you and I showed her all the stuff you sent me on wands choosing the wizard Hermione, thanks.'

Hermione nodded her head in modest acceptance, happy for her friend; his father's wand really hadn't worked that well for him at all.

'Come on, the shops getting full.' Neville pointed out, all their other friends had already gone inside.

The bookstore was, of course, her favourite shop. She walked in and was baffled by how many people had managed to cram into it until she saw the reason why.

'Oh my Gods, that's Gilderoy Lockhart!' She exclaimed to Draco, who rolled his eyes.

He was introducing himself to the masses gathered when his eyes landed on their group.

'What an amazing group to wander into my book signing!' He proclaimed all eyes on them. Neville awkwardly scooted away and practically hid behind Blaise, who smiled down at him and widened his pace to fully cover him.

The remaining three were pushed through the crowd towards the blond in his expensive blue robes.

He bowed to Draco. 'Your Highness.' Then he turned and addressed the room. 'When the young Earl of Pemberly and his friends Harry Potter and Hermione Granger came in for my autograph today, they didn't know they would be leaving with something better. Me! I'm thrilled to announce I have agreed to fill the post of Defence Against The Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts this year!'

The room burst into applause and the trio were forced to pose for a picture with the man who Draco swore he heard muttering 'this ought to make the front page'.

Hermione was thrilled that this year they would have an experienced teacher instead of the bumbling Quirrell they had last year. 'You would think that someone so close to Voldemort would be less timid about the Dark Arts.' She had muttered to Draco one night. Lockhart had real proven experience in the field.

Narcissa left the group to go into the bank and run a few errands of her own leaving the group about half an hour of free time. They bid farewell to Harry and Neville before they all split up to visit the remaining shops.

The others all left in pairs to peruse the street but Draco pulled her down a dark alley.

'Should we be down here?' She asked as he pulled her deeper into Knockturn Alley.

He smiled. 'No.'

She laughed at his exited expression. 'Living on the edge?'

He shook his head as he pulled her further into the alleyway. 'There's a shop I want to look at, they have all sorts of stuff, it'll be cool!'

They arrived at the old, dark shop and looked up at the sign. 'Borgin and Burkes?' She asked, 'this is why you dragged me down here?'

He nodded. 'Apparently they have some really cool books on blood magic?' He said, in a clear attempt to excite her.

She smiled. 'Okay, you've convinced me. Let's go in.'

He pulled her through the door and instantly froze at the sight of a tall man with long blond hair arguing with the man at the till. It was Draco's father.

'Sir I'm sorry but I can't take that object it's too heavily cursed.' The old man spoke to him.

The object on the table was the black opal bracelet they had seen in the cellar.

'This is ridiculous! Don't you know who I am?' He demanded. He still didn't know they were stood behind them.

Draco had instantly moved to stand in front of her and had begun to slowly back out of the still open door. She understood instantly that he really didn't want to see his father right now and placed both her hands on his waist as they slowly stepped backwards out of the room, Mr Malfoy was yelling too loudly to hear them.

The floorboard squeaked under them, and it was game over, Mr Malfoy whirled around. She instantly dropped her hands from Draco and took a further step backwards to distance herself from him.

'Draco? What are you doing here?' His father demanded in a cold voice.

'We wanted to look at the books.' He replied quickly and calmly.

'We?' His father asked, looking around his son his eyes finally landed on Hermione.

'You must be Miss Granger? I've heard a lot about you.' He sneered at her.

Draco took a step forwards to take the attention from her. 'What brings you here father? I thought you were abroad until tomorrow?'

Mr Malfoy finally tore his eyes away from Hermione to look down at his son. 'I received a letter from your uncle that he didn't want certain objects in the house, I came to sell them. I don't know how he found out about it; I'll have to ask your mother.' He spoke coolly.

Hermione and Draco felt the same shiver up their spine, Draco wasn't supposed to know about the secret room, he thought his wife had told the King and they couldn't correct him.

'We're going to meet up with our friends now, I'll see you later?' Draco spoke casually, yet she knew he must be nervous.

'I thought you wanted to look at the books?' His father raised an eyebrow.

This halted Draco, who had begun to walk backwards again. 'Oh yes, I'd forgotten.' His voice was strangely high. 'Let's look at the books.' He walked forwards to the bookshelf and Hermione stuck closely behind him.

They started pulling books from the shelf at random, not really reading the words on the page.

After a minute of silent browsing Draco spoke up. 'No, I don't think there is anything here for us, let's go Hermione.'

They quickly left the shop in silence. Once they were out of the shop Draco took hold of her hand and pulled her quickly through the streets back onto the main road of Diagon Alley. He didn't say one word to her the entire time.

'Draco, you're hurting my arm.' She spoke calmly as he yanked her through the streets.

This finally seemed to snap him out of his flight reflex and he pulled her behind a building, finally letting go of her arm, he put his hand on his forehead.

'Are you okay?' He asked her as she rubbed her arm.

'I think it might bruise but that's it, it's okay.' She looked down at her arm.

Not that! My father? Are you okay?' He was frantic and came to place his hands on her shoulders.

She nodded. 'Of course I'm fine. I was shocked to see him sure but it wasn't too bad.'

He frowned at her and dropped his hands from her. 'Hermione I don't think you realise the danger you were just in. Do you need me to remind you? My father was a Death Eater; he wants people like you dead not friends with his son!'

'I know!' She told him. 'But we were in the middle on a store, what could he do?'

'You'd be surprised.'

She frowned. 'What's that supposed to mea-'

'There you are!' It was Daphne and Blaise. 'We've been looking everywhere for you two, we're leaving come on.'

They bumped into the Weasley clan on their way back to meet the others, the youngest of them, Ginny, would be starting school this term. They wished her good luck and she said a pleasant hello to Fred and George, while completely ignoring Ron who was skulking at the back of his family.

They floo'd back to the Manor quickly and all retreated back to their rooms to change for dinner. It was their last night here before they returned home and Narcissa had planned a lavish dinner to end their time in the Manor.

'Why did Lockhart want a picture with us?' She asked Draco across the table.

He rolled his eyes. 'He's just trying to sell copies of his book. A picture with a member of the royal family, the boy who lived, and the smartest witch of the age will probably help him out a bit.'

She sighed. 'I'm not the-'

'Yes you are.' Goyle interrupted her.

'The last person to be moved up two year groups was Merlin. Even Dumbledore didn't skip a year.' Crabbe voiced from the other end of the table.

'Oh.' Was all she said as she pushed her steak around her plate with her fork.

Soon it was time for bed; Hermione wasn't looking forwards to leaving her large comfortable blue bed here in exchange for her small single bed at home. She was also worried about Draco; he had been quiet since they had seen his father, who had not returned to the Manor that night.

She had been about to drift off when there was a knock at her door.

'Come in.' She said, suspecting it to be Draco wanting to continue their conversation on his father.

It was Daphne.

'Hey Daph, what's wrong?' Her eyes were red rimmed.

'I just got a letter from my sister. She's been in St Mungo's having tests all summer. They got the results today.' Daphne said quietly.

Daphne sat on the end of her bed in her silk green pyjamas.

'What are they saying it is?' Hermione asked, passing her friend a tissue from the box on her nightstand.

'It's a blood disease. It skips most generations but she's got it. It's fatal. She only has a few years to live.'

*****************************************

Sorry for the lack of update my internet broke.

If you want to see my inspiration for her room google 'the yellow bow room'


	16. Back to School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hermione sits with Draco on the train

Hermione bid her parents farewell on the first of September and walked through the bricked wall.

She was yet to see any of her friends at the platform so she settled on walking down the corridor until she saw them.

She passed a carriage containing Astoria and smiled at her as she passed. For a girl who had been given a death sentence she seemed to be very cheerful with her friends, she heard them all talking about what house they would be sorted into. It had taken her some time to calm Daphne down that night; she had eventually walked her back to her own room and summoned Dobby with some Dreamless Sleep Drought for her to take.

She saw Harry and Neville sat in a carriage with Fred and George and briefly went in to say hello to them. She learnt that Harry had spent the last few days of the holidays staying with Neville and his Nan. She left them as the train began to depart.

It didn't take her long to find her friends; they were in one of the more spacious carriages, that was just one long room usually filled with Slytherin students.

'Where's Draco?' She asked, noting he wasn't there with the rest of their friends.

Pansy sneered. 'He's in a carriage down there, yelled at us all to leave him alone.'

She frowned, 'that's not like him. I'll go see what's up.'

She walked further along the train until she came to the final compartment. He was sat facing the window.

'What's wrong?' She asked him slowly.

'Nothing, just leave me alone please Hermione.' His voice was quiet.

She moved further into the carriage, he still hadn't turned away from the window.

She knelt down in front of him. 'Tell me what happened?' She asked gently.

He turned to face her and she gasped.

There was a dark bruise under his left eye; it looked like her bruise when Ron had punched her. 

'Oh Draco!' she exclaimed, reaching a hand out to lightly touch his face.

He batted her hand away lightly. 'Don't. I'm fine. I just fell.'

She frowned. 'Bullshit.'

He let out an angry sigh. 'I fell.'

She touched his face again to get a better look at the bruise. 'You can lie to the others, not to me.' She said calmly. 'Was it your dad?'

His cool demeanour broke, his bottom lip trembled and he nodded once.

She rose up on her knees and pulled him down into a hug, she released him instantly when he winced.

'What else did he do to you?' She asked with anger in her voice.

He hadn't changed into his Hogwarts robes yet; he was wearing jeans and a black t-shirt. He stood up. 'Don't tell the others.'

He pulled up the back of his top to show her several welts on his back. She clasped her hands to her mouth in horror.

'What did he hit you with?' She asked, willing herself not to cry.

He pulled his shirt back down and sat again.

She pulled herself up and sat down next to him. 'You have to tell someone.' She said taking his hand.

He pulled his hand out of hers and stood up. 'Telling someone is what got me into this!'

She stood up too. 'What do you mean?'

'He did this because I told my uncle about the cellar!' He shouted at her.

'Oh.' She said quietly. 'I still think you should tell someone, but I won't push you.'

He nodded and she saw some tension leaving his shoulders. 'Thanks Hermione.'

She sat and stared at his bruised face for a moment. 'I think I still have some of that bruise paste Tracey gave me from when Ron hit me.'

She rummaged in her bag for a few minutes before pulling the jar out, there wasn't much of it left but she applied it generously to his face.

'I can't do anything about your back though.' She told him gently.

'Your hands are shaking.' He said, watching her hands as she applied the paste to his cheek.

'I'm very angry.' She said, finishing rubbing the paste into the dark bruise. 'I'm thinking of what curse I'm going to use on him the next time I see him.'

His bruise was already starting to fade under her generous application of the paste.

'Why did he do it?'

He sighed. 'He was shouting at my mum about telling my uncle, I told him I was the one who told him, that's why he hit my back with the cane.'

She frowned. 'And your face?'

He just stared sadly at her until it sunk in. He had been so terrified when his father had seen them together, his father really didn't want his son being friends with a muggle born it seemed.

'Should I go?' She asked quietly.

'No!' He said instantly. 'I don't care what he does to me I will never stop being your friend.'

They sat in silence for a few minutes, neither knowing quite what to say.

'I can't let people see me like this.' He muttered.

'I could try a glamour charm? I've never done one before though.' She said.

He nodded his permission. She retrieved her wand and pointed it at the bruise.

She got it right on her second try. If you really concentrated on his eye you could detect a faint shimmering but otherwise it was a good job.

'Do you want to go and sit with the others?' She asked him.

He shook his head. 'Can we just stay here?'

She nodded and pulled a book from her bag; he smiled at her and pulled one from hers. They spent the train journey reading and discussing future classes.

*******************************************

The welcome feast was wonderful, the awkwardness between them all on the train had faded and the group all sat together, laughing and enjoying the feast. Daphne was thrilled that her little sister had also been sorted into Slytherin. The school year begun, there was a slight step up in school work for her this year as she would be taking her OWL exams next year. Hermione spent most of her free time with Draco, Neville, and Harry. Going through the trapdoor together had forged them into a firm friendship. If she wasn't with them she was with Daphne, Millie, and Tracey. She never hung out with Pansy, whose relationship with Draco was continuing despite everyone else's distaste for seeing the pair locking lips in a corridor. Now that she knew that Mr Malfoy would probably hurt Draco if he went against his orders and left Pansy, she couldn't find a good reason to complain, she just avoided them when they were together.

Before she knew it was the nineteenth of September, she awoke on the day of her thirteenth birthday to a small mountain of presents at the foot of her bed and smiled.

Her friends all got her standard presents, books that she'd wanted or clothes they thought she would like. Draco bought her a rare and old looking volume of books on wizarding history, she had a quick flick through the pages of the first book and decided they were much more interesting than her History of Magic classes in which Professor Binns prattled on about Goblin Rebellions that nobody cared about.

Her most interesting present was from Narcissa. It was a dress magazine from some French witch boutique. She had blacked out all of the prices inside, attached was a note:

_Dear Hermione_

_Happy thirteenth birthday, I hope you have a lovely day._

_I thought I would treat you to a ball gown for the Christmas Ball at the palace. You'll need to be dressed very well in line with your black invite. _

_If you would, select a dress and matching mask from this catalogue and send it back to me. I will have the dress ordered and ready in time for the ball._

_Kind Regards_

_Narcissa Malfoy, Duchess of Wiltshire._

She rolled her eyes at the blacked out prices, she couldn't even imagine how much a dress from this shop would cost, and even Daphne raised her eyebrows when she saw which shop it was.

The girls, minus Pansy of course, dutifully helped her select a dress and mask for the upcoming ball.

Her parent's gift arrived as she ate lunch with her friends. It was a cheque for one thousand pounds. Her mouth fell open at the sight of it.

'How much is that?' Theo asked across the table. Their old friendship had resumed following their short lived and doomed relationship last year.

She did some quick maths in her head. 'It's about two hundred Galleons.'

'That's not bad.'

There was a short letter from her parents:

_Happy birthday to our darling Hermione. We have given you this money so that you can open a wizarding bank account and have access to money in an emergency. _

_Have a lovely day Hermione, we miss you._

_Love_

_Mum and Dad_

_xox_

She had handed the money over to Draco, who sent it to his mother to open an account on her behalf.

Her birthday was fairly standard as birthdays go; she had fun with her friends and stayed up with the girls in her dorm.

She was the last one awake when she pulled the book Draco had given her, she flicked through it until she came to a section on ancient worship of the Gods, there was a detailed instruction on performing Blood Magic to worship Atune and Ledur, the Gods of Life and Death.

There was one minor ritual for a low level blessing and protection that involved a full moon and a small cut to ones palm and some spoken words, she wondered if anyone would try it with her. She would ask Draco tomorrow, he'd already tried it with his uncle once anyway.

She learnt that blood and sex weren't the only thing that the Gods appreciated. Atune, Goddess of Life also liked the burning of sweet incense and that Ledur, God of Death also liked animal sacrifice. Vutris, Goddess of Magic appreciated offerings of fruit and flowers, she also learnt that she had once smote a whole bunch of wizards back in the day for burning one of her temples.

She had never considered that wizards would have temples like muggles had churches. She wondered what they would be like and where they were, she resolved to go to the library tomorrow and see what she could find on them, she could have just asked one of her friends but she did love a good research project.

One thing she had read shocked her, Atune had once brought a woman back to life. She shuddered at the thought of any being having so much power. The story went that the woman had been killed by an angry muggle, before the founding of Hogwarts. Her husband had offered his life for hers and Atune, moved by the man's grief had accepted his offer. That woman had apparently been Rowena Ravenclaw. There was no way to check the validity of the story of course, Ravenclaw rarely spoke of her life before Hogwarts.

She fell asleep wondering if anyone would ever love her enough to die for her.

........

She had been sat outside with Daphne and Tracey when a flash had gone off in her face, momentarily blinding her.

'Hi! I'm Colin Creevy! I'm a muggle born too!' An excited voice proclaimed.

Her vision returned after a moment, before her stood a small blond Gryffindor.

'Hi.' She said to him.

He took another picture of her, he was yet to ask permission to do so.

'I've heard all about you! First Muggle Born Slytherin in centuries!' He said excitedly.

He raised his silver camera to take another picture of her but she placed her hand on top of it and forced it back down to his side.

'Nice to meet you. Next time, ask permission from people before you go shoving that camera in their face.' She said as the stalked off.

She imagined that this would be the end of the matter and she would rarely see the boy ever again. She was shocked the next day to see her picture on the front page of the Prophet.

It was a good picture to be fair, she was laughing with Daphne.

_The young girl who convinced the king to challenge the laws on house-elves_.

There was an entire article about her. She only caught snippets of it through her fury.

_Friend to the Earl of Permberly_

_First Muggle-Born Slytherin for centuries_

_Black invite to the Christmas Ball_

She tossed the newspaper aside.

That little brat had sold her picture!

Without a word to anyone, who were all sensing her anger and leaning away from her, she picked up the newspaper again and paced quickly up to Snape at the teachers table.

She threw it down on top of the plate of pancakes he was eating.

'Good morning to you as well Miss Granger.' He said looking up at her.

'Colin Creevy has sold a picture of me that he didn't have permission to take and I want him punished.' She said coolly.

He nodded. 'Okay, I'll get him in my office later.'

'Thank you.' She said, before returning to sit with her friends.

She was called to Snape's office after dinner. Colin was sat crying in one of the seats at the corner of the room.

'I think he's learnt his lesson. He's got detention for a week and I am writing to his mother.'

She nodded, she tried to feel bad for the crying child in the corner of the room, but she was still too angry at him for that.

'He received payment for the picture, which I have seized. Shall I have it sent to your vault?' Snape asked her as he began writing his letter to Mrs Creevy.

She shook her head, she didn't want money for this, but definitely didn't want him keeping it either.

'No. Give it to charity. I saw a campaign for defending Centaur lands, give it to them.'

He nodded at her order and looked to Colin.

'Anything you would like to say to Miss Granger?' He asked sternly.

Colin stood and tried to dry his eyes. 'I'm sorry.' He managed to get out through his tears.

Snape nodded. 'You may go.'

Colin fled the room quickly.

She raised her eyebrows at Snape. 'What on Earth did you say to him? He looked distraught.'

She could have sworn the corners of his mouth turned up in a smile, but his face remained in its usual uninterested facade.

She turned to leave when he spoke.

'I was impressed by your latest essay Granger.'

That stopped her. Snape rarely gave out any praise, usually if he said something was acceptable she would leap for joy. She turned to face him.

'Thank you.' She said; the surprise evident in her voice.

He nodded, he hadn't looked up at her from the letter he was writing.

'Yes, in fact, I was wondering if you would like extra lessons?' He signed his name at the bottom of the letter.

It took her a moment to make herself reply. 'Extra lessons?'

He nodded. 'You are above ability for your current year group. I want to teach you more advanced classes.'

She could only nod her reply.

'Very well. We will meet twice a week. One lesson will be theory based and one will be a practical brewing session. Monday and Wednesday, be here at eight. You'll probably be done around curfew.'

Again she nodded.

He sat back down and looked up at her after a moment. 'Why are you still here?'

She quickly fled the dungeons, she didn't return to the common room, wanting to stretch her legs and think about Snape's offer.

She was outside the Great Hall when she bumped, quite literally, into Fred and George. They had a small redhead with them, who she knew to be Ginny.

'Hermione.' Fred greeted her, 'have you met our sister Ginny?' He asked.

Ginny looked to be very shy, hiding behind her older brothers.

'Hi Ginny.' Hermione said warmly to her, earning a smile in return.

'Nice to meet you.' Ginny replied.

'Have you finished the Charms essay?' George asked her.

Anxieties of living up to Snape's expectations left her as she strolled through the corridor with the three Weasley siblings.


	17. The Gods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They do some blood magic

_Miss Hermione Granger_

_I am writing to inform you that an account at Gringotts has been set up in your name by Mrs Narcissa Malfoy._

_Your current balance is 200 Galleons, 13 Sickles, 18 Knuts._

_Your account number is G311094. _

_If you wish to deposit or remove anything in your account while you are at school you may send an owl and we will follow your request. _

_Enclosed is the key to your vault._

_We wish you a good day,_

_Ragnok, head of accounts._

She tipped the envelope and a large brass key fell out of it into her hand.

'You got a G account?' Daphne asked, eyebrows raised as she looked at the letter.

'What's a G account?' She asked, looking over at Draco.

Draco was suddenly very interested in his copy of Seeker Weekly.

'Gold account? You've got a vault near the bottom of the bank, probably guarded by trolls. My family has a Gold account.' Daphne told her.

She rolled her eyes. 'Draco? What did your mother do? She was only meant to set up a simple account for me'

Draco sighed but didn't look up from his paper. 'I don't think my mother knows the meaning of the word simple.'

She sighed. 'What does a Gold account cost?'

Everyone around her looked uneasy; nobody seemed to want to answer.

'I'll talk to you about it later, okay?' He said quietly and she nodded.

It was a Saturday, the first Hogsmede visit for everyone in her year, apart from her since she wasn't old enough to go, so she wouldn't be spending the day with Fred and George.

It was so frustrating that all of her friends and classmates were allowed to go into town and she wasn't. Surely moving her into third year should come with third year privileges.

It was for this reason that after her first extra potions lesson with Snape she brought the topic up as she was packing away her books, her mind was slightly overwhelmed with information that Snape had just drilled into her.

'Sir? Why can't I go to the Hogsmede trips?' She asked.

He sighed. 'Because you're not old enough.'

She sighed. 'But I'm a third year, third years get to go.'

He shook his head. 'You're not third year age though, are you?'

She thought for a moment before her reply. 'Well, technically I am. I'm the oldest in my year right? You can't say I'm not trustworthy and not being prideful but I've fought Voldemort, what's the worst that can happen if I go shopping with my friends?'

He sat back in his chair and analyzed her face for a few moments. 'Fine, I'll speak with the Headmaster. You'll need parent permission too so I'll write to them.

She beamed and slung her bag over her shoulder. 'Thanks Sir.'

...

She spent more of her time this year in the library. She even dragged Fred and George in with her sometimes to actually do some work instead of pulling constant pranks, of course sometimes they would pull her out of the library to pull pranks with them.

She got her first detention of the year when they were caught trying to dye Mrs Norris blue. She had decided it was worth it to see that electric blue stripe going up the side of the pest.

Of course, she spent a lot of her time in the library doing independent research. Snape no longer asked why she wanted certain books from the restricted section; he had signed her onto an all access list that usually only the head boy and girl were on that meant she could take any book she wanted.

She had been doing a lot of research into the Gods. She discovered that there was a temple to Vutris near the royal palace, she wondered if she and Draco would be able to sneak away from the Christmas ball to look at it. She also learnt that there was once an ancient temple to Atune at the sight of Hogwarts, which is why the school had been built here in the first place, apparently Helga Hufflepuff had wanted to draw on Atune's protective nature for the students.

She had found a simple blood ritual in one of the books that Draco had given her and was still keen to try it. By some miracle, even though he had been surprised at her request, Draco agreed to do the spell with her.

She borrowed Harry's cloak for the occasion, she didn't tell him why she wanted it and he didn't ask, after literally pulling Voldemort off him last year she had earned his undying trust.

They needed to be outside near nature so they made their way, under the cloak, to the edge of the forest just a ways down from Hagrid's hut. They could see it in the distance but were far enough not to get caught.

They didn't need lights; the area was well lit by the full moon that hung over them, which the spell demanded. Apparently it was easier to commune with the Gods on a full moon; she had looked but couldn't find a reason why. She resolved that next time she would see Narcissa she would ask her if there was an explanation in the vast Malfoy Manor.

Hidden in the pocket of Draco's black cloak was a silver dagger, another demand of the ritual. They couldn't go and cut their hands with any old knife apparently.

She had memorized the Latin words that must be spoken, apparently these oh so powerful gods would only speak Latin, which she found completely ridiculous.

They began by pouring a salt circle around themselves. In the tree in front of them they carved Atune's symbol. Hermione thought it looked a little bit like an eye in a circle with a cross like a crucifix going through it; Draco had the steadier hand and had copied the image from the book onto the tree with precision.

They ran though what they were going to do one last time before carrying on.

'Last chance to back out?' He said as he raised the knife to his hand.

'Not a chance.' She smiled, though she was visibly nervous.

He placed a small cut on his thenar; the ritual even specified the part of the hand they were allowed to cut. Hermione saw him wince slightly as the blood came from the base of his thumb. She couldn't help wonder why the Gods were so picky, or perhaps these were just the methods proven to work.

He took her hand in his; she had asked him to cut her as her hands were shaking too much to do it herself. He didn't like the idea of hurting her but she agreed.

They nodded to each other and pressed their bleeding hands into the mark on the tree.

'O magnum Atune, dona nobis in gratia tua praesidium.'

Nothing happened, they said it again. They had to say it seven times.

'O magnum Atune, dona nobis in gratia tua praesidium.'

'O magnum Atune, dona nobis in gratia tua praesidium.'

'O magnum Atune, dona nobis in gratia tua praesidium.'

The wind picked up around them.

'O magnum Atune, dona nobis in gratia tua praesidium.'

'O magnum Atune, dona nobis in gratia tua praesidium.'

'O magnum Atune, dona nobis in gratia tua praesidium.'

The rind of salt around them set alight but they didn't feel the heat from the fire nor did the smoke bother their lungs.

Hermione heard lightning in the distance but neither she nor Draco removed their hands from the mark on the tree. It felt like there was a rope fastened around both of their hands keeping it on the mark.

Suddenly it was over. The fire extinguished itself and the wind died as suddenly as it had come. Both of their hands were released and fell down to their sides.

She stared at him in shock, he only grinned.

'Bet you weren't expecting that were you?' He grinned.

'Did that happen last time you did that?' She asked him.

Looking down she saw that the ring of salt that circled them and their tree didn't even look singed; it looked as fresh as it did when they had poured it from the bag. It hadn't even been moved in the wind. The mark was gone from the tree, only smears of their blood remained on the bark.

Draco shook his head, 'the wind yeah, not the fire.'

...

'So, do you feel protected?' He teased as they walked back to the castle under the cloak.

She thought for a moment and went as far as looking down at her body to see if there were any physical changes.

'No. But what happened, it was amazing. They really are real. To think that was only described as a basic protection ritual, I wonder what the more powerful stuff will do.' She said looking at him awe. 'What about you? Do you feel protected?'

He smiled down at her. 'Hermione you've memorised curse books. Who needs a Goddesses protection when I have you?'

She rolled her eyes at him and they made their way back inside.

Pansy was waiting up in the common room when they came back, the only person not gone to bed yet.

'Where have you two been?' She snapped at them, jumping up from the couch.

'We went for a walk.' Hermione told her in a bored voice as she walked past her into the bedroom. She wasn't interested in listening to another one of their fights.

...

Nobody had known what they had done, the only evidence was a ring of salt Filch had discovered, but Dumbledore couldn't punish anyone for practicing a religion he himself followed.

Her next day was boringly normal, she wondered if the ritual had done anything at all, she certainly felt normal.

She had been sat in front of the fire helping Blaise with a Charms essay when Pansy had strolled in. There were gasps and people pointing at her to their friends.

That was when Hermione saw it, a pin in her hair. A very familiar pin.

She quietly stood up and went into her bedroom, she opened her draw and saw the damning evidence, the beautiful pin Draco had given her was gone.

She felt strangely calm though she was angry. She walked up to Pansy and tapped her on the shoulder.

'Oh, Hermione! Do you like the pin Draco gave me?' She gloated.

From the corner of her eye she saw Draco look up from his chess game with Theo in surprise. Clearly he was just as shocked to see Pansy wearing the pin as she had been. Actually, she decided it wasn't shock on his face, he was very angry.

'Give me back my pin.' Hermione stated coolly.

Pansy frowned at her. 'Hermione, you're confused. Draco gave me this pin this morning.'

'Pansy, I'm not playing. Give me back my pin or I will rip it from your hair.' Her voice was very steady.

Pansy sneered at her. 'Why would you want it anyway, you'll just be a mist-'

She was cut off in her insult as Hermione raised her right hand and slapped her across the face. She went down from the force of the hit.

Nobody moved a muscle to help her back up, people were looking at Pansy in disgust actually, it was pretty clear to them all that Pansy had stolen from a fellow Slytherin which was a big no-no.

Pansy quickly jumped back onto her feet. 'You little bitch!' She roared.

Draco stood up. 'Pansy.' He said coolly.

She whirled on him. 'Oh yeah, defend your mudblood slut!'

'Don't call me that ever again you prissy bitch.' Hermione said, her voice still cold.

This seemed to be the final straw for Pansy, who lunged at Hermione.

The hit never arrived though; Pansy was suddenly on the ground clutching at her arm. She looked like she had received an electric shock. Hermione looked up, ready to thank the person who had dropped her, but nobody had their wands out and were all looking at her in awe.

Draco met her confused eyes; he raised his hand in answer. The healing cut still visible.

It appeared the protection spell had worked.

She bent down over Pansy and wrenched the pin from her hair, ignoring the cry of pain.

'I'll tell your father you didn't stand up for me.' Pansy said to Draco.

Draco stood up. 'What did you just say to me?'

Every Slytherin fled the common room for their dorms when he stood, leaving the three of them to battle it out.

'You heard me.' She said looking at him, rubbing her pulled hair. 'I would really hate to tell your father you didn't defend my honour, I'd hate to think what he would do.'

Draco froze and shut his eyes. Hermione knew he didn't have a choice now.

'I want that pin.' She said.

Draco eventually opened his eyes and looked to Hermione. He looked like he had switched off his emotions.

'Give her the pin.' He said, he looked like the words caused him physical pain.

'No.' She shot back. 'It's mine; just buy her a new one.' She offered to him.

He looked to Pansy with dead eyes. 'Can I buy you a new one?'

Pansy smirked and shook her head. 'No, I want that one.'

'Try and take it from me bitch, I'll blast you through the wall.' Hermione shot back with venom.

Pansy stood back from her. 'Draco, take it from her.'

Hermione narrowed her eyes at both of them. 'I'll blast him through the wall too. You can have a new one, this one's mine. Take it again and you'll regret it.' She turned to leave.

'Oh I'm so scared of a little mudblood.' Pansy called after her.

Hermione paused at the door into the girl's common rooms and looked back over her shoulder.

'I cursed Voldemort's face. You should be terrified of me.'

She retreated to her room.

...

_I wish to deposit the enclosed item into my account._

_Hermione Granger_

She addressed the letter to the bank and used Daphne's owl to send it. Enclosed in her envelope was her silver pin decorated with beautiful emeralds.

Daphne had stroked her back reassuringly for an entire hour as she had cried the night before.

She had clutched the pin so tight that it had cut her fingers. Now she found that she couldn't look at the object without feeling hollow.

Before, it had made her feel hopeful of the future, now it just made her despair. Draco would probably never be free of his father's rule; she could see his future laid out before him. He would end up married to Pansy before he even got out of Hogwarts and have a miserable life with her.

She couldn't stand to stare at the pin a moment later and decided to send it away to be kept out of sight, but safe, in her vault. It would probably remain there forever.

The realisation that she and Draco would only ever be friends had hit her, and it hurt, it really hurt. 


	18. Colin

Her pain over the loss of a future with Draco had faded into anger. She was angry at everyone. She was mad at his father for forcing him to be with Pansy and for hurting him, she was angry at the King for not stopping it, she was angry at Draco for leading her on with the whole inspection visit over summer, she was angry at Narcissa for paying her such attention and opening such a high level vault and giving her the wrong idea, and she was angry at herself for liking him in the first place.

She and Draco had sworn to each other last year of course that they would always be together so their friendship continued, although there was tension between them now for the first time in their friendship.

'What did you do with the pin?' He asked her, looking up from his book.

They were sat under their tree, enjoying the outdoors before the snow would set in over the next weeks.

She didn't look up from her page of _Voyage with Vampires_. 'It's in my vault.'

He nodded. 'Would you really have thrown me across the room if I took it from you?'

'Yep.'

He smiled. 'Good.'

Draco was prevented from speaking about the matter more by the arrival of Harry and Neville.

'Hey guys.' Neville said.

'Aren't you cold?' Harry asked them, he was wearing a thick winter cloak.

They both shook their heads. 'Hermione cast a warming charm on our clothes.'

The other two boys sat down next to them and the four friends enjoyed each other's company for some time.

Finally, the warming charms wore off and they made their way back to the castle. Neville bid them farewell to go return a book to the library.

The remaining three were in the courtyard when Hermione was blinded by a familiar flash.

Apparently Colin hadn't learnt his lesson.

'Hey guys! Can you sign a picture for me?' He asked.

The three exchanged disbelieving glances.

'You can't be serious.' Draco said.

'What's this about signed photos?' It was Lockhart.

He strode over to them and appraised the situation; his eyes lingered on the camera in Colin's hands.

'I understand. I gave you a taste for it in the bookshop didn't I? It was bound to go to your head and I blame myself. You don't all need to give out signed photos to get yourself noticed, there's plenty of time for fame when you're older.' He seemed to notice the expression on their faces. 'I know what you're thinking, he's an internationally famous wizard what does he know, but I started as a nobody too. I was even less well known than you, a few people have already heard of you all! Harry you've got that business with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, Draco you've got your family connections, Hermione you're a famed genius! I know it's not as impressive as winning Witch Weekly's Smile award for the fifth time but you're already on your way!'

They were all too shocked to reply to him. Had he really just refered to Draco being the nephew of the king as having "family connections"?

The lecture seemed to be over. He turned to Colin again.

'Come on then, Mr Creevey, a picture of all of us and we'll all sign it for you!' He beamed down at the small blond.

Colin fumbled with his camera settings for a moment and took the picture. They all signed it, although Harry, Draco, and Hermione did so with much more reluctance than Lockhart had done.

'Move along everyone.' The teacher commanded to the gathering masses who had witnessed their humiliation.

Once the crowds had gone he turned to the trio.

'I covered up for you there with young Colin, handing out signed pictures of yourself at this stage in any of your careers looks a tad boastful.'

'Enough.' Draco silenced him. 'Our careers? I am a member of the royal family and you will address me as such.'

Lockhart nodded numbly. 'Very well, Sir. But you two, my point still stands. I don't think you're quite there yet.'

'Really? How many Dark Lord's did you vanquish as a baby? I've seen your grades, you barely scraped by in your NEWTS.' Draco continued in his spectacular put down of the man.

Lockhart yanked his robes straight and stood erect. 'Just don't let it go to your heads is all I'm saying.'

With that he whirled around and begun marching towards the doors to the castle.

'That was beautiful.' Harry turned to Draco, beaming.

'I can't believe you spoke to a Professor like that.' Hermione scolded him.

Draco ignored her and laughed at Harry's red cheeks.

'You could fry an egg on your face.' He teased.

Hermione joined in laughing at him. 'You'd best hope Colin doesn't meet Ginny, they'll start up a Harry Potter fan club.'

'Shh.' Harry shushed her, grabbing her arm and looking at Lockhart's retreating form.

Draco laughed and clutched his side. 'Gods forbid Lockhart hears the phrase "Harry Potter fan club"'

'Colin does seem slightly more obsessed with you than the rest of us.' Hermione teased.

Harry shrugged. 'I don't know, he's pretty obsessed with you too.' He said, nudging her arm in jest.

...

'What class do you have this afternoon?' Blaise asked her as they ate lunch.

The four long tables were laden with mountains of cheese on toast, jacket potatoes, dishes of eggs and bacon. Beneath the enchanted ceiling, which today was a dark gray, the older students were hoping it wouldn't actually rain on them. Hermione was sat with Blaise on her left and Daphne on her right. She had her copy of _The Common Sense Spell Book_ propped up against her mug of milk.

'We've got double potions with Gryffindor.' He eyed up her open planner and frowned. 'Why have you outlined all Lockhart's lessons in hearts?'

Hermione snatched her planned from him, blushing a bright red. 'Shut up, I did it before classes even started.'

She had come to realise that Lockhart wasn't all his books made him out to be, she actually heavily suspected that he had made most of them up. She had to credit his ability as a writer but his skills as a wizard left much to be desired.

This opinion was further illustrated in her next lesson, Defence Against the Dark Arts.

'Settle down everyone.' Lockhart called the class to order.

She was sat next to Fred, George was sat next to Lee.

'Today, we will be practicing our summoning charms.' He told them. 'It goes a little something like this. Accio!' He pointed his wand at a pillow on the floor, it didn't budge.

'The man's a joke. Why did Dumbledore hire him?' She complained to Fred as they walked down from the last lesson of the day he shrugged in reply, even he looked annoyed at the state of his teacher.

Later, she made her way down for her regular potion lesson with Snape.

'You seem distracted today.' He said, noting her notes weren't as thorough as they usually were.

She sighed. 'I'm sorry Sir. I'm just so annoyed about Lockhart.'

Snape raised an eyebrow at her. 'Ah. You are unsatisfied with his teachings?'

She rolled her eyes. 'He can't even do a summoning charm and all the essays he sets are about things that happened in his books.'

'Really?' He asked.

She nodded.

He looked off into the distance for a moment. 'Right. You're going to come down here every day after dinner. Some days we'll do potions and the other days I'll teach you the Dark Arts.'

She beamed at him. 'Thank you Sir!'

He waved her off. 'Bring me all the essays you've written for him, I want to take a look at this myself.'

She nodded and stood to leave.

'Oh, and I have some good news for you. The Head has consented to your attending Hogsmede visits as long as you are accompanied.'

She beamed. 'Thank you so much Sir! I'm sure Fred and George will take me!'

He stiffened. 'Yes, I do wish you would have made friends with more responsible wizards than the Weasley twins.'

She only smiled and rolled her eyes at him.

...

She found herself frequently tired now. All of her evenings were taken up studying with Snape in the dungeons; she returned to her common rooms late every night and fell into bed then awoke the next day and repeated the process.

She was thankful when Saturday finally arrived and treated herself to a lie in. She rolled out of bed at half eleven and made her way up for lunch.

It was raining heavily outside so everyone was stuck inside. She was walking to meet Fred and George in the entrance hall when she came across the one redhead in the castle she wanted to avoid.

He slammed into her shoulder as he walked past her.

'Watch it!' She shouted at him, he'd nearly flung her to the floor.

'I don't need to watch out for a Mudblood like you.' He sneered at her.

He turned to walk away.

'What did you just call me?' She asked.

She saw his brothers round the corner on their way to meet her; they paused at the sight of the confrontation in front of them.

Ron, who was facing her, hadn't seen the twins approach.

'I called you a Mudblood!' He shouted at her.

The shock on his brother's faces was evident that he would use such foul language.

In a split second she had pulled out her wand and slashed it through the air. Ron was thrown across the room into the wall, he had been knocked out when his head smacked into the stone walls.

There was a snapping noise from under him, she was fairly certain he had landed on his wand and snapped it.

She looked up at the twins who were walking towards her.

She gestured at their brother. 'You mind this?'

They looked down at him in disgust. 'If you didn't one of us would have.' Fred spoke.

She linked arms with both of them and began to walk away from the scene. 'Come on, I'm bored. Let's go get into some trouble.'


	19. Hogsmede and History

Breakfast the next day had been interesting.

Ron had clutched a red envelope with terror on his face, evidentially the twins had informed their mother what he had called Hermione, and they smiled pleasantly at her across the room.

'Looks like Wealsey's got a Howler.' Crabbe pointed out the Slytherin's near them.

Soon the entire hall was looking at him.

'You should open it. It'll explode if you don't.' Neville told him, trying not to laugh at the boys horror stricken face. The envelope had begun to smoke at the edges.

Ron eased the letter from an ancient looking owl's beak and slit it open.

Neville and a few other wise Gryffindor's sat near Ron stuffed their fingers in their ears.

She had never seen a Howler work before. For a moment she thought the letter had exploded, a high pitched roar filled the huge hall, even the teachers stopped eating their breakfasts to look at Ron in amusement.

'-USING LANGUAGE LIKE THAT! I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SUPRISED IF DUMBLEDORE EXPELLED YOU AFTER WHAT YOU HAD ALREADY DONE TO THAT POOR GIRL! JUST YOU WAIT UNTIL I GET HOLD OF YOU YOUNG MAN!-'

Mrs. Weasley's yells were amplified a hundred times louder than usual; it made their plates rattle on the tables. Ron was trying to sink as low as possible in his seat, humiliated that everyone in the hall was watching him.

'-LETTER FROM SNAPE LAST NIGHT! I THOUGHT YOUR FATHER WOULD DIE FROM SHAME! WE DID NOT BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS-'

So Snape had found out about her altercation with Ron last night. She wondered who had told him until she saw Fred nod once at the teacher.

'-YOU KNOW YOUR FATHER IS TRYING TO PUT THROUGH A MUGGLE RIGHTS BILL AT WORK AND YOU ARE HARMING HIS CHANCES! IF YOU PUT ANOTHER TOE OUT OF LINE WE'LL BRING YOU STRAIGHT HOME.'

Silence fell in the hall. The red envelope had dropped from Ron's hand and burst into flame. A fair amount of people laughed at him as he quickly fled the room.

'Well, that's set up my day nicely.' She laughed to her friends.

Her day was slightly dampened when she and Lee were covered in Bubotuber Pus in Herbology. They were both covered in the thick yellow liquid that stunk of petrol. Their hands had been covered by dragon-hide gloves but both of their arms and necks had been splashed with the Pus. They laughed at each other's appearances as boils began to spring on the effective areas, they were sent to the Hospital Wing where Madam Pomfrey had them both fixed up in under ten minutes.

She had been sat in the library reading with Draco and Theo when Ron had walked in alone, nobody seemed to want to associate with him.

'Another toe out of line.' Draco hissed mockingly at the Weasley as he walked by, causing him to blush scarlet and turn and flee the library.

She made her way down to Snape's office that night for her usual lesson.

She was incredibly shocked to see Narcissa stood in the room with an old lady carrying a measuring tape.

'Hermione, hello dear.' Narcissa greeted her with a kiss to the cheek.

'What brings you to Hogwarts?' She asked her, smiling brightly at her. Her anger over the Draco situation had faded into acceptance, now the only person who she carried anger for was Lucius. She was incredibly fond of Narcissa.

'Lessons cancelled.' Snape muttered from his desk. 'The Duchess has asked to borrow you for the evening. I'll leave you to it.' He stood, picking up a stack of essays from his desk.

'Thank you Severus.' Her honey voice said.

He bowed his head to Narcissa who smiled back at him; it occurred to Hermione that though she had been a few years beneath him in school they would have known each other well.

'It's time to take your measurements for your dress for the ball dear.' She was told.

That explains the woman with the tape measure, Hermione thought to herself.

The woman spoke with a heavy French accent. 'Hello miss.'

The woman began taking her measurements. She started with her waist before moving down to her thighs, causing her to blush slightly. She took the measurement of her shoulders and arms and even her bust.

'Your bosom is coming in.' The French woman stated, causing her to go red and stammer.

Narcissa laughed. 'No need to be embarrassed dear, we're all girls here.'

Hermione thanked the Gods that Snape had left the room; she might have died from embarrassment if he had remained sat at his desk as the two women discussed her growing breasts.

'She'll be popular with the males.' The French woman joked, and then she rattled something to Narcissa in rapid French that was too quick for her basic French to catch.

Narcissa laughed and replied in French, she wondered if Draco spoke French too. She imagined he'd had an expensive education before he came to Hogwarts, she'd only ever heard him speaking English and of course a small amount of Latin in classes.

She often found herself wondering why Hogwarts didn't teach Latin as a class, Muggle schools taught French which they didn't really need, wizards on the other hand needed Latin daily. Maybe she could take it up with Dumbledore like she had her wizarding studies class, which had now begun.

Several muggle born students in higher years had signed up to take the classes alongside the first years and several students had come up to thank her. She had worried that the students wouldn't like her for adding to their workload but the classes were going down perfectly. The new teacher for the class, an older widowed Ms. Selwyn who had apparently taught the etiquette classes to the pureblood family for decades, was immensely popular. Hermione, for a reason beyond her, wasn't required to take the classes alongside her fellow muggle-borns. Daphne had pointed out to her eventually that since she pretty much wrote the curriculum for the class it would be a bit pointless for her to attend.

Finally the fitting was over, she had even pulled out her wand and taken a measurement of her face for her mask.

'They're going to sculpt a mask for my face?' Hermione asked Narcissa.

The Duchess nodded. 'You wouldn't want to ruin your hair by needing to fasten a mask in it?'

Hermione rolled her eyes. 'I never thought I'd be girly enough to enjoy something like this.'

'But?' Narcissa prompted.

'It wasn't so bad.' She conceded. 'Thank you, you're too good to me.'

Narcissa smiled warmly at her. 'You're my son's best friend; you're also probably the smartest witch alive. I expect great things from you.'

'No pressure there.' She said sarcastically without thinking, then froze and looked up at Narcissa

She was laughing, a true laugh not her fake practiced honey laugh. Once she had composed herself she looked down at Hermione.

'I'm going to send you some books on court etiquette and history I also have one on the history of the Queens of the Wizarding World; I think it would benefit you to read them.'

She nodded at the blond. 'Of course, thank you.'

...

The following Saturday was her first Hogsmede visit. The twins and Lee, as expected, had agreed to take her around and supervise her. Although she had a feeling she would probably be the voice of reason in the group.

The snow was yet to come, but she was fairly sure they were located in the north of Scotland, so its arrival would be inevitable soon. The snow had come fairly late last year, but apparently this year it was set to arrive early before Halloween.

The foursome were well wrapped up against the biting cold as they walked away from Hogwarts.

She was very excited to see it. It was one of two entirely wizarding villages in Britain, the other was near the palace.

She had caught glimpses of the village before when she had gotten off the train this year but she had been too distracted by the fact she could see the Thestrals pulling the carriages to pay much attention to it.

It was a picturesque village of thatched cottages and shops. She pictured herself living in one of those cottages and smiled and the life she imagined for herself. She wondered what the other wizarding village looked like.

The boys decided to take her on a grand tour of all the shops, seeing as they had been once before her they proclaimed themselves to be experts in guiding her around the quaint village.

They began in Dervish and Bangs and all admired their collection of Sneakoscopes. Next they went into Dogweed and Deathcap where she spent several minutes admiring the exotic potions ingredients that they stocked, she wondered what she would buy from here once Snape began to teach her some even more advanced potions, he had already blown through the fourth year curriculum and was now teaching her OWL level potions, her Defense lessons were also coming along now that she had a proper teacher though she did grumble that he set her essays for both classes he now taught her.

They pointed out the Hog's Head but didn't go in; they took their lunch break in the Three Broomsticks where Fred treated her to a Butter Beer and she bought them a platter of various meats to share.

They had a quick look around the music shop and she admired a small ornate music box that played a soothing lullaby, but she decided to save her money. She didn't need to buy any books; the day after her measurements were taken Naricssa had sent her a pile of five books to read that would occupy her free time for some weeks, yet she still took several minutes perusing the volumes in Tomes and Scrolls.

She dragged them into Gladrags Wizardwear and they all laughed at the socks that would scold their owner if they got dirty. She went into the hair salon while the boys waited outside and purchased a bottle of floral smelling hair potion that she knew Daphne would love when she showed her.

They went into the post office and Hermione was stunned by the sheer volume of owls of so many different breeds. Behind the till sat an Eagle with a black ribbon tied around its claw, many students looked it in fascination and she knew it was because this was a bird for contacting the King. Fred and George used some of their money to send an owl to their brother Bill in Egypt. She was fascinated to hear about his work as a curse breaker, the idea of solving all those puzzles appealed to her as a future career but she knew she was destined for politics and saving the lesser represented species.

She bought some Jelly Slugs and a Liquorice Wand in Honeydukes and debated buying a self stirring cauldron Ceridwen's Cauldrons before deciding against it. She bought a new set of Quills from Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop, she had burned through her normal set with all the extra essays Snape had her doing.

The boys dragged her into the sporting shop to look at the new Nimbus broom and she eventually dragged them away, enticing them with the prospect of the joke shop.

They all bought something from Zonko's. The boys all bought Dungbombs and other prankster materials; she just bought a Sugar Quill to suck on in her next class with Lockhart.

'Did you have a nice day?' Fred asked her as they walked back to the castle as darkness fell, they would be among the last students to leave.

She smiled at him. 'It was amazing! Thanks for taking me.' She beamed at him.

They parted in the entrance hall; she had little wonder at how all Gryffindor students were all so fit when their common room was at the top of one of the tallest towers according to Harry. Even Neville's puppy fat was dropping off him since he was constantly going up so many stairs. She resolved that she would start climbing the stairs all the way to the highest tower every other day on her lunch break to stay fit, all they boys in her Slytherin friendship group went jogging in the morning and she didn't want to be the unfit one. Daphne had offered to take up the fitness routine with her if she would try out yoga with her before bed.

She laughed at herself as she realised she was complementing becoming fit as she devoured her sweets, she sighed and realised that she would have to start eating better at the feasts as well, Daphne and Tracey seemed to live off salads, she decided not to go to such extremes yet and would just stop having chips every day.

She walked into the common room and saw Draco and Blaise locked in an intense game of Chess, with several spectators offering both of them advice, not that they needed it. She wondered if Blaise would have been able to play his way across the chess board last year too, as his Knight decapitated Draco's Bishop she decided that yes he would have done very well.

She tossed the pack of Jelly Slugs to Draco, knowing they were his favourite and he beamed at her.

She went into her room and returned with one of the books Narcissa had gifted her. Today she would begin reading _The Woman Behind the Throne: A History of Women in the Royal Family._

She flicked to the end, wanting to read about Draco's deceased aunt that was so rarely mentioned. She slammed the book shut when she read the last paragraph.

_The Queen and young Princess Matilda were attacked by Death Eaters when Queen Marie attempted to stop a Revel taking place in a Muggle Hotel. The Queen was pronounced deceased at the scene by MediWizards and Princess Matilda was taken immediately to St Mungo's to receive treatment for a long laceration to her stomach. To this day, Princess Matilda has no memory of the event, leading top medical experts to determine that a memory charm was performed on her. _

Matilda had been with her mother when she was killed? Hadn't Draco told her she had only been ten when it happened? Who would attack a ten year old? From the mention in the book it sounded like she was lucky to be alive, she felt a surge of pity for the King, in one day he had nearly lost his entire family.

She hoped she would never have to face such horrors.

*****

I'm sorry if I repeat facts to you all, I have a terrible time remembering small details I've put in. I sat for about 10 minutes trying to think if I've mentioned Draco is multilingual. Sometimes I forget the names of the bloody Gods and there's only three of them if you want a sense of how forgetful I can be.

Also, sorry for any errors I am not the best at proofreading.

E X


	20. Blood

Gosh 20 chapters already. I just want to thank you all for reading my little story and putting up with my irregular updating schedule, I work some pretty odd hours sometimes so some weeks I can churn out chapters and others I'll be lucky to manage a few paragraphs.

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Ron had, typically, blamed her for the Howler he had reviewed from his mother in front of everyone. He also was enraged by the amount of times Slytherin students were tripping him in the halls in revenge for him targeting one of their own.

The only Slytherin's she figured didn't like her were Pansy and Marcus Flint, who was struggling to get over his ideals of Blood Supremacy, though he never said or did anything to her he did avoid her like she carried some dangerous infection.

It was after hours, she was on her way to meet Snape in the courtyard who wanted to practice some lighting spells with her. He'd said that he wanted her the be able to illuminate a large outdoor space rather than a classroom which he had dubbed "too easy" for her.

She had a note from him in her pocket if any on duty teachers wondered what she was doing out of bed. She had needed it, after coming across Filch who insisted on escorting her to Snape to make sure the note wasn't a forgery. She had rolled her eyes at the man but didn't protest as she was escorted through the corridors to her meeting.

'Professor, this student claims she is meeting you.' Filch told Snape when he came into view in the courtyard.

Even Snape seemed frustrated with the caretaker. 'Go skulk somewhere else Argus.'

Filch stammered and wondered off, his cat hot on his heels.

They spent an hour outside mastering the lighting spell, of course she could perform a simple lumos spell but this was far more advanced. By the end, it was like the sun was radiating from the end of her wand, it lit up the courtyard to the extent that Snape had to shield his eyes.

'Could have done with that spell against the Devil's Snare last year.' She muttered to him as he led her back to the Slytherin common room.

'Why did you teach me that? It's not on any year curriculum?' She asked curious.

He raised an eyebrow. 'Do you just want to be limited to the Hogwarts curriculum?'

She shrugged. 'Fair point.'

His mouth turned up in a half smile. 'Next Saturday we're going into the Forrest.' He told her as they reached the wall that became the door to the common room.

'What for?' She asked, her mind dwelling on her last trip into the forest looking for a Unicorn.

'It's a full moon, I'm going to show you how to gather some ingredients, you might not always have an apothecary to hand.'

He seemed to sense her unease about returning to the forest.

'Don't worry, I won't leave your side. I assure you you'll be quite safe.'

She nodded. 'What time are we going?'

'About one am.'

She frowned. 'Not midnight?'

He shook his head. 'One am. I'll meet you in the entrance hall.'

He bid her goodnight and left her to enter the common room where she promptly collapsed into bed.

It was the next day after dinner when she encountered a vengeful Ron on her way to her extra lessons after dinner.

'You got me in trouble again.' He sneered, pulling out his broken wand which he had repaired with tape.

'You got yourself in trouble, leave me alone.' She said as she tried to get around him, but he blocked her path. 'You want me to knock you out again?' She asked him, she went to pull out her own wand but realised to her horror that she had left it on the dining table in her haste to get to her lesson.

'Eat Slugs!' Ron shouted.

She braced for the curse but nothing came, she opened her eyes to see his wand had clearly backfired; he was on all fours retching up massive slugs.

'Ron!' Fred's livid voice came from behind her. 'How dare you attack her again!'

'What are you doing here?' She asked him.

He handed out her wand. 'Daph said you left your wand, I said I'd bring it down for you. I've got detention with Snape tonight.' He offered in explanation.

'That you do.' Snape's voice came from behind them. 'You're both late.'

Clearly he had come looking for the pair when they hadn't shown up.

'I'm sorry Sir, my brother got in the way.' Fred offered.

Snape glanced down at Ron on the floor, who now had a steady stream of slugs fleeing in every direction from him.

'I can see that. What happened?'

Hermione tore her amused eyes away from Ron on the ground to look at her mentor. 'That curse was meant for me Sir.'

Snape's face grew hard. 'I see. Detention for a month Weasley, I'll be writing to your mother again and informing the Head. I expect you to clean all these slugs up too.'

He gestured for Hermione and Fred to follow him and they retreated to his classroom leaving Ron on the floor, who was now trying to catch the slugs as he vomited them up.

Fred was set to work cleaning cauldrons while she and Snape sat down for a theory lesson, every so often she and Fred would share an amused glance.

...

She had gone down to the stands to watch many of her friends try out for the house team. Most weren't even expecting to get on the team, apparently the first try out was mostly just for the experience. She and her friends gave such a large cheer when Draco was appointed as Slytherin's new Seeker. He had been eyeing up the Chaser position, which he often played at home but his father had ordered him to go for a more "important" position. King Armand, she learnt, had also been a Seeker.

They raided the kitchens, which all Slytherin's were shown how to access by older students practically on their welcome tour, and returned to the common room to celebrate with cake and Butterbeer.

The next day she and Draco, though both extremely tired went to watch the Gryffindor tryouts as Neville would be trying out this year after a lot of encouragement from them and Harry.

After the end of year feast last year with Dumbledore announcing that Neville was apparently an excellent flyer, there seemed to be many eyes watching him.

It was a shame he couldn't also go for seeker, his skill in catching one tiny and fast key in a room full of nearly identical keys would have made him a hard Seeker to beat. He had gone for the Chaser role instead, and he seemed to be very shocked when Wood made him one.

Apparently Gryffindor's didn't party and celebrate each other like they did in Slytherin so they had their own little party in the Great Hall once most had left dinner. Hermione and Draco had felt so odd sitting on the Gryffindor table that evening across the hall from their usual safe space on the Slytherin table, yet they had a fun time all the same with Harry and Neville, the boys all joshing that they would be playing against each other soon.

'Ah, what brings the serpents into the lion's den?' Fred's voice came from behind her.

It was the twins and Lee who sat with them and each poured themselves a glass of Gillywater.

'We're just celebrating Neville making your team.' Hermione told them with a smile.

They nodded to Neville. 'That was some impressive flying today Nev.'

Neville, who really didn't like the spotlight, shrunk in his seat as he blushed. He'd have to get used to the spotlight if he was on the Quidditch team.

Snape had given the Slytherin team permission to use the pitch tomorrow since they had a new Seeker so close to the games beginning. The issue, it turned out, that Gryffindor had also booked the pitch to train Neville.

It was a good thing that Harry and Draco were friends, together they convinced both of their captains to share the pitch in a friendly practice game.

The Slytherin team were incredibly fast on the pitch, Draco's father had ordered an overnight shipment of new Nimbus 2001's for the entire team. She thought that the skill of the Gryffindor team made up for any lacking speed they might have, especially in the case of Fred and George and the way they commanded the Bludgers.

Draco eventually caught the Snitch, winning the practice game for his team. The little match had gathered quite a crowd; even some teachers were applauding them. McGonagall awarded twenty points each to Slytherin and Gryffindor for displaying such school unity.

Everyone else had retreated into the indoors, it was just Draco, Hermione, Neville, and Harry walking back up to the school together.

'See you've stopped throwing up slugs?' Draco called to her left.

She groaned when she saw that Ron was approaching them.

'Least I don't have to buy my way onto a school Quidditch team.' He shot back at Draco, gesturing at the new broom in his hand.

Draco fell silent and looked down.

He didn't need to speak though, as Harry had leapt to his defence.

'What are you on about Ron? He just beat me, he's one of the best flyers on the team.'

Ron was silenced, thankfully it didn't turn into a fight as Ron hurried off at the sight of Snape approaching.

'Miss Granger, don't forget tonight.' He said as he passed her and she nodded in return.

'What's tonight?' Neville asked her as they walked into the Entrance Hall.

'We're going ingredient gathering.' She told him.

Harry rolled his eyes. 'Exciting stuff.' He joked.

'You two coming for lunch?' Neville asked.

She shook her head. 'There's a book I just want to run back to the library.' She told them.

'I'll go with you.' Draco told her.

She rolled her eyes as he held out his arm for her to take; Gods forbid a woman didn't have an escort to the library.

She returned her book, it was a little black edition she had taken from the restricted section with detailed diagrams of Blood Rituals and more general Blood Magic that she wanted to try.

Draco had been unusually silent for their walk, normally he would talk her ear off.

'Okay what's wrong?' She asked him.

He sighed. 'It's just what Ron said.'

She shook her head. 'Your dad bought them after you'd already made the team? You got in on your own.' She assured him.

He didn't seem any better. 'What if they only put me on the team because of my family?'

She stopped walking and turned to face him. 'You beat Harry today. You're good. Don't let that moron make you doubt yourself.'

He smiled down at her but it didn't reach his eyes. 'Thanks Hermione.'

She carried on. 'I'm not going to coo over you like Pansy and the other girls do, so you can count on me to tell you the truth. You are very good on a broom.'

His face finally relaxed into a true smile and he nodded. 'You know, I could take you up sometime?'

She snorted. 'I'm afraid of heights you've got no chance.'

'Hermione you jumped into a pit last year, flying on a broom with me will be way safer than that and you can get over your fear with me.'

She thought for a moment. 'We'll see.' She had no intention of going on a broom though and needed to change the topic. 'So, there's another full moon tonight.'

He nodded. 'You want to do that ritual again don't you?'

'Kind of.' She admitted. 'I want to try a more advanced one.'

He shrugged. 'I'm game.'

She beamed at him. 'Great, we'll need your silver knife again.'

...

She borrowed Harry's cloak again and as it neared midnight the duo made their way outside, Draco went to walk towards the forest but she pulled him in the direction of the lake instead.

Draco was carrying a heavy sack of salt on his shoulder that they had gotten from the kitchens.

Hermione took Draco's knife and carved a massive pentagram into the ground beneath them, they were as close to the lakes edge as they could possibly get.

The ring of salt went around the points of the pentagram and they stood in the centre of the carving.

'You ready?' She asked.

'You haven't told me the incantation?' He told her.

She shook her head. 'You don't need it. We need to join the cut hands and then only one of us says it.'

Draco took the knife back and cut his hand and then Hermione's.

She held hands with him, feeling their warm blood mix.

'That's disgusting. What's this ritual do?' He asked.

'It's more advanced protection, apparently we'll be able to tell when the other is in danger.' She said.

He raised his eyebrows. 'Oh that's why they need our blood to mix? That's cool, sure you can manage it?'

She just stared at him with a blank expression until he relented. 'Okay, sorry. Carry on.'

Making sure their hands were firmly pressed together she began the chant, again it would need to be said seven times.

'Atune, adiuva nos custodire se tutum.'

'Atune, adiuva nos custodire se tutum.'

'Atune, adiuva nos custodire se tutum.'

The wind picked up, the water in the lake seemed grow more violent. She tried, out of curiosity to loosen her fingers from Draco's but she couldn't move them.

'Atune, adiuva nos custodire se tutum.'

'Atune, adiuva nos custodire se tutum.'

The pentagram carved into the ground caught on fire; again neither the heat nor the smoke bothered them.

'Atune, adiuva nos custodire se tutum.'

'Atune, adiuva nos custodire se tutum.'

They both felt a sudden hollow feeling in their stomachs that was filled just as rapidly with a pleasant warm feeling.

The wind died away and the fires went out. They removed their hands from each other.

'That was so cool.' Draco said.

She smiled at him. 'Apparently it'll last forever too. If one of us is hurt we're supposed to get like a gut feeling that something is wrong with them.'

The pentagram she had carved into the floor had vanished with the fire, she pulled out her wand and performed a vanishing spell, that Snape had just taught her, on the salt ring.

They made their way back inside just in time for her to meet Snape. Draco remained under the cloak and returned to the common room.

She was only waiting for her teacher for a few minutes before he arrived.

'Your hand is bleeding.' He pointed out. He took her hand and examined the cut.

'You should be careful with Blood Magic.' He told her. 'I assume you did your research first?'

She nodded and he let the subject drop.

'I'm not in trouble?' She asked.

He shook his head. 'I can't punish you it's a religious practice.'

They made their way to the edge of the forest together; she looked ahead into the darkness. She took a deep breath and stepped inside after Snape, wand in hand.

They walked deeper into the forest, collecting ingredients as they went. She decided that this was better than learning how to gather ingredients from a book.

Everything was fine until she happened upon the same clearing she had cursed Voldemort in.

The intense feeling of sudden anxiety she experienced as her eyes fixed on the spot where Voldemort had been the year before made her freeze. Snape didn't notice something was wrong with her until he spotted her hands shaking and he seemed to instantly realise where they were. Her heart pounded as tears began to streak down her face, she was utterly terrified, her own body seemed to be betraying her.

'You're having a panic attack.' Snape told her calmly. 'Try to focus on your breathing.'

Her blood was pounding in her hears, her heart thudded in her chest, her hands were shaking violently.

She had to get away, she couldn't stay in that dammed clearing any longer, she couldn't look at it.

She managed to will her feet to move and she turned and stumbled from the clearing, Snape sensed that the lesson was over and gently guided her out of the woods.

By the time she had managed to emerge from the forest her breathing was beginning to level out, and she had managed to stop crying.

Snape didn't say a word as he led her towards the potions classroom. Draco met them there.

He walked right up to Hermione and examined her red-rimmed eyes and seemed to be examining her.

'What happened?' He asked Snape.

'We went into the clearing where she cursed Voldemort last year, she had a panic attack. How did you know something was wrong?' He asked.

Draco's eyes flicked to Hermione. 'Gut feeling.'

So the ritual had worked, Hermione remarked to herself, Draco must have felt her panicking.

Snape gave her a bottle of calming drought that she had made earlier in the week and watched as she downed the bottle.

'You'll be fine. Get to bed.' He sent them on their way.

Draco put his arm around her waist and pulled her into the Slytherin common room. 'Are you okay?'

She nodded weakly. 'I don't want to be on my own.' The potion had soothed her nerves but his presence did more for her than any potion.

'Want to stay in my room again?' He asked.

She nodded her head and went to put her pyjamas on. It was getting so cold in the dungeons now; she pulled on some leggings and baggy t-shirt and went back out to meet Draco.

He took her hand silently and pulled her into the boy's rooms. Thankfully everyone was asleep. She climbed into his bed while he got changed. He had pulled on a pair of grey jogging bottoms and a white t-shirt, she almost laughed to see him dressed so casually.

He climbed into the bed next to her, pulling the duvet on top of them and then adding an extra purple blanket, it seemed to be even colder in the boys rooms than in the girls.

He performed a quick sticking charm on his curtains so none of the other boys could discover them in the morning and wrapped his arms around her, spooning her. There was nothing romantic about such an action at their young age, Draco had only wanted to comfort his friend.

She easily went to sleep that night, drifting off safe in Draco's arms, even if they couldn't be together at least they would always be this close.


	21. Mrs. Norris

She woke late the next morning; Draco's arm was under the pillow her head rested on. His other arm was lightly playing with her hair; she wondered how long he had been up.

She lay for a few moments enjoying the warmth from two blankets and from Draco.

Finally she rolled onto her back; Draco was propped up on an elbow looking down at her.

'Morning.' He said quietly. 'How do you feel?'

'Better, I think that potion Snape gave me is still working.'

He nodded. 'Everyone's already gone for breakfast. Want to go or do you want breakfast in bed?'

'We'll go up.' She replied, climbing out of the bed. 'Thanks for letting me stay.'

He smiled gently at her. 'Don't worry about it, you'd do the same for me.'

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She had been excused from Charms that day, Flitwick decided she had mastered the summoning charm and asked if she wanted a free period. She was on her way to the library when she heard the screams and saw her friends fleeing Lockhart's classroom.

'Dean? What's going on?' She asked as he ran past her.

'Lockhart's bloody unleashed a load of Cornish Pixies.' He said as he ran down the corridor.

She frowned and entered the room, pixies were an easily dealt with pest why were people fleeing in terror? She couldn't help wondering to herself.

She entered just in time to see Lockhart roll up his sleeves and bellow, 'Peskipiksi Pesternomi!' There was no effect, she frowned, that was definitely a made up spell. One of the pixies snatched his wand and threw it from a window.

He dived under his desk just in time for Neville, who had been suspended on the chandelier, came crashing to the ground.

One of the pixies flew at her and she easily batted it away.

She spotted Harry and Draco taking shelter behind a desk tipped onto its side. The entire classroom looked like a warzone. The two boys spotted her and rushed to her side.

Lockhart straightened up when he caught sight of her, 'I'll just ask you three to nip the last of them back in their cage.' He swept past them and the door slammed behind him. He had probably gone to retrieve his wand.

'What the hell do we do now?' Harry asked as one of the pixies bit his arm.

Hermione let out an angry breath and pulled out her wand, both boys took an instinctive step back at the sight of her doing so.

'Somnum.' She brandished her wand and all the pixies fell from the sky, she'd knocked them all out.

'What a joke.' Draco seethed as they stuffed the unconscious pixies back into their cage. Some of them were starting to wake back up but they were drowsy and docile.

'I can't believe Dumbledore let's him teach. Gods help the OWL and NEWT students.' She said, slamming the cage door shut.

'Let's go to lunch it's already started.' Harry muttered.

'Don't eat too much, it's the Halloween feast tomorrow you'll need plenty of room.' 

...

That night they went down to Hagrid's hut. They had to dive behind some pumpkins to avoid Lockhart who was leaving.

Hagrid watched him leave and then spotted them. 'What are you three doin?'

They straitened up. 'Hiding from Lockhart. What did he want with you?' Harry said.

He gestured them to come into his home, she scratched Fang's ear as she passed.

Hagrid rolled his eyes. 'Givin' me advice on gettin' kelpies out the well.' He growled, 'like I don' know. Wouldn' stop banging on about some banshee he banished, if any of that's true I'll eat my kettle.'

Hermione raised her eyebrows. It was very unlike Hagrid to criticise any teacher, all three of them looked at him in surprise.

'Why did Dumbledore give him the job?' Draco asked.

Hagrid sighed.

'He was the only man for the job,' said Hagrid, 'An’ I mean the only one. Gettin’ very difficult to find anyone to do the job. No one lasts long, people are startin' to think it's jinxed.'

They all sat and drank their tea and ate the toffee that Hagrid had given them.

'Actually you three, I've gotta bone to pick with yeh. I heard you're giving out signed photos. How come I haven't got one?'

Harry went red. 'We have not been giving out signed photos! If Lockhart's still spreading that rubbish-'

He stopped when Hagrid burst out laughing. 'I know! I know! I told Lockhart you didn' need to, you two boys are more famous than him already, and Hermione's making quite a name for herself.'

Draco smiled. 'Bet he didn't like that.'

Hagrid chucked and petted Fang who had come to sit by his feet. 'Don' think he did.' Then he stood and looked out the window at his massive boulder sized pumpkins. 'Got on well, didn't they? Fer the feast tomorrow.' He said proudly.

Hermione nodded. 'They're great. What did you feed them to get them so big?'

Hagrid's eyes flicked to his flowery umbrella leaning against the wall of the hut, Harry had once told Hermione that he thought Hagrid's old wand was inside it.

'They're great Hagrid.' Draco praised the giant man.

She knew Hagrid wasn't supposed to use magic, that he had been expelled in his third year. She wondered what a fourteen year old could get up to that would end in expulsion; he had an odd fascination with dangerous animals, perhaps he had been caught raising another dragon. Any time the subject would come up Hagrid would just cough and talk about the weather.

...

They got back to the common room after dark. There was an eagle owl sat patiently on the mantle.

'Your mums written.' She told Draco, nodding at the owl.

He casually strolled over to the magnificent bird, he gave its ear an affectionate scratch and untied the letter. He frowned. 'It's for you.'

Pansy's head shot up at that, she had been sitting quietly on the couches reading Witch Weekly when they came in.

He handed her the letter. Indeed it did have her name on it, in a very elegant calligraphy.

_Dearest Hermione_

_Your dress for the ball has arrived. If you would come to the palace at three on the day of the ball you are welcome to get ready there._

_I hope you are enjoying the books I sent you._

_With love,_

_Narcissa_

Pansy snatched the letter from her hands and read it. 'She got you a dress?'

Hermione nodded and held out her hand for the letter back, to which Pansy complied.

She looked at Draco. 'Why does she get a black invite and not me? She's nothing, I'm your girlfriend.'

'The king invited me.' Hermione told her.

'Maybe I'll write to your father-' Pansy began on Draco.

'My father has absolutely no control over the black invites; they come directly from the king. Would you like to borrow my owl to write to him?' He asked lightly.

Pansy just huffed and stormed off to the dorms.

'Seriously though why did I get a black invite?' She muttered to him. 'She's right I'm nothing, I'm just some thirteen year old witch.'

Draco looked uncomfortable. 'I have no idea. All that talk about making connections and because it's your my best friend is rubbish, Armand's up to something.'

'It's so confusing.' She said, throwing herself down on the vacated couch.

He did the same. 'I don't like being micromanaged. That's what they're doing. They're trying to push us together.'

She looked at him in surprise; he really wasn't watching his words. 'But your dad?'

'I know.' He closed his eyes and sighed. 'But my uncles decided you would make a good-' He seemed to freeze, like he was stopping himself from saying something.

'So that's why your mum gave me all those books on etiquette and all the Queens?'

He nodded.

'Why not give me a book on being a Duchess? I wouldn't be a Queen if we were together.' She frowned, she felt like she was missing something.

He looked into her eyes for a minute, he looked worn out. 'Can we talk about something else please?'

She nodded and they went onto discuss the blood ritual they had just performed.

They were nearly falling asleep on the couch when Pansy stormed back out, she seemed to have worked herself into a frenzy.

'You'll give me your invite.' She told Hermione.

'I will not.' She replied.

'Pansy, my uncle would just send you away. The king has ordered her to be there, not you.' Draco told her, he seemed bored by her now, more than he usually was.

'This is ridiculous. I'm your girlfriend.' She shouted.

Hermione spoke without thinking. 'A sham girlfriend, he doesn't even like you.'

Pansy recoiled as if she had been slapped.

Draco leaned in and muttered to her. 'If this ends in a fight, try and knock out a few teeth before I pull you apart.'

She held in a laugh.

'At least I'll be furthered from my relationship with him. I'll be a Duchess, you'll be his mistress.' Pansy eventually shot back.

'Pansy that is enough. Leave us now.'

Draco looked furious, Pansy looked scared, scared enough that she actually did what he said.

They sat in silence for a few minutes.

'I won't be a mistress.' She finally said.

'I know. I wouldn't want you to be. You're destined for greater things.' He told her, yawning.

'You look exhausted.' She told him, smiling down at him.

He had his head thrown back on the edge of the cushion, eyes closed.

'I'm knackered.' He mumbled.

His breathing began to slow, she knew he wouldn't make it to his bed and stood to get one of the blankets for him.

'You'd be a good Queen.' Draco mumbled before light snores began to come from him.

She couldn't help think it was an odd thing to say as she left him snoring on the couch.

...

The Halloween feast was a delight, as usual. The tables were laden with mouth watering food, Hagrid's massive pumpkins floated over them.

Everything was happy and normal until Draco frowned and started looking around.

'What's up?' She asked him.

He frowned and continued scanning the hall. 'I thought I heard- never mind.'

After the feast she saw Harry and Neville, Harry was also frowning.

'What's up?' She asked.

'I keep hearing something weird.' Harry admitted.

'You too? Draco heard something weird too.' She told him.

This seemed to calm him down.

'What did you hear?' Neville asked him.

'This weird voice, it said it wanted to kill.' He said quietly.

She waved Draco over.

'Did you hear a voice saying it wanted to kill?' She asked.

He nodded. 'How did you know that?'

'I heard it too.' Harry told him.

'I have no idea what it was. Probably some kid playing pranks.' Draco told him and they both nodded.

They left the hall before anyone else, not wanting to get caught in the wave of students.

Something was shining on the wall ahead and they froze. Foot-high words had been written on the wall between two torches.

_The Chamber of Secrets has been opened, enemies of the heir, beware._

'What's that hanging?' Neville asked.

Harry edged near and slipped on a puddle of water on the floor. Draco grabbed him before he could fall.

The four of them edged towards the dark object handing beneath the message.

They all realised what it was at once and leapt back, Hermione instinctively grabbed hold of Draco and he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close for safety.

She pulled her wand out in case the thing that had done this was still around. Harry also pulled his.

Mrs. Norris was hanging from her tail from the torch bracket. She was completely stiff, her eyes wide and staring ahead.

They were all frozen until Draco spoke. 'We can't be found here.'

'We should try and help.' She frowned at him.

He shook his head. 'Trust me, we do not want to be found here and there isn't anything you can do.'

She nodded and stowed her wand, but it was too late.

The feast had ended, everyone was here.

The chatter and bustle instantly died as they began to spot the hanging cat and the writing on the wall.

The quiet died when someone shouted, 'you'll be next Granger.' It was Ron, he had pushed to the front of the crowed of people, he grinned at the sight of the hanging cat.

'What's going on here?' Attracted by the large crowd and Ron's declaration, Filch had pushed his way through the crowd. It was then he saw his beloved cat, he stepped back, horror clear on his face.

'My cat! What happened to Mrs. Norris?' His eyes landed on Harry who still had his wand in his hand. 'You! You murdered her!'He gripped Harry's shoulder tight.

'Argus!' Thankfully Dumbledore had arrived, he was flanked by a number of teachers.

In moments, had had swept past the students and detached Mrs. Norris from the torch.

'Come with me Argus.' He said calmly to Filch. 'You four will come too.'

They went into Lockhart's office, it was the nearest room.

Lockhart stepped forwards eagerly and began babbling about which curse he thought had been used on the cat, causing Filch to burst into tears.

Dumbledore was muttering and tapping Mrs. Norris with his wand.

'She's not dead.' Dumbledore stated.

Lockhart stopped discussing his expertise with the curse he claimed had finished her off.

'Not dead?' Filch choked.

Dumbledore nodded. 'She is Petrified, I don't know how but-'

Filch interrupted. 'Ask him! He's the one that's done it!'

'No child could have done that.' A cold voice stated from the back of the room, Snape had arrived. 'I think these students were in the wrong place at the wrong time.'

Hermione nodded. 'We just left the feast early to avoid the crowds.'

'My cat has been attacked! I want to see someone punished!' Filch roared.

'We can cure her Argus.' Dumbledore told him patiently but firmly. 'Snape is correct; no child could do this it's very dark magic. We can make a potion to cure her.'

'I'll make it.' Lockhart proclaimed. 'I can make a restorative draught in my sleep.'

'I will make it thank you.' Snape replied coolly.

'You four may go.' Dumbledore said to the four children.

They fled as quickly as they could and split up to go to their dorms.

'Do you think we should have said something about the voice Harry and I heard?' Draco asked as they approached the common room.

She thought for a moment. 'No, you're right it's probably some kid playing pranks on you. I mean, for only you and Harry to hear something is just weird. If you hear it again though we'll go to Snape, okay?'

He nodded, agreeing with the plan.

'What was the writing on the wall about?' She asked him before he could say the password.

'The chamber of secrets?' He asked, and then frowned. 'I read about it once, Slytherin built a chamber and put some sort of monster in it before he left the school.'

She frowned. 'But that was a thousand years ago, whatever's down there's got to be long dead.'

Draco could only shrug. 'Something's going on; I guess we'll find out more over the next few days.'


	22. Colin

Over the next few days all the school could talk about was the attack on Mrs. Norris, Filch kept pacing the spot where she had been attacked as if the attacker might return. She and Neville had seen him scrubbing the message on the wall with an all-purpose mess remover, with no effect, the foot high writing still gleamed brightly. Filch had been more stern than usual, Fred had received a detention for "breathing too loudly" and Dean Thomas for "looking too happy" near the crime scene.

Poor Ginny seemed very disturbed by the attack on Mrs. Norris, George had told her she was a great cat lover. They had snuck into the kitchens and eaten cake too cheer her up, but her lip still trembled.

'They'll catch the nutter that did this and kick him out.' George had informed her, this didn't seem to cheer her up any.

Hermione had thrown herself into research on the chamber, she wondered if Narcissa would send her one of the early editions of Hogwarts: A History, she would bet her wand that there would be a chapter on the chamber in one of them. As it was, all current editions of Hogwarts: A History had been checked out of the library and she had foolishly left her copy at home this year.

Harry had been greatly offended by the fact people actually seemed to believe he had attacked the cat; Justin Finch-Fletchley had quite literally turned and ran from him in the corridor.

'Where's Hermione?' Harry had asked Draco as they worked on their essay for History of Magic, they each needed another eight inches on the Goblin leader Roboc and his role in the rebellion of 1812.

He gestured somewhere behind him. 'Somewhere over there.' They both turned and caught sight of her rummaging through the shelves. 'I think she's trying to read the entire library.'

He told Draco about Justin running from him in the corridor. 'I don't know why you're bothered; he's a bit of a prat. Besides, you're not the heir of Slytherin.'

'How do you know?' Harry asked.

Draco looked up from his essay. 'Potter you are the softest person alive, I doubt you'd even squash a spider. Besides, if anyone in this school is going to be the heir of Slytherin it would be me.'

Harry frowned. 'Why you?'

Draco frowned at him before standing, he returned quickly with a book titled The Royal Family Of The Wizarding World. He put the book down in front of Harry and opened it to the family tree.

'I'm directly descended from him.' He said, pointing to one of his ancestors.

Harry rolled his eyes. 'You're directly descended from most of the founders that doesn't mean anything.'

Draco sighed. 'Yeah, but people have been avoiding me too. Don't worry, it'll pass.'

It cheered Harry immensely to know that he wasn't the only suspect, though he knew that Draco would never want to attack muggle-borns.

Hermione came and threw herself down in the chair next to Draco. 'Nothing! There's absolutely nothing on the Chamber of Secrets.'

'Checked every book in the library did you?' Draco teased, earning a swift elbow to the rib.

'It probably doesn't even exist.' Harry told her.

Draco nodded. 'Hundreds of years of head teacher's have looked for it and none of them have found anything.'

'You'd probably need to use dark magic to open it.' Harry muttered.

'Just because Dumbledore doesn't use those spells doesn't mean he can't.' Hermione told him.

...

'Sir?' She turned to Snape in the middle of their private class.

'Yes?' He replied, looking up from the papers he was grading, they were spending the day marking first grade papers, he had said it would be a good way to refresh her basics. She suspected he just couldn't be bothered wading through some of the rubbish first years churned out.

'What do you know about the chamber of secrets?'

He sighed. 'I was wondering when you were going to ask me that. Fine, let me think for a minute.'

She marked one more essay while he seemed to gather his thoughts.

'Fine. You know, of course, that the school was founded a thousand years ago on the sight of an ancient temple to Atune by the four most powerful witches and wizards of the age. They built the castle to keep away from muggle persecution and they all lived and taught together for a few decades until Gryffindor and Slytherin had their falling out.'

'Slytherin didn't want muggle-borns right?' She asked and Snape nodded.

'He believed that it might bring the muggle persecution to the castle, they were dark times for our kind. He and Gryffindor ended up duelling, they were both seriously injured. Slytherin lost use of his right arm, his wand arm; Gryffindor lost the use of his legs. Slytherin left the school and became something of a recluse. There's a lot of speculation about what Slytherin built, some say he found the ancient temple of Atune underground and built a chamber there. The most reliable thing we know is he did build a secret chamber in the castle that only his heir would be able to open. This heir supposedly could open the chamber and unleash the monster within. It supposedly opened fifty years ago, and a muggle-born died, but the attacks stopped as soon as they had started.'

'But the monster would be dead by now? It's been a millennium and it's had no food.' She said.

'That's all I know I'm afraid, but you should be careful. If someone is attacking muggle-borrns, well you're the first Slytherin Muggle born for centuries, you'll be a target.'

With that warning given they returned to the marking, she wondered if she could find an archive of old Prophets that would detail the attacks fifty years ago. She decided she would write to the prophet in the morning.

She was on her way out when she thought to ask what they would be brewing in their next practical.

'We're going to make some Polyjuice potion, it's quite advanced and it takes a full moon cycle to brew, there's a book detailing it in the restricted section, I want it read by our next lesson.'

...

'This is the most complicated potion I've ever seen.' Hermione grumbled, she was sat with Daphne and Tracey in the common room in front of the large open fire.

She read a few more lines. 'Well that's disgusting; I need to drink a bit of whoever I'm turning into.'

Daphne's face scrunched up. 'What like, you need someone to spit in a potion?'

She shook her head. 'Hair. I need to drink their hair.'

'That is disgusting.' Tracey agreed.

The crowds began to move, 'come on.' Daphne said standing up. 'Time to go.'

The opening Quidditch match between Slytherin and Gryffindor was today. They were all dressed in their warm coats and green scarf's.

She had barely seen her friends in the week leading up to the match; they had all been training hard.

They approached the stands with the rest of the school; it was a muggy day with the promise of rain and thunder, everyone hoped the rain would hold off until they were safely back inside.

She had Daphne save her a seat and went to the locker rooms to wish Draco luck before he got changed; she also wished luck to Harry and Neville even though they were playing against her house.

Honestly, she had no clue who would win. Slytherin had the better brooms and some good players, but Gryffindor had all skilled players and their Capitan had been drilling them hard over the last few weeks. She went to take her seat next to Daphne and Blaise, who both had little Slytherin flags to wave.

As the teams walked out onto the field there was a roar of noise that greeted them, since inter house unity had never been at such a high point, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were evenly supporting both teams.

Madam Hooch had Wood and Flint shake hands, they were both very competitive and it was evident they were trying to crush each other's hands. The whistle was blown and both teams soared into the air. Hermione couldn't help admire Draco in his emerald Quidditch robes, he did a lap of the pitch looking for the Snitch, Harry flew up high to see if he could spot it from above.

Draco shot underneath Harry, probably trying to distract him, but Harry was already distracted by a Bludger pelting towards him, he had to fling himself from its path, it brushed his hair as it soared past him.

One of the twins, she couldn't tell which from the distance, whacked the Bludger at Adrian Pucey but it changed direction halfway and shot back to Harry, heading straight for his head.

'Should a Bludger be able to do that?' Daphne asked her.

She shook her head, her eyes fixed on the developing scene in front of her. The beater managed to hit it at Draco but it swerved around to go back for Harry. He zoomed to the other end of the field and it chased after him.

'They shouldn't focus on one person this much.' Goyle muttered to Crabbe next to him.

The other Weasley managed to hit the Bludger to the other end of the field but it pelted after Harry again, as though it was his own personal Bludger.

That was when the heavy rain began. Hermione conjured a quick water shield over the Slytherin stand so they would all stay dry; the other houses looked at them enviously as they were soaked in the downpour.

Lee Jordan was commentating as usual. 'Slytherin lead, sixty to zero, that Bludger still seems fixed on Potter.'

Indeed it was, it was doing all it could to knock Harry off his broom. He now had a Weasley either side of him trying to protect him from it. It had definitely been tampered with.

Madam Hooch's whistle rang out and all players dived for the ground for a time out. There seemed to be some debate going on about the Bludger, it was over quickly and all the players took to the air.

Harry was a constant blur on the pitch, trying to escape the Bludger which was hot on his heels, the Wealsey's had returned to guarding the other players and Gryffindor managed to take twenty points.

Draco had noticed what seemed to be going on and flew up besides Harry. 'What's going on?' He shouted over the roar of the rain and thunder.

'This Bludger won't leave me alone!' Harry roared back.

'Maybe if we-' Draco was cut off as they both caught sight of the Snitch. They shared a quick glance and then both chased after it.

The Bludger was coming at both of them, since they were flying so closely. Draco had managed to get out in front of Harry, he was going to catch the Snitch. That was when the Bludger smacked into his head on his path to Harry.

A scream escaped Hermione as she watched in horror as Draco fell, unconscious, from his broom.

The Bludger carried on in its path and smacked into Harry's arm, but his other hand managed to close around the Snitch. The pain in his arm was unbearable, he veered to the ground looking like he was about to pass out. He hit the ground next to Draco's prone form and rolled off his broom, his arm was hanging at a very strange angle but he was more concerned about the large cut gushing blood on Draco's head, it was running into his blond hair making him look like a Weasley.

He'd gone into shock, looking down at the Snitch in his hand. 'We won.' With that he fainted.

The rain falling on his face woke him up again after a few minutes; he was surrounded by Gryffindor's and Hermione. Hermione seemed to be arguing with someone.

'You don't know what you're saying.' He heard Lockhart say to whatever angry comment she had made.

'Harry, I'm about to fix your arm.' Lockhart told him.

That brought him fully back to attention. 'Not you. I'll keep it like this thanks.'

He saw Hermione, who was pressing something, her jumper, into Draco's bloody head. He was still unconscious.

There was a farmiliar flash.

'Colin put that camera away or I'll break it.' Harry said sternly as the small first year took a picture of both him and Draco.

Through the crowd he could see Fred, George, and Flint trying to wrestle the Bludger back into its box, it was still putting up a fight and it took the full weight of all three of them to get it strapped back into place.

Lockhart was rolling up his sleeves.

'Don't!' Hermione yelled at the teacher, but she couldn't walk away from Draco.

Lockhart twirled his wand and pointed it at Harry's arm. Harry had scrunched his eyes shut but Hermione watched in horror as his arm seemed to deflate.

The crowd gasped in horror and Colin brought his camera back out to capture the moment.

'Ah, that can happen. Your arm isn't broken any more at least.' Lockhart mumbled.

'There's none left you idiot!' Hermione roared at him. 'Get him to the hospital wing!' She pointed at Wood who had come over.

He nodded once and picked Harry up, his arm flopped unnaturally. It looked like someone had filled a rubber glove with water.

Flint came over and picked up Draco, Hermione walked beside him, keeping pressure on his nasty head wound.

Madam Pomfrey was just as angry as Hermione. 'He should have been brought straight to me!'

She took care of Draco first, since Harry wasn't actually in any pain. She sent away everyone but her and Neville.

The cut on his head was healed into a pink line. 'Will it scar?' She asked the matron.

'It shouldn't. Nasty hit that though, he'll be out of classes for the rest of the week.'

Madam Pomfrey forced several potions down his throat, she recognised one as a blood replenishing potion but had no clue what the others were. She imagined they were to help with the trauma the Bludger would have caused to his brain.

'I'll have to inform his mother.' The Matron muttered as she walked over to Harry.

His treatment was much simpler. She handed him a glass of Skele-Grow. Hermione had brewed that with Snape once and had tried a small sip, it tasted vile. She did not envy Harry right now.

A curtain went up and Neville helped Harry change into some pyjamas, he would be in for the night. Since he was still unconscious Madam Pomfrey waved her wand and transfigured his Quidditch robes into pyjamas.

'We won at least.' Neville said to Harry, trying to cheer him up as he gulped down some water.

Harry frowned. 'Only because Draco got knocked out, he was going to catch it,'

'I imagine there'll be an enquiry into that Bludger.' Hermione said, brushing some of Draco's hair out of his face. Madam Pomfrey had cleaned him up, removing the gel from his hair, she had to admit she preferred it like this, it was softer. 

After a few hours more visitors were allowed in. Both teams arrived, carrying cakes, sweets, and bottles of pumpkin juice. George had a plate of chips which he handed to Hermione. 'I figured you hadn't eaten since breakfast.'

She ate a few chips and let out a happy moan. 'Thanks, I'm starving.'

After thirty minutes Madam Pomfrey came and kicked everyone out. 'Out! He's got thirty-three bones to grow! You too Miss Granger, Mr Malfoy doesn't even know you're here he won't be awake for a few days!'

Hermione reluctantly left Draco's side to return to the common room. After such a long day she practically threw herself into bed.

...

Harry was out of hospital the next day, she was just going in to see Draco when she literally ran into him on his way out. He looked pale.

'Hey! How's the arm?' She asked.

He flexed his hand. 'It's fine.' He pulled her to the side. 'Hermione there was another attack, it's Colin he was petrified.'

Her hand flew up to cover her mouth in shock and horror. 'How awful! Did they catch the attacker?'

Harry shook his head. 'That's not all.'

'What happened?' She asked.

'A house elf! He's the one that stopped my letters over summer and fixed the Bludger. Apparently he tried to stop me getting on the train but Neville and I got there that early he couldn't close it.'

'Why did he do that?' She asked. 'House elves don't just attack people, Draco has one and he's the sweetest little thing!'

'Apparently he was trying to keep me safe. He said his master beats him at home, he mentioned you! He said even though the laws changed thanks to you his master still treats him cruelly. He said that terrible things are happening at Hogwarts and that you and I aren't safe.'

She frowned. 'Then what happened?'

He sighed. 'The teachers came in before he could tell me more and he vanished. I feel awful apparently Colin was trying to sneak me some cake when he was attacked.'

She hugged him. 'It's not your fault Harry, he made his own choices.'

He nodded. 'That's when they brought him in though. Get this; Dumbledore said "the chamber has been opened again." Again! It's been opened before!'

She nodded. 'Yeah I know, about fifty years ago. A muggle born was killed. They don't know who did it though.'

Harry frowned. 'How did you know that?'

'Snape told me.'

'Anyway, he had his camera with him and when Dumbledore opened it, it basically exploded. Whoever did this is into some seriously dark stuff.' He was very pale and looked like he was about to faint.

Go get breakfast Harry; I'm going to go see Draco.'

As she sat down next to Draco's still unconscious form she couldn't stop her eyes flicking constantly to the green curtain around the end bed, behind which she knew was the frozen form of Colin Creevey.


	23. Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a little one for you all

The next few days were agony.

Draco hadn't woken up.

On the first day his parents came to visit him, she had turned and fled at the sight of his father coming down the corridor before he could see her. Narcissa had called in on her during her private lesson with Snape to say hello while her husband talked with Dumbledore.

On the second day his cousin came. She had been sat next to him reading her potions book when she walked in. Matilda had remembered her from the ball and smiled fondly at her.

'I thought I would find you here. It's good to see you again.' Matilda said, she didn't seem too worried about Draco. 'He's had worse; he off his broom once when he was about six, had to spend a week in St Mungo's.'

There was no change on the third or fourth day; Madam Pomfrey seemed to be growing more concerned that he hadn't woken up yet.

On the fifth day the King came. She had been in class and missed his visit, but apparently he had brought a specialist Healer that specialised in head wounds with him. The entire school was abuzz all day from the news the king had walked the halls. According to Millie who had been in the infirmary for a headache potion, the king had been shown Colin behind his screen.

Finally, on the seventh day, Draco woke up.

She had fallen asleep on in the chair next to him, book still open in her lap.

'Hermione?' His voice was dry and croaked.

Her eyes shot open. 'Oh thank the Gods!' She threw herself into his arms.

He was confused, but he rubbed her back reassuringly.

'What happened? Did I get the Snitch?' He asked.

She shook her head. 'You took a Bludger to the head, you've been out for a week. Your uncle had to bring a specialist to heal you.' She told him gently, she felt a tear roll down her cheek.

He gently wiped the tears away. 'A week?'

She nodded. 'I think if you were out any longer they were going to send you to hospital, I'll go get Pomfrey.' She told him.

She rose swiftly to fetch Madam Pomfrey, who raced over to Draco.

She spent several minutes running her hand over his head performing diagnostic spells.

'How are you feeling dear?' She asked him.

'Thirsty... and hungry.'

Only having nutritional spells cast on him for a full week had led to a fair amount of weight loss, his face looked slightly sunken. She could tell he would be annoyed that he would have lost some muscle, she could already picture him going for some extra long runs around the grounds to get back in shape for Quidditch.

Madam Pomfrey nodded. 'I want you to stay in here another night, to make sure you're really okay.'

'Can I go get him some food?' She asked the matron, who nodded her permission.

'I'll be right back.' She told him.

She practically skipped to the kitchens, the elves in there made all Draco's favourites upon request. She returned to the hospital wing with a cheeseburger and chips, a large vanilla milkshake, and some jelly slugs.

Draco gratefully inhaled his food, which returned some colour to his face. He then made his way through a full jug of water, two jacket potatoes and a chicken wrap.

'What did I miss then?' He asked Hermione, wanting to be caught up on the week's events.

Her eyes flickered to the curtains blocking Colin's bed, his followed.

'There was another attack. Colin, that boy always following us around with the camera, he's been petrified.' She told him.

Draco's eyes turned fully to the curtains. He shot a look to Madam Pomfrey's shut office door and climbed out of bed, his legs wobbled from lack of use all week but he pressed on across the room.

'Drake what are you doing?' She asked, standing and walking next to him.

'I want to see.' He told her.

They both peered around the curtains together.

His hands were still raised in front of him as if holding his camera to his eye, a look of horror still visible on his face.

He pulled her away from the distressing scene and back to his bed before they could be caught.

'People actually hate us.' She muttered.

'Us?' Draco asked, as he climbed back into his bed.

'Muggle-borns. Someone attacked him for his blood status. What if I'm next?' She said, voicing her concern for the first time since the attack on Mrs. Norris.

Draco frowned. 'Hermione you've taken on Voldemort, nobodies attacking you.'

She nodded slowly. 'The seventh years have called a house meeting to talk about it tomorrow; you should be out by then.'

'I want to write to my uncle about these attacks.' He told her.

'I'll go get you some parchment.' She told him.

She returned to the common room, announcing the happy news he had woken up to their friends, and returning to the hospital wing with parchment, quill, and ink for Draco.

...

He was released at lunch the next day.

Everyone stared at him as he made his way slowly through the corridor; he hadn't been seen in a full week so a rumour had begun that he must have been petrified too.

They made their way into the common room and managed to get a seat on the couch before the house meeting began, she had never seen the common room so full, literally every Slytherin was present.

Their seventh year prefects stepped forwards.

'Let's start with the basics.' The male prefect began. 'Anyone here think he's the heir to Slytherin?'

'or she.' The female prefect chimed in. She wore a massive engagement ring on her finger; apparently she was marrying some hotshot at the Ministry after she finished school.

The room was silent.

'Anyone think it's funny to leave that kind of message on the wall?'

'Oh please, people think Slytherin's are evil enough as it is.' Marcus Flint replied, to general nods from everyone.

'We're finally getting on with the other houses, why would we mess that up.' Adrian chimed in.

'Anyone want to kill Muggle-Borns?' The male prefect asked.

Hermione shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

'No, I think Hermione's destroyed every stereotype we were brought up to believe.' A sixth year answered, Draco nudged her arm and smiled at her.

'Any Parseltongues besides...' She trailed off. 'Any Parseltongues that we don't know about?'

Nobody replied.

'Why does that matter?' She whispered to Draco.

He rolled his eyes. 'It's considered a Dark ability. It's a load of rubbish most of my family can do it.' He whispered back to her.

She raised an eyebrow in jest. 'You can talk to Snakes?'

He nodded back at her.

'Right, from now on nobody goes anywhere alone. I don't want anyone to be able to blame one of you for anything. And Hermione especially don't go anywhere alone.' The male prefect looked directly at her.

The entire room seemed to nod. Great, she thought to herself, looks like I just got my own personal team of bodyguards.


	24. Growing Up

The next day she saw Ron in the corridor.

'I knew Slytherin was vile, I wouldn't be in that house if you paid me, all that blood supremacy rubbish.' He leered at her.

She glared at him. 'What a load of rubbish, I've never had any problems from Slytherin's. The only person who ever gives me grief for being a muggle-born is you Weasley.'

He smiled menacingly. 'No problems yet, won't be long now till one of your fellow snakes tries to put you down.'

'God you do talk some shit.' She rolled her eyes at him. 'When the school was founded Muggles were actively hunting witches and wizards, he had a good reason for not wanting muggle-borns in the school. Slytherin house has long since moved on from that prejudice.'

She turned to walk away from him.

'No they haven't! Most of your mates parents were death eaters!' He yelled after her, she ignored him but knew he was right.

First years were now moving through the schools in groups, clearly scared they would be attacked.

She had forgotten what it was to be alone; she had threatened to curse Blaise one afternoon in order to get a few minutes alone in the library.

She had seen Fred and George trying to cheer up Ginny, who apparently sat next to Colin in some of her classes, she was distraught. She was frequently spotted bursting into tears and fleeing to the nearest bathroom.

There had been a roaring trade of hoax protection amulets circling the school, she had talked Neville out of buying one that smelled like onion. Eventually she had told Snape and the black market had been shut down and the distributors placed in detention.

As December progressed the usual list of who would be staying for Christmas was passed around.

It was rare for any Slytherin to put their names down but she learnt that Harry had been about to put his name down when Neville had invited him to spend Christmas at his house instead.

She had begun to brew her batch of Polyjuice potion with Snape after classes, he had decreed that they would test it out before they broke up for Christmas and instructed her to get some hair for next week. Daphne had politely plucked out some of her hair and put it in a vial for Hermione. Blaise had jokingly offered some of his hair but she didn't think she would like to change into a boy.

She had been walking down the corridor with Tracey when she heard the chatter that she knew must have been going on.

'Who do you think the heir is? Potter or Malfoy?'

'Well, Potter defeated You-Know-Who as a baby, must take a powerful wizard to do that, maybe a powerful dark wizard.' One of the girls in the group said.

'Yeah but the Malfoy's have Slytherin blood.' One of the boys replied to her.

Another boy shook his head. 'I doubt it's Malfoy, he's best friends with a Muggle-Born.'

The girl smirked. 'Yeah but so is Harry, they're close too. Maybe it's some sort of love triangle and she chose one over the other and now the other one wants her dead for breaking his heart.'

She frowned at Tracey. 'That's the most inventive theory yet.'

Tracey laughed. 'You've not heard the one that Draco's doing it to scare you into marrying him then?'

Hermione shook her head and laughed. 'Gods, people are ridiculous.'

...

She woke up the next day with a terrible stomach ache. Thinking nothing of it, she swallowed a pain potion and continued with her day.

She had been walking down from one of the towers with Daphne, they had just completed their daily ritual of walking to the highest tower every day to stay fit. They no longer wheezed after walking up so many flights of stairs. She didn't consider herself a particularly vain girl but she was happy that walking up so many stairs had on toning her body.

They had just entered back onto the main corridor when Daphne suddenly dropped into a low curtsey; Hermione looked up to see why and then immediately followed her friend's example.

King Armand was walking towards them.

'Ah, Draco it's your friends!' He said cheerfully. 'Rise up.' He told the pair.

The two girls straitened up. The King was accompanied by Draco and a middle aged man she did not recognise.

'May I introduce the Ambassador to France? This is Mister Dubois.'

The man nodded at them and they nodded back. He said something in French too quick for her to catch, though Daphne could speak French and blushed. Draco smiled at Hermione and quickly responded in fluent French, she had been correct about his expensive pre-Hogwarts education then. She couldn't understand what they were saying but she did hear Draco say her name.

'Mister Dubois has been sent by the French Ministry for a tour of Hogwarts, Matilda- I mean Princess Matilda is having a tour of their school next week.' Draco told her.

'Sounds interesting, I'd love to know more about other Wizarding schools.' She told him with a smile.

The King chucked. 'Why does that not surprise me? I look forwards to seeing you at our little Christmas party soon Hermione. You'll have to excuse us; we're a little short on time.'

The two girls curtseyed again and the royal tour proceeded.

'I bet Draco's annoyed.' Hermione said. 'He's missing chess club for this.'

...

She was right, he did come back to the common room after dinner grumbling that he had lost his top spot in chess club, Blaise had triumphed that he was now the highest ranked player.

'It's okay, next week you'll knock him back down.' She teased him as she sat next to him in front of the fire.

Draco rolled his eyes. 'My uncle didn't even need me. It's not like he didn't go here, he knows his way around. The French ambassador's such a bore.'

'You speak French.' She stated, suddenly remembering.

He raised an eyebrow at her. 'Yes?'

'What did he say to us? Daphne blushed.' She asked.

Draco's cheeks tinged red. 'Oh nothing of importance.'

He clearly wasn't going to answer her so she decided to move on. 'How many languages do you speak?'

He smiled, 'a few.'

She sat and stared at him until he sighed and continued. 'English, obviously. Latin, French, German, and a little bit of Greek.'

'But you're only twelve.'

'I learnt most of them when I was very little. All my nannies would only speak a certain language on certain days. It was annoying but effective.' He told her.

'Would you teach me?' She asked.

'What you want to learn four more languages? Aren't you busy enough?' He asked.

She shook her head. 'Not all of them, Latin? It would be such a help to my studies if I could speak it.'

He thought for a moment then sighed. 'Oh very well.'

She smiled and flung her arms around him. 'Ah thank you!'

She released him after a minute.

'When do we start?' He asked.

'Well, I meet Snape in the week, what about the weekend? Unless you don't want to stay inside all weekend?' She asked, hopeful.

He rolled his eyes. 'Hermione it's like minus four outside, I'm going to be inside anyway.' Then a spark entered his eyes. 'I have a condition.'

Her smile faded. 'What do you want? I don't like that look on your face.'

He beamed cheekily at her. 'If you want me to teach you Latin, you have to come flying with me after!'

'No. Anything but that! Stop smiling there is absolutely zero chance of me getting on a broom!'

...

She screamed as he kicked off the ground, pushing his broom into the air. She wrapped her arms tighter around his chest and buried her face into his back, scrunching her eyes shut.

'You fly like a maniac.' She shouted over the roar of the wind.

'That's Quidditch, I'm flying fair for you. Open your eyes, its worse if they're shut.' He replied to her.

She did as he said and opened her eyes. She saw why he liked it up high; the lake was beautiful as the light from the sunset hit it.

She had never seen the castle from this angle either, it was breathtaking from up high. It was hard for her to believe that only four people had built such a beautiful castle.

She found she didn't mind flying so much when she was in the capable hands of Draco.

'Want to try your own broom next time?' He asked, gesturing to the pile of school brooms as he locked away his Nimbus.

'No way. It wasn't too bad when I had you to hold on to. If I go up on my own I'll fall off in seconds.' She said seriously, causing him to laugh.

'Fine. You can stay with me if you feel safe. Wasn't so bad was it?' He said.

She smiled back at him. 'I guess it wasn't too bad.'

'You can admit you had fun, I won't expect you to join the Quidditch team.' He teased.

'I wouldn't say fun, it was very beautiful.' She said. 'Bit cold though.'

He smiled at her as they made their way back inside. 'Next time wear some gloves.'

She groaned. 'Next time?'

He laughed. 'Don't worry, I'll have you doing barrel rolls before you know it.'

She rolled her eyes. 'Never in a million years will I ever pull some of the stunts you do.'

The pain potion she had taken had begun to fade, she groaned as she rubbed her side.

'You alright?' Draco asked her as they approached the dungeons.

'Yeah, my tummy's hurt all day. I think I'm going to go lay down.' She told him.

She retreated straight to her room, Tracey was lying on her bed reading Witch Weekly, the other girls were all at choir practice.

She retreated into their bathroom, wanting a shower.

She sat down on the toilet and realised why her stomach hurt.

She'd gotten her first period.

She took a deep breath and placed some tissue into her underwear, going back out Tracey looked up from her magazine.

'You alright, you're dead pale.' Tracey said.

'I got my period.' She said quickly.

Tracey shot out of her bed. 'Oh my god! Are you okay?'

She nodded and crossed her arms. 'Will you come with me to Madam Pomfrey?'

Tracey nodded and linked arms with her.

'I don't want anyone to know.' She muttered to her friend.

Tracey nodded. 'I have a headache and you're taking me for a pain potion.'

Hermione smiled at her friend. 'Thanks Tracey.'

The two girls told their excuse to their male friends who sat in the common room together listening to the wireless.

'What's happened dear?' Madam Pomfrey called across the hospital wing as she treated what appeared to be a conjoined Fred and George.

'What happened to you two?' She asked the twins, ignoring the matron. There was no way she would say she got her period in front of boys.

'Spell went wrong.' Fred, at least she thought it was Fred, replied.

She raised an eyebrow. 'I can see that. What the hell were you trying to do?'

'Not quite sure, it was just a cool spell in a book.' George replied.

They were joined at the hip, quite literally.

'You just thought you'd try out a random spell?' She asked them. 'That's the most idiotic thing I've ever heard.'

'Hey! You're the one always encouraging us to read more!' Fred shot back.

Eventually the matron decided to dose them both with strong pain potion and performed a severing charm. She then healed the cut and sent them on their merry way.

Finally, the matron looked back to her. 'What can I do for you then dear?'

With the hospital finally void of anyone else she felt comfortable enough to answer. 'I got my period.' She mumbled.

The older woman smiled gently at her. 'Ah, first in your year!' She told her. 'I have some things here, and your school bathrooms will start being stocked with product for her.'

She was given several pads that she hid in her inner cloak pocket.

'Thanks for coming with me.' She said to Tracey as they walked back to the common room.

Tracey smiled at her. 'No worries, you'll do the same when it's my turn?'

Hermione nodded that yes, of course she would come with her.

They arrived back at the common room to see all their friends chatting on the couches, Pansy seemed to be complaining to Daphne.

'But why do you get a solo?' She whined.

'Because Daphne is a good singer.' Blaise commented, rolling his eyes at Pansy.

'Well I could-' Pansy began.

'Pansy, you're a brilliant pianist, but you can't sing to save your life.' Blaise told her.

Pansy sulked at this but gave up her argument and stomped off to her bedroom.

'Hey Blaise, can I borrow your owl? I want to write a letter to my mum.' Hermione asked, Blaise nodded his permission before rejoining the conversation with the other boys.

She wrote to her mother, telling her all the latest news. She told her all about brewing the Polyjuice potion with Snape, seeing the King in the corridors and Draco agreeing to teach her Latin and taking her up flying. She told her all about Fred and George's latest antics and managing to glue themselves together, her mum always loved hearing about the twin's antics. She told her about getting her first period and that she had been well taken care of before he gave the finished letter to Blaise to send for her.

He fastened the letter to his beautiful snowy owl and together they watched him fly off into the night.

'Pansy seemed annoyed tonight.' She said to Blaise.

He rolled his eyes. 'She won't shut up about Daphne getting a solo for the school choir.'

She frowned. 'But Daphne is such a good singer!'

Blaise nodded. 'She's annoyed though, we should keep an eye on her, she might try something.'

Hermione frowned. 'She wouldn't dare.'

Blaise raised his eyebrows at her. 'Yes she would.'


	25. Duels and Snakes

It was exactly one week before they broke up for Christmas; all anyone could talk about was the upcoming ball at the palace. Draco had told her he would come for her very early on Boxing Day and show her around before she officially had to be there, it would also give them time to exchange presents.

Lessons were winding down now; it seemed fairly pointless to teach new material at this point when it would soon be forgotten. The only serious lessons she had been having were her lessons with Snape and Latin lessons with Draco. Both had remarked on her progress and she had to remark that Draco was an excellent teacher. She was already putting the small amount of Latin she had learnt into practice. Although they had begun with simple and basic phrases like "Caecilius est in horto" they had now begun to move onto more magical learning.

Pansy was yet to try and prevent Daphne's singing solo in the choir but the farewell banquet where the choir would perform before they did again at the ball, Flitwick was ecstatic that his choir would be performing for royalty alongside the one and only Celestina Warbeck. This had only made Blaise and Hermione watch the girl more closely, her jealous and vindictive ways knew no bounds.

She was sat on the comfy vouches with Blaise, Draco, and Daphne laughing as Crabbe and Goyle arm wrestled on the table in front of them. She had bet one of her liquorice wands that Crabbe would win.

The doors to the common room opened and Pansy flounced in, she dropped her bag onto the floor next to the couch and sat herself down on Draco's knee, kissing his cheek for extra measure. Everyone, Draco included, rolled their eyes at her.

'Where have you been?' Draco asked her suspiciously. She and Blaise shared a quick look, maybe she was finally going to act, apparently playing the piano for the school and the royal family wasn't good enough for her, she couldn't just be happy for Daphne like everyone else was.

'Detention with Snape.' Pansy replied cooly.

Hermione frowned. 'No you didn't. I was with Snape all night I only just got back.'

Pansy jolted. 'I meant Flitwick.'

Blaise frowned at her. 'Yeah sure. What did you get detention for?'

Pansy glared at him. 'I was talking in class.'

The entire group frowned at her.

'Pansy we all have the same class you weren't talking.' Theo pointed out.

Pansy leapt up. 'I don't want to talk about it okay?' She stormed off into the kitchen.

'What the hell was that about?' Tracey asked.

Blaise frowned and looked at Hermione. 'She's up to something.'

Hermione nodded. 'I'm going to go and hide under my bed and watch her.' She whispered to him. He nodded and she got up from the couch.

'Just going to get a book from my trunk.' She announced to the others.

She quickly paced into the room and dropped down onto her stomach and slid under her bed. She reached up and pulled her green blanket down slightly to obscure her further.

Pansy came into the room grumbling to herself. 'Bitch thinks she's so high and mighty, I'll put her in her place.'

She opened Daphne's dresser draw and pulled out the potion Daphne took daily for her eyesight so she didn't have to wear glasses. She had suggested the potion to Harry once but he had said he wouldn't remember to take it most days.

Pansy retrieved a vial from her cloak pocket; it contained a light blue liquid. Pansy uncorked it and poured the potion into Daphne's remedy. 'Let's see you sing now Princess.'

Hermione silently slid out from under her bed and snuck up on Pansy. 'What do you think you're doing?' She asked her.

Pansy had frozen. Both bottles in her hand. 'I-I was-'

'I can see what you were doing. Give them both to me right now.' She held out her hand.

Pansy was already crying as she handed them over. 'What are you going to do?'

'I'm going to tip them down the drain. You are never going to do anything like this ever again or I will show everyone.'

Pansy nodded. 'Thank you.' She sat down on the edge of her bed and put her head in her hands.

Hermione held up the potion to the lights to examine it. 'What would the potion have done?'

'She'd have lost her voice.' Pansy admitted through her tears, her face had gone red and blotchy.

Hermione scrunched her face in disgust. 'Gods you really are the worst.' She went into the bathroom and poured the vial into the toilet and flushed it away.

She walked back into the common room where Pansy had managed to calm herself down a little.

'You don't know what it's like!' Pansy declared as Hermione walked coldly by her. 'The pressure I get from my parents to be the best! To be Draco's girlfriend! To be prefect!'

Hermione stopped and looked back at her. 'Maybe, but everyone's under pressure in this house, they don't poison their friends.'

She left without another word to the sniffling girl. Sure, she felt bad for her but nothing could excuse her actions.

'I thought you were getting a book?' Daphne asked her as she sat down.

She shrugged. 'I couldn't find it, must have packed it away.'

She leant over to Blaise once their friends conversations had picked up again and told him what had actually happened.

****************************************

'Okay, now place the hairs in.' Snape told her.

It was Tuesday night and she was finally trying out her Polyjuice potion with Snape after a long month of brewing.

She added in a few stands of Daphne's beautiful blond hair. The potion turned a pale shade of pink.

'Be warned. It tastes disgusting.' Snape told her.

'Great.' She told him, raising the goblet. 'Cheers.'

She pinched her nose and drank the potion in one go. He hadn't lied to her, the potion tasted like a mixture of burning cabbage and vomit. She gagged but didn't bring the potion back up.

Her insides immediately began writing as though there was a snake wriggling in her stomach. A strong burning sensation spread through her body going right to the ends of her fingers and toes, she gasped and fell on all fours. Her eyesight seemed to get worse, which she had expected and she watched in fascination as her fingers thinned and her nails grew longer to take the same shape as Daphne's perfectly polished nails. Her robes around her chest sagged, Daphne's chest hadn't begun to grow like hers had yet. Her feet were in agony as she was a full shoe size bigger than Daphne's dainty foot. She kicked them off in haste.

The feeling faded and she straightened up. 'How do I look?'

Snape retrieved a mirror from his desk. 'Take a look.'

He held the mirror in front of her. Daphne's beautiful face stared back at her.

'Wow.' She raised a hand to her cheek and the Daphne in the mirror followed her actions. So this is what it's like being Daphne, she thought to herself.

'Complete success.' Snape told her proudly. 'Well done.'

She beamed back at him. 'Thank you sir!' Her voice was the high songlike voice of her friends.

'It should wear off in about an hour. I must warn you the potion only works on human hair, you can't use it to turn into an animal or you'll end up stuck that way in the hospital wing for a few weeks.'

She nodded at the teacher. 'Hey! Can I go freak out my friends?' She asked.

He smiled. 'Of course! Have fun!'

She practically ran into the common room.

'Hey Daph.' Blaise said to her just as Daphne exited the common room.

The reaction of the others was brilliant. Only Daphne knew that she would be turning into her tonight and everyone was suitably shocked.

She explained the situation to them all and they were all incredibly fascinated.

'You should look at yourself naked in the mirror.' Blaise joked and then whined as the real Daphne hit him over the back of his head.

Eventually her hour was up and everyone in the common room watched in fascination as she turned back into herself.

Eventually everyone retreated to bed and it was just her and Draco left on the couch, they had no doubt bored all their friends discussing the complexities of the potion.

'How does it feel to be you again?' He teased her, offering her a jelly slug that she declined.

'I don't know. It was kinda fun being beautiful.' She shrugged.

Draco laughed. 'I mean sure Daphne's pretty but I prefer you like this.' He said and then blushed.

'Aw, aren't you sweet.' She teased, poking him in the rib before retreating to bed.

******************************

The next day she was walking across the entrance hall with Blaise and Draco when they saw a small knot of people gathered around the notice board in front of a piece of parchment.

'They're starting a duelling club!' Blaise exclaimed. 'Not that you need them Hermione.' He pushed her shoulder lightly.

Draco leaned closer to the parchment and squinted as he read. 'The first meeting's tonight before we break up for Christmas!' He exclaimed excitedly.

'I wouldn't mind duelling lessons. Probably come in handy.' Blaise mused.

'Shall we go then?' Hermione asked them as they walked in for dinner.

Their entire friendship group was all for it, as were most of their year it appeared. At eight o'clock that evening they hurried back to the great hall, her meetings with Snape had ended after the Polyjuice potion; he had declared it pointless to teach her something for three days that she would probably just forget.

The four long tables had vanished and a long golden stage had been placed by one of the left walls, lit by thousands of candles overhead.

The ceiling was pitch black but illuminated by hundreds of stars. Hermione found herself thinking how much she loved magic.

Most of the school seemed to be packed into the hall, all clutching their wands in excitement.

'Who do you think is teaching us?' Daphne asked her.

'Flitwick probably, he's a duelling champion, or Snape he's got lots of experience.' She mused.

'As long as it is- oh no.' Draco had spotted their teacher.

It was Lockhart. Several students conveniently placed at the back of the hall slipped out of the room at the sight of him.

'No wonder there's no fifth or seventh years here. He's had them today he must have told them he was teaching it.' Blaise groaned.

'At least there's one competent teacher.' Daphne pointed to Snape wearing his usual black, who was standing behind Lockhart in his ridiculous robes of deep plum.'

Lockhart waved an arm and called for silence. Hermione wondered if she would be able to learn how to apparate in the next two seconds but then gave up on that hope as she remembered there was no teleportation allowed on Hogwarts grounds, she was stuck here.

'Gather round! Can you all see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent!' He strode down the platform, pulling his wand out from his sleeve. 'The headmaster has given me permission to start this little duelling club to train you all up in case you should ever need to defend yourself!' He grinned at the crowd.

Hermione had to admit the man was useless but she would admit he had a lovely smile, the hearts around his lessons on her planned were evidence enough of that.

Once he had reached the other end of the stage he turned and gestured to Snape, who judging by his scowl had been forced into being there.

'Allow me to introduce my assistant! Professor Snape tells me he knows a tiny bit about duelling himself and has sportingly agreed to help me with a demonstration before we begin. I don't want any of you to panic through, you'll still have your potions master when I'm through with him!'

'Maybe we'll get lucky and Snape will kill him.' Draco whispered into her ear.

She had to pretend to cough to hide her laugh and elbowed Draco in the rib. She couldn't help herself from thinking what horror Snape could unleash on the foolish man.

Lockhart turned his back to them to face Snape fully. Hermione wondered if he was still smiling once he had caught sight of Snape's face, if Snape ever looked at her that was she would be running in the other direction.

They each bowed to their opponent; Lockhart did so with as much pomp and hand twirling as possible. Then they each raised their wands like swords in front of them.

The memory of seeing Voldemort in the clearing and cursing him flashed in her mind at the sight and she clutched Draco's arm.

'Are you okay?' He asked, worried by the panicky expression on her face.

She nodded. 'Sorry, I was back in the clearing again.'

He put a hand on her waist as she stood in front of him. 'You're safe, you're here with me. Let's watch Lockhart get put in his place.'

She smiled back at him and turned back to the display in front of them.

'On the count of three we shall cast our first spells; neither of us will be aiming to do any serious damage of course.' Lockhart declared.

'Pity.' Draco whispered in her ear, cheering her up further. Snape was baring his teeth at the man opposite him.

Both teachers swung their wands, but Snape was obviously faster. 'Expelliarmus!' There was a bright scarlet flash and Lockhart was blasted off his feet. Most of Slytherin and several members of the other houses laughed at the sight and cheered for Snape as Lockhart was blasted backwards off the stage. Snape caught her eye for a moment and winked at her as she laughed, she gave him a quick thumbs up.

'Do you think he's alright?' Daphne asked them.

'Who cares?' Blaise replied, he was still clutching his side laughing.

Across the hall she spotted Harry and Neville who were both in near hysterics at the scene.

'He'll be fine.' Hermione assured her friend. 'It's just a disarming charm.'

'You know that spell?' Theo asked her.

She nodded. 'Of course, what do you think Snape's been teaching me in our private lessons?'

Her friends gave her an impressed look.

Draco laughed and she looked back at him. 'Does that mean you spent a night blasting Snape off his feet?' He whispered to her.

She laughed with him at the memory and nodded her head.

Lockhart was back on his feet soon enough. 'That was a disarming charm, as you can see, I've lost my wand! Thank you Miss Brown.' He beamed at the young Gryffindor as she handed him back his wand, clearly she was among those still too caught up in his good looks to realise he was a fool.

'Yes! An excellent idea to show them that Professor, but if you don't mind me saying it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I wanted to stop you it would have been too easy, I felt it would be instructive to let them see...'

'What a load of rubbish.' She heard Blaise mutter to Theo next to him.

Snape was looking murderous, Lockhart must have realised he had pushed the man far enough as he quickly turned to the crowd.

'I'm going to put you all into pairs, Professor Snape will help me.'

The two teachers moved through the crowd. It had thinned out considerably since Lockhart had walked onto the stage, it seemed many students had taken the opportunity to sneak out the doors.

Lockhart teamed up Neville with Justin Finch-Fletchley, and Draco and Blaise, he put Harry with Ron and unfortunately put her with Pansy.

Time to get some revenge for trying to poison Daphne she thought smugly to herself.

'Do try not to maim her Granger.' Snape muttered to her.

Duels began around them.

'Scared?' Pansy smirked at her.

Hermione almost laughed. 'Yes, I'm sure you're hard work compared to Voldemort.'

Pansy flinched at the use of his name but pointed her wand at her quickly.

Hermione quickly blasted her onto her back with a wave of her wand and a quickly whispered spell.

'I wasn't ready!' Pansy declared, getting back up to stand.

Hermione rolled her eyes. 'Are you ready now?'

'Yes.' She opened her mouth to cast a spell but Hermione was faster.

Pansy was back down on the floor. 'I'm sorry Pansy I thought you said you were ready?' She teased her.

'Dear me.' Lockhart declared as he looked at the aftermath of the duels. Neville had somehow managed to give Justin antlers.

'Let's have a volunteered pair! We'll teach you to block unfriendly spells.' Lockhart at least had seemed to sense that fighting Snape again would not be a good idea.

'How about Potter and Weasley?' Snape suggested. Hermione sighed, she couldn't fathom why Snape hated Harry so much, she had heard from her friends that he picked on him and Neville in all their classes.

Draco left his spot behind her to stand on the stage, he and Harry shared a nod.

'Now Harry.' Lockhart bellowed. 'When Draco attacks I want you to do this.' He proceeded to wave his wand in some ridiculous way that wouldn't do a thing.

Harry desperately glanced at her and she moved her wand in the correct sideways-slashing motion. He discreetly nodded his thanks at her. Snape meanwhile, was whispering something to Draco who frowned but nodded.

'Scared Potter?' Draco teased.

Harry smiled. 'Bring it on Malfoy.'

Lockhart counted down from three and Draco spoke first.

'Serpensortia!' The end of his wand seemed to explode; a large black snake erupted from the end of it and landed heavily between the pair.

Hermione wondered why on earth Snape would tell him to conjure a snake; she supposed it was because it wasn't some spell he could easily block.

There were some screams as the crowd began to hastily back away from the stage.

'Don't move.' Snape said, clearly enjoying the sight of a panicked Harry. 'I'll get rid of it.'

'Allow me Professor!' Lockhart shouted, he brandished his wand and with a loud bang he shot the snake ten feet into the air. It landed heavily and clearly annoyed. It slithered straight towards Justin Finch-Fletchley and raised itself, baring his fangs.

Harry suddenly stepped forwards and the strangest sound came from him, it was as if he was hissing at it. The snake seemed to listen to him as it slumped back down to the floor, its eyes now on Harry.

Everyone in the hall was looking at Harry in horror and she realised why, e was a Parseltongue.

The Snake began to slither towards Harry until Draco stepped forwards, the same hissing sounds came from him but nobody looked surprised at this, neither was she. He had told her the entire royal family had been able to speak to snakes for an age.

The snake stopped, then turned and slithered over to Draco, stopping in front of him and lying flat in front of him.

He nodded to Snape who brandished his wand and burned the snake away.

'What are you playing at?' Justin yelled at Harry.

Before anyone could stop him Justin turned and stormed from the hall.

Snape was even looking at Harry in shock. 'You're all dismissed.' He bellowed.

Draco grasped Harry's arm and pulled him from the room before any others, he used his spare hand to grab Hermione as the passed. He pulled the three of them into a hidden alcove behind a tapestry.

Harry clearly didn't have a clue what was going on.

'You're a Parselmouth! Why didn't you tell us?' Draco asked.

'I'm a what?' Harry asked.

'You can talk to snakes!' Hermione hissed at him.

He looked at the pair strangely. 'I know, it's only the second time I've ever done it. I set a boa constrictor on my cousin once by accident, it told me it had never seen Brazil and I kind of set it free without meaning to. It was before I knew I was a wizard.'

'A boa constrictor told you it had never been to Brazil?' Hermione asked, feeling almost in a daze.

'So? I bet loads of people here can do it.' He shrugged.

Hermione and Draco shared a look.

'No Harry, they can't.' Draco told him gently. 'It's a very rare gift. As far as I know there's only two family lines that have the gift, the Potter's aren't one of them.'

Harry frowned. 'Well who can speak it?'

'My family, the royal family.' Draco told him then stopped, not wanting to go on.

'And the other family?' Harry asked.

'Voldemort's.' Hermione answered.

Harry looked very pale. 'But I'm not related to either of those.'

Draco nodded. 'I know, it doesn't make any sense. It's not a common gift, this is bad.'

Harry frowned. 'What's bad about it? If I hadn't told that snake not to attack Justin-'

'So that's what you said to it?' Hermione asked.

Draco nodded. 'He told it to leave it alone, I told it to come and lie down in front of me.'

Harry frowned. 'Why are you telling her that she was there she heard?'

Hermione shook her head. 'I heard you both speaking Parseltongue, snake language, it was creepy. You could have been saying anything, no wonder Justin freaked out.'

Harry was clearly shocked. 'I spoke a different language? How can I speak a language without knowing it?'

Draco frowned. 'What did you think you were speaking?'

'English!'

Draco shook his head. 'That's not right. Parseltongue's know they're speaking it. This just gets more strange.'

'Don't worry Harry, I'll go to the library first thing and see what I can find.' Hermione told him.

'And I'll write to my cousin and see what she knows; she's done a lot of research on it.'

'Thanks guys.' Harry smiled warmly at them. 'Why can those two families speak it?'

Draco smiled at him. 'We're both descended from Slytherin. He had two granddaughters and one married into each family.'

Hermione peered out from behind the tapestry to see if the pathway was clear. 'You should go back to your common room and act innocent.' She told him. He nodded and after thanking them both again departed.

The next day a blizzard had settled in, making for a dreary Thursday. Most lessons had to be cancelled so she and Draco were using the time for some Latin lessons. Harry and Neville were sat on the same table finishing off a potions essay so they wouldn't have to do it over the holidays.

They could overhear the conversation on the table next to them.

It was Hannah Abbot. 'He's a Parselmouth, everyone knows it can be the mark of a dark wizard.'

There was heavy murmuring on that table, Draco rolled his eyes and turned to Harry. 'Ignore them they're idiots.'

Ernie continued on the table next to them. 'Remember the writing on the wall? Enemies of the heir? Doesn't he hate Filch?' And Colin was annoying him with his camera.'

'He always seemed so nice though.' Hannah continued. 'He defeated You-Know_who, he can't be bad?'

Ernie countered this with, 'I don't know how he survived that attack, he should have been blasted apart. Only a really powerful dark wizard could have survived that.'

Draco rolled his eyes and said in a mocking tone. 'Really, a dark wizard baby?'

Harry, however had had enough and cleared his throat loudly.

If she wasn't so angry at their gossip she would have laughed at the terrified expression on the Hufflepuff's faces.

'I want to talk to Justin, where is he?' He asked.

The duo's worst fears had clearly been confirmed and Hannah looked fearfully at Ernie. 'Why do you want him?'

'I wanted to talk about the snake at the duelling club.' Harry replied.

Perhaps if Harry were alone Ernie would have had some snarky comment to make but he took in Hermione, Draco, and Neville and spoke.

'Sorry, can't help you.' He and Hannah packed away their things quickly and fled the library.

Harry sighed.

'Really Harry.' Hermione began. 'If you're that bothered by what Justin thinks of you then go and find him.'

Harry nodded. 'I think I will.' He rose swiftly and left the library.

They worked in silence for a few more minutes until Neville put down his quill. 'I need to finish packing. I'll see you both tomorrow on the train?'

They both nodded to him as they left.

'How's this?' Hermione handed him her completed translation.

Draco settled in to read it and then looked up suddenly. 'What did you just say?'

She frowned at him. 'I didn't say anything.'

Draco frowned and started looking around.

'What is it?' She asked.

'I thought I heard someone say they wanted to- never mind. Your translation is nearly perfect but you got this one wrong.'

They settled back in until they heard a commotion outside, they left their belongings where they were and ran alongside the other students following the sounds of the commotion.

It was Ernie, he was yelling at someone. 'Caught in the act!' He kept shouting at who she eventually saw to be Harry.

McGonagall eventually shut Ernie up and sent away all of the students.

It was as everyone around them disappeared that the pair caught sight of what had happened. Justin was frozen on the floor with a surprised expression on his face and Nearly-headless Nick was frozen in place as well. There had been another attack.

The teachers bent over the pair and began examining them.

Peves broke into song: 'Oh, Potter, you rotter, You’re killing off students, you think it’s good fun —'

'That’s enough, Peeves!' barked Professor McGonagall, and Peeves zoomed away backward, with his tongue out at Harry.

'Professor Harry couldn't have done this!' Draco began.

Hermione nodded. 'That's right. He's been in the library with us he only just left!'

McGonagall frowned. 'This is out of my hands I'm afraid. Potter come with me, you two go back to Slytherin.'

They left the scene as Harry, who looked to be in shock, was led away presumably to Dumbledore.

They watched as Justin was levitated by Professor Sinistra and led off and watched in despair as Flitwick struggled to move Nearly Headless Nick, in the end he resorted to conjuring a fan and wafting the ghost along the corridor.

They eventually made it back to their common room, Draco hadn't let go of her the entire walk and had pulled his wand out as if someone might attack them at any moment.

The news of the double attack on Justin and the Gryffindor ghost was already the talk of the common room. It had turned what had been nervousness into a real panic. It was the effect on Nearly Headless Nick that had caused the most panic, for what terrible power could have possibly done such a thing, even Hermione couldn't think of what Dark Magic must have been used.

The next day Harry re-appeared, the train would depart at eleven so they had some time to kill.

Harry had told them all about his conversation in Dumbledore's office. 'He's got a pet Phoenix!' He told them in excitement.

Hermione nodded. 'Yeah, I've seen him. He's lovely isn't he?'

'He set on fire the second I walked in!'

Hermione smiled. 'Yeah he was starting to decline when I was in there last year.'

Harry was very happy that he was spending Christmas with Neville. In the few short hours before the train home he had already grown tired of people skirting around him in the corridors as if he would attack at any moment.

Fred, George, and Draco however, found people's reactions incredibly funny.

They went out of their way to escort Harry to the train shouting things like: 'Make way for the Heir of Slytherin' and 'seriously evil wizard coming through'.

This seemed to lighten his mood that his friends would consider the idea that he was behind these attacks as ludicrous.

Ginny and Percy didn't find it funny at all though. Percy had scolded the twins when Fred produced a clove of garlic and pretended to ward Harry off with it, and Ginny had burst into tears when Draco had asked loudly who Harry was planning to attack next.

The train journey home was a pleasant one, with the excitement of the upcoming ball on everyone's minds; the dangers lurking at Hogwarts escaped their mind with every passing mile they went.

************************************************************************

I hope you all liked it. I borrowed some specific bits from the book.

What scenes would you like to see happen at the Xmas ball? I might put it in

E x


	26. White Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas ball #2  
This chapter is longer than my Literature dissertation. Honestly, it took me so bloody long to write this thanks for bearing with me.

She spent the first week of the holiday's skiing with her parents in France, none of her friends could quite understand the activity, and Millie had even declared her to be crazy to want to do such a thing. To be honest she was just happy she didn't fall and break anything a few days before the ball.

Her parents had given her the usual gift of money to have exchanged and placed in her vault, she had a tidy sum put aside now for whatever occasion, if her friends ever let her pay her own way that is.

Christmas day was spent at her grandparents, where she filled up on roast potatoes and chocolate cake. Her parents even allowed her to have a small glass of wine; she neglected to tell them she was allowed champagne at the royal ball as she knew they would not approve.

She arrived home from her grandparents at four to see Draco's Eagle Owl perched on her bedroom windowsill; she thought she might have seen her father rolling his eyes at the sight.

_Hermione,_

_I'll be for you in the fire just after lunch at half-twelve. _

_Draco _

_x_

She had watched Home Alone with her parents before leaving them in order to have a relaxing bath to soak away her nerves over tomorrow, she added in some of her mother's bath salts and lit some aromatherapy candles as she settled in to read her book on the ancient temples of the Gods. She wondered if Draco would take her to see the ancient temple of Vutris, the most powerful of the Gods, in the magical town Regiis Terram next to the palace, she hoped they would have time.

Her fireplace burst into life the second the clock had hit half-past and Draco stepped forth. He had a thick purple winter cloak on, he was wearing a silver signet ring on his left hand that bore the royal crest, she had never seen him wear it before.

He made polite conversation with her parents, who were both thrilled her best friend was royalty. They might have not completely understood everything about her world but royalty was something they knew about. They asked him all about his family history, he'd merely laughed and told them there was too much to tell in the short time they had, but perhaps they could come over for dinner one night and learn all about it. He was simply charming as usual.

He took the bag from her hand and they stood in her fireplace together.

Draco pulled a pouch of powder from her bag and took a generous handful before declaring: 'Regia!' They were lost in the green flame before emerging in the palace.

They had come out in the massive ball room, there were many servants rushing about the beautiful marble floors making preparations for that night, they were placing fresh flowers around the room, making the room smell amazing.

'Come on, we'll put your stuff in your room then I'll give you the grand tour.' He smiled at her and pulled her through the corridors, ignoring the many servants dressed in purple bowing at him as they raced by them.

He pulled her up the grand marble staircase. She wondered how much marble had gone into building this palace, every surface seemed to be made of it, and it wouldn't surprise her at all if her toilet was made of it.

'That's my family suite.' He said pointing to a white door. He opened the door directly opposite. 'This is your suite.' He told her.

'Suite?' She asked, raised an eyebrow as she took in the expensive furniture in the room. The floor was a white carpet with royal blue walls and matching furniture of pale wood and royal blue fabric with a silver pattern of what looked to be phoenixes.

There were four doors inside the grand room. 'Each one's a bedroom, pick whichever one you want. These used to be my Grandmothers rooms before she became Queen.' He told her.

'Are they all the same?' She asked him and he nodded, she didn't comment on the fact that he was putting her in royal chambers, she imagined some royal must have lived in every room in the place at some point.

She picked the first door on her left. There was a beautiful four poster bed in the middle of the room; it was made from a pale wood like the rest of the room with deep blue bedding that matched the furniture in the main rooms outside. Through one door was a bathroom, her toilet was not made of marble though the ridiculously large bathtub in the corner was. There was a large walk in wardrobe through another door that was full of empty hangers, she took a moment to hang up her clothes for tomorrow, she didn't want to attend a royal breakfast in a creased dress, Draco waited patiently for her out in the main room.

'You should put your coat on, it's just started snowing.' He told her.

She beamed and rushed to the window. 'Snow at Christmas?'

He smiled at her childlike joy, then laughed to himself and told himself that they were still children; he wasn't even thirteen for six months yet.

He took in the green dress she was wearing. 'Do you have anything warmer? It's really cold out there.'

She shook her head. 'I'll be fine come on.'

She took his arm and pulled him from the room as he laughed. 'Fine, but don't complain to me when your legs are freezing off.'

He took over guiding. 'I know just where to start.'

He led her back down the stairs and through a series of doors, none of which they had to open as there was a constant stream of footmen in purple to open all doors as they approached.

They approached a final set of double doors. 'Hold on a second.' He said to the footmen at the door. He turned to her. 'Close your eyes.'

She raised an eyebrow at him but did as he said and closed her eyes.

'No peaking.' He told her. He took her hand and pulled her into the room. They walked forwards several steps until he stopped her and let go of her hand.

'You can open them.' He said.

They were in the royal library. She took in a deep breath at the sight and gripped Draco's arm as he smiled down at her, he had grown another inch his year so far while she had remained the same.

'Like it?' He asked in a bemused voice.

She could only nod.

The room was twice as big as the ballroom; there were shelves upon shelves of dark oak bookcases filling the entire span of the wall, there was a small spiral staircase in the corner that led up to another entire floor of books. There was a large fire lit in the centre of the room that had a large purple rug with two dark leather armchairs in front of it, she could picture herself curled up in one of them with the fire roaring making her way through the vast collection.

'How many are there?' She asked, her face was beginning to hurt from smiling as she looked around.

'Lots, you'd have to ask the royal librarian if you want an exact number, but he's off now until the New Year.' He said. 'I shouldn't have started in here, I'm going to have to drag you out kicking and screaming aren't I?'

She laughed. 'No, I'll be good as long as you promise to bring me back in here before I go.'

'I promise.' He swore.

She took his arm. 'Then lead the way.'

He led her on a very long tour of the castle, they turned left when they emerged from the library.

'Want to start from the top down?' He asked her and she nodded her response.

He opened a secret panel in the wall that led to what was clearly a servants passageway, 'come on, we'll go through the back corridors so we're not in the way of everyone setting up, all the guards are doing me head in.'

'Guards?' Hermione asked as he led her up a narrow staircase.

Draco nodded, 'the ministry always sends us a few Auror's to add on to our guard team for the ball in case there's any trouble.'

'How many guards does the palace have?' She had read all about the elite royal guard. The training was apparently rigorous, applicants had to be an Auror for at least three years and then it took a further year of further study in order to become a member of the royal guard.

'Er, there's eighteen all together. Four for my uncle and Matilda, two for each of my parents and one for me and then five for the palace who kind of look after everyone.'

'I've never seen you with a guard?' She asked, surprise clear in her voice.

He laughed as he pushed open another of the panel doors to exit into the main corridors. 'Well duh, you're not supposed to see them. Nobody even formally knows who is in the guard, the press can't report on them.'

'I guess that makes sense, so who is your bodyguard?' She playfully nudged him.

He rolled his eyes at her. 'Come on, royal suites this way.'

He took her around the most breathtaking rooms she had ever seen, she imagined the rooms were similar to those in the Ritz but with ridiculously expensive art on the walls.

'So the immediate royal family always lives on this floor?' She asked.

They were on a long white walled corridor with six doors adorned with several moving portraits of blond men all wearing the same ornate crown, the kings of old all nodded to them as they walked by them and continued in their own conversations.

Draco nodded. 'Yup, that one used to be my dad's room when he was little, it's Matilda's room now so we can't go in.' He said, gesturing to a door on his left.

The corridor ended with two white double doors, Draco gestured at them. 'Those are the Kings chambers, right let's go down and look at-'

The double doors swung open and the King and Matilda emerged.

'Oh hello!' The king smiled at them.

She dipped into a quick curtsey at the sight of him, he held out a hand to stop her. 'No need for that when it's just us dear.' He told her warmly.

'You two exploring?' Matilda asked them with a smile.

Draco nodded. 'I figured I'd give Hermione the tour.'

'Is he actually giving you the tour or is he just taking you into rooms and saying how pretty it is?' Matilda teased.

Hermione rubbed her arm. 'Erm.. Well.' The tour had mostly been him gesturing at a room and then moving on.

The royal pair laughed, Matilda glanced at the beautiful silver watch on her right wrist. 'Well I have a few hours until the ambassador's arrive, come on I'll give you a proper tour.'

They bid the king goodbye for now, as he had to meet with the Minister of Magic before everyone arrived. The tour by Matilda was much more thorough as she led them back through the palace.

'That's a portrait of King Nicholas; he was a bit of a dick.' Matilda pointed to the blond man in the portrait, who had a very rude reply at her words.

'Is that the official position?' Draco laughed.

Matilda shrugged. 'He led muggles under the guise of the plague; he was a bit of a dick.'

'Is he the one that married one of Slytherin's decedents?' Hermione asked over the abuse the portrait was hurling at them, the ancient king was currently calling Matilda a filthy muggle lover.

'Yeah, he married his great-great-granddaughter.' Draco told her as Matilda yanked the curtain over the king back into place.

'Why don't you just take his portrait down if that's what he's like?' Hermione asked, puzzled by the practice of placing a curtain over an offensive portrait rather than take it down.

Matilda sighed. 'They're all stuck to the wall. My dad tried to take all the rude ones down a few years ago but none of the severing charms would get them down. They never used to be that vocal until I went to Cambridge after Hogwarts.'

Hermione had read all about Matilda's education. Twelve Outstanding NEWTS and then she went on to achieve a first class degree in Politics from Cambridge, gaining praise from half of the Wizarding world and horror from the other half. Hermione had routed through the library Prophet archives to find news on it, the princess had studied and lived in the muggle world for her three years of study and had spent a term in a French university to gain further knowledge of all muggle cultures.

'How did you get into Cambridge, you wouldn't have A-Levels?' Hermione asked as they walked down the flight of stairs.

The Princess laughed lightly, 'We have a system set up for wizards who want to study in the muggle world after Hogwarts, you can go to Oxford, Cambridge, St Andrews, or Warwick.' She said, listing each university on her fingers.

'That sounds amazing, before I knew about magic I wanted to go to Oxford, both my parents went to Cambridge it's where they met!' Hermione told her excitedly.

'That's so cute! Some of my muggle friends just got engaged a few weeks ago, they met in class too. What would you have studied?' Matilda asked her.

Hermione found it almost surreal that she was having a casual conversation with a Princess but didn't comment on it. 'Literature or History, I can't decide which one.'

'Well you're only young; you've plenty of time to decide.' Matilda told her with a kind smile. They entered a large dining hall that was currently being set up for the banquet that night.

'The great fireplace was actually added two hundred years after the main hall was built by King Lucius because his wife Queen Freya Merlin was used to a warmer French climate and he got annoyed with her constant complaining.'

They were quickly shunned from the room by the servants who were busy laying the table with hundreds of candles.

'And if you look up onto the vaulted ceiling you'll see the crest of every Queen so far.' She gestured to the high ceiling in the entrance hall. 'That one's my mum's, that one near the far left is obviously Nicholas' wife for the Slytherin crest, that one in the middle is the crest of the house of Merlin - no the one with the blue and gold.'

Matilda and Draco shared a few grins as she was led downstairs; she finally saw one of the illusive royal guards stationed in front of their destination, a room that looked like a bank vault. They had brought her to the crown jewels.

They were absolutely breathtaking.

'That's the kings crown, every monarch since Armand I has worn it.' Matilda told him, pointing to the most exquisite piece in the room, it was a golden masterpiece fitted with rubies and massive diamonds that sparked as she walked closer to it. It looked like it was straight out the pages of a history book; she could picture the ancient kings of the wizarding world wearing it.

She saw the Duchess Coronet that Narcissa usually wore along with a Dukes Coronet alongside it.

There was a smaller version of the kings crown made in silver instead of gold and set with sapphires, she had seen Matilda wear this crown last year. 'That's the Queen's crown, for the consort. When Matilda is coroneted she'll be the first woman ever to wear the Kings crown, I suppose we'll have to rename it.' Draco mused.

There was a small silver crown with a single sapphire at the front that she had seen Draco wearing at the last ball. 'That's the Prince of Aberdeen's crown, it was made in the sixteenth century.' Matilda told her.

There were orbs and sceptres and purple ceremonial robes all safe behind glass cases. There were too many necklaces, earrings, and bracelets to count all made from diamond and rubies and emeralds. There was one stand that was currently empty; she imagined that it normally contained the items they were planning to wear that night. She stopped for several minutes to admire the collection of ancient and modern swords used for ceremonial purposes, all with jewelled hilts of course.

There was a gold circlet set with small rubies that she felt had an ethereal feel to it, Matilda saw her admiring the item.

'Ah, that's one of the newer pieces, my dad had it made for my mum's coronation. Gorgeous isn't it? I think he was going for an eleven look to it.' She said as they admired it.

After a full lecture on each piece by Matilda they came upon the final item, it was a silver tiara of diamonds. It was stunning. 'Ah you've found the Blythe Crown; it's the second oldest item after the King's crown. Armand I had it made for his wife when they got married. It's never been worn since.'

Hermione frowned. 'Why not? It's so beautiful.'

'Er-' Matilda trailed off.

'Queen Blythe was the only non-pure blood in the royal family, she was a half blood remember? None of the pure blood Queens would wear it.' Draco told her.

'I wouldn't say that.' Matilda cut him off with a frown. 'It's just become a thing that nobody wears it if they're pure blood, my mum apparently used to want to wear it all the time but the royal jeweller wouldn't let her.'

Draco rolled her eyes. 'Okay Matilda sure.'

'Anyway, I think the muggle royals have a tiara like it?' Matilda added.

Hermione nodded. 'I thought I'd seen it before. It looks just like Queen Mary's girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara!'

Draco scoffed. 'Muggles need better names for their crowns.'

'How do they have a crown like it if nobody's worn it for centuries?' Hermione asked.

'We do have the muggle royal family over every few years.' Matilda said casually. 'They're the only muggles that ever come in and they don't really count since they're from a squib line.'

Matilda had given them a thorough history lesson by the time the tour ended, Draco had clearly had this tour before and seemed almost bored but Hermione had wished dearly that she'd had a notepad to take notes and wondered if there was a library book she could take out on the history of the palace.

They had finished in the entrance hall by the grand marble staircase and Matilda had been spirited away by her lady in waiting, a Danish girl called Ana, to get ready to greet the ambassadors that would soon be arriving at the palace.

'Grounds?' Draco asked her. She nodded eagerly.

He had his hand on the front doors when a voice came from behind them. 'You'll catch your death out there.'

It was the king.

'How was the Minister?' Draco asked him.

She thought for a moment that she had seen him roll his eyes. 'He was very pleasant, as he is every week. You two can't go out like that, the snows very heavy you'll end up laid up in bed, take some cloaks from the cupboard.' He gestured to a barely noticeable door by the front door.

Draco nodded his head just as a balding man appeared at the top of the stairs, it was the kings Valet, a stern man named Banes.

'Gosh, is it time already?' The king smiled pleasantly at the man. 'I'll see you both later.' The king said lightly before sprinting up the stairs to his man.

Draco passed her one of the thick winter cloaks from the side room and placed one over his own shoulders.

'Banes used to terrify me when I was little.' Draco told her as they watched the man follow after the king.

Hermione nodded. 'He does look a bit intense.'

Draco laughed. 'He's good though, he's been working for my uncle forever.'

He opened the door and they both shivered at the chill. Draco looked over his shoulder to one of the purple footmen standing near the door. 'If anyone wants us, we're exploring the grounds then going into town.' The servant nodded and Draco pulled her outside into the snow.

'Hey what's normally on that empty stand?' She asked him. 'Sending stuff off to be sparkly enough tonight?' She teased.

Draco went very quiet. 'Er, it's a little awkward. We don't really talk about it.'

'Oh, why not?' She couldn't stop herself from prying but he just smiled at her.

'Basically a few things went missing from the royal vault during the war, they all belonged to the Hogwarts founders I think. There was Hufflepuff's cup, Slytherin's locket, and Ravenclaw's diadem. It's all stuff that came into the family either through marriage but I think the diadem was gifted to us by Merlin.' He told her.

'So you had a break-in? Why is that awkward?' She asked.

He sighed. 'There wasn't a break-in. The king thinks my father had something to do with it.'

She linked her arm through his as they walked from the shadow of the large white stone castle. 'That sucks; do you think he did it?'

He rubbed his hands over hers to warm them, 'I'd like to say no but my dad is a dick so probably yeah.'

They said no more on the topic, Hermione could sense his discomfort on the subject.

The snow was sticking and they were having to walk heavily through it.

'So they're normally rose beds under all that.' He pointed to a large garden of snow covered flowers.

'There's the maze, don't go in alone honestly it's ridiculously hard, oh look the lake's frozen over.' He pointed out various highlights as they walked towards the massive gates to the palace.

There was beautifully cared for topiaries in the shapes of various magical creatures: Dragons and Hippogriffs as far as the eye could see.

The gates swung open by themselves upon their approach.

'Are you sure you want to walk down into town it's like a mile and it's really cold?' Draco asked.

Hermione rubbed her cold hands together and nodded. 'It's the oldest wizarding village in the world! Of course I'm sure! Can we go to the temple?'

Draco nodded and led her down the long road that led from the village of Regiis Terra to the Regia Palace.

The cold spurred them along and they made good time. 'Gods we're getting a coach back to the palace I'm freezing!' Draco complained as he rubbed his hands together in a desperate attempt to warm them.

The road was lined by tall but currently bare trees. 'You should come here in summer when all the cherry blossoms are on the trees it's actually gorgeous.' He said, gesturing to the many trees on either side of them.

The small village of Regiis Terra came into view.

The village boasted a population of one hundred and seventy-five witches and wizards. The small, twisting streets were lined with stone-wall cottages and its quaint beauty took away her breath. She found it to be a truly unspoiled gem nestled around the converging point of two rivers; they crossed a pretty footbridge across the water into the village centre.

'What do you think?' Draco asked her with a smile, seeing her impressed expression.

'It's gorgeous.' She gushed as she took in the village greens, duck ponds, cobbled streets and wood-beamed pubs that lined the streets. She could see plenty of fountains and what she imagined were rose gardens in the summer dotted around the cute ivy-clad cottages.

'It could be straight out of a storybook.' She smiled as she turned her gaze to the green meadows that surrounded the town. It was certainly a change of pace from the busy London streets she had grown up on; she decided on the spot that she would be living in this town when she was older.

All of the shops were shut for Christmas still but they had a good look in all the windows of the various shops as they passed by on their way to the temple on the far side of the village.

Hermione tried to be interested in the passing shops but all she could think about was the temple they were journeying to.

The stone buildings began to thin until they were walking up a think cobblestone pathway as the sun was beginning to dim, that was when she was it.

'We don't have long.' Draco told her, noticing the setting sun, they increased their pace.

The ancient temple to Vutris was looming in the distance. The bright orange from the setting sun in the distance illuminated the old stone structure.

'I thought the ancient temple was in Aberdeen? Isn't this one the new temple?' She asked him.

He laughed. 'Er "new" is about six hundred years old for the temples.'

Layers of moss were on every corner of the stone structure, but it didn't look wild and overgrown, it was as if nature was trying to reclaim it. It appeared to have been built from the same white stone as the palace, even though it was about four hundred years younger than the palace.

Massive stone pillars supported the breathtaking temple. Unlike the pristine stone of the castle wall, every surface of the temple wall outside was full of carvings in Latin of praise to the High Goddess Vutris.

As they drew closer Hermione realised that one lone stone pillar was actually a tombstone full of names.

She paused to read the top name and gasped as she saw who was buried there:

_Here Lies King Armand, Protector Of The People._

Underneath had been added in:

_And Queen Blythe The Peaceable,_

'Oh yeah, welcome to the royal graveyard.' Draco told her in a gloomy voice.

She scanned the names on the pillar, this was the grave for all of the kings and queens of the wizarding world.

Draco paused to put his hand on the lowest name on the list that was level with his forehead. 'This one's my Grandfather.' He told her and then gestured for them to go inside. 'Come on, it's cold.'

'Why is it a pillar?' She asked as they walked past another tomb-pillar that was about seven foot.

Draco shrugged as he opened the ancient wooden door for her. 'No idea, it's just something the old kings did and we all just carried it on because we're all suckers for tradition. When I was little I used to think they were stood up in the pillar, I didn't understand that it's just a cover to the tomb.'

'Have you ever been down there?' She asked, wondering what a royal mausoleum must be like.

He nodded. 'Yeah, when my granddad died. It's ridiculously fancy, it's not like once you're dead you need marble floors and art on the wall, I mean imagine painting a masterpiece for it to end up in a tomb.' He rolled his eyes.

'It must be big down there, you've got ten centuries of kings and queens down there.' She mused as she walked in, still looking back at the pillar.

'Yeah it stretches on for ages, still lots of empty spots, my dad morbidly showed me where my coffin will go when I die.' He added.

She frowned. 'That's grim of him - wait isn't it just kings that go down there?' She asked confused.

He frowned deeply and scratched the back of his head. 'Er, royal family. There's usually just one kid from every marriage so I think they're just going to chuck us all in there.'

She took her eyes from Draco to look into the temple and gasped. The first thing that had caught her eye was a massive statue in front of a golden altar at the end of a long isle flanked either side by stone pews that didn't look at all comfortable to sit on. It must have been at least thirty feet high and cast in the same white marble as the building, it must have been Vutris. She was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen, with very long hair of an unknown colour and a kind expression on her stone face, she wore long flowing robes that she thought wouldn't have been out of place in ancient Greece. On her head she wore a silver circlet, which Hermione imagined on a medieval princess, which rested on her forehead and was decorated with a large black stone in the middle. She wore a long purple cloak that she thought matched the ceremonial robes she had just seen in the royal vault, she wondered how many seamstresses it had taken to make a thirty foot cloak. In her left arm she held aloft a wand as though she was mid-spell, it was the most impressive and beautiful statue she had ever seen.

She pulled her eyes from the statue to scan the rest of the room. There was silver almost woven into the walls in an intricate pattern and incense was burning, giving out a honey sweet smell. On the floor around the statue were several purple cushions she could picture people kneeling on in prayer, then she remembered Vutris accepted sex rites and made a mental note not to touch any of the pillows.

Draco saw her look of disdain at the pillows and laughed. 'None of that happens here, there are private rooms upstairs wizards don't come here and have orgies.' He clutched his side as he laughed.

As they walked down the aisle she looked at the stone benches on either side and noted the same purple pillows on the seats.

On the altar was a silver knife and matching bowl along with a leather bound book on a stand that she knew would be full of prayers.

The floor around the statue was littered with offerings of fresh fruit and flowers for the goddess.

'Who put them there?' She asked, nodding at the flowers.

'Oh we have a service here every Christmas, the whole village and royal family cram in and give her flowers and fruit and whatnot.' He told her.

'So you were here yesterday?' She asked.

He nodded,' yeah the High Priestess wouldn't shut up we were here all afternoon, even my uncle was getting fed up by the end and he's more religious than anyone those marble benches aren't exactly comfy.'

'I've never seen any of the priestesses.' She said casually, looking up into the face of the beautiful Goddess of Magic.

'They'll be at the ball tonight; I'll point them out to you. Don't speak to them though or you'll never escape.' He warned.

She laughed though thought to herself that being trapped in a conversation with a Priestess of a religion she was only just discovering sounded like a brilliant way to spend her night, she figured Draco would merely roll his eyes at this news and kept her opinion to herself.

'Thanks for bringing me here Draco, this is perfect, it's just how I imagined it.' She gave him a tight hug, feeling his warmth through both of their cloaks.

'Sir?' The door to the temple opened to reveal a wizard dressed in black.

'Yes Kingsley?' Draco asked.

'Your uncle sent me to get you Sir.' The tall, dark man informed him.

'Well that's our cue.' Draco told her.

She took one last look at the massive statue and for one second she thought she heard a voice say her name softly, but nobody else reacted so she figured she was just freaking herself out.

There was a wooden carriage waiting for them outside the temple, it was pulled by two winged horses.

Hermione rushed forwards and stroked one of them. 'They're lovely.'

Draco stroked the nose of one of them. 'Matilda breeds them, they're bloody fast flyers.'

'Into the carriage if you will.' Kingsley told the pair sternly, he didn't seem to be very happy about standing in the rain while two children stroked the horses.

'Sorry Kingsley.' Draco smiled at him before helping Hermione into the carriage.

They rode back in silence until Hermione spoke.

'So Kingsley, what do you do?' She asked, noting his black uniform matched the one of the man guarding the crown jewels.

'I'm an Auror.' He told her and then resumed silence.

'He's head of the royal guard.' Draco told her in a bored voice, earning a glare from the tall man. 'Oh please, everyone knows you're head of the guard.' He shot back, rolling his eyes at the man.

They arrived back at the palace in good time and she was immediately pulled away from Draco and herded upstairs by Matilda's lady in waiting.

She was taken up to the royal family's private rooms that Draco had shown her before, and pushed into the room she knew belonged to Matilda.

'Ah, there you are Hermione dear.' It was Narcissa. The duchess was dressed in long flowing robes of a deep blue; her hair was twisted into an elegant knot.

She came over and embraced the girl. 'How was your Christmas dear?'

She smiled warmly at the woman. 'It was lovely, how was yours?'

Matilda emerged from the bathroom, she was dressed in shorts and a t-shirt but her hair was in a milkmaid braid. 'It was ghastly, that priestess had us on those bloody stone benches for hours.'

Narcissa rolled her eyes at the princess. 'It was lovely, thank you dear.'

She gestured for Hermione to sit down in front of the vanity and began brushing her hair.

...

Narcissa had done her hair to match Matilda's while the princess had given her a light cover of makeup.

'Right, dress.' Narcissa proclaimed excitedly. She walked over to one door that must have been the closet and retrieved a dress bag. 'Where did you put the mask dear?' She asked Matilda.

'Oh it's up here, I'll get it.' She said, reaching up on top of a large dresser. As she reached up her top pulled up over her stomach and revealed a long, mangled scar that stretched over her entire torso, Hermione gasped though neither woman noticed.

'I think it needs a necklace, you can borrow one of mine.' Matilda told her as she handed her the mask.

'Here you go dear go on and get dressed.' Narcissa handed her the garment bag and gestured to the walk-in-closet.

...

Before the dinner she and Draco had agreed to swap Christmas presents, once she had been given the seal of approval by Narcissa and Matilda she went off to Draco's rooms in the palace.

The suite of Draco's family was lavish in the extreme, it was much larger than the suite she had been given across the hall, and she suspected that one of the vases on the mantle was worth more than her entire muggle street back in London.

'Draco?' She called.

'Coming!' His voice came from the door on her left.

He wore black robes with a purple mask and a purple sash which bore the royal arms, though he wore no crown yet.

'You look lovely.' He said, remarking on her black Bardot dress that almost seemed like an exact image of the night's sky, it twinkled and sparkled as she moved, no doubt magic was woven into the fabric.

She held out her wrapped gift. 'Present time!'

He smiled and produced a gift from behind his back.

They sat together on the couch in front of the roaring fire and he handed her his gift.

She eagerly tore off the no doubt expensive wrapping paper to reveal a book.

'_Histories of the Ancient World!' _She remembered eyeing the book in Diagon Alley when they were shopping before the start of term. 'Thank you! I've wanted this for ages!'

She eagerly flicked open to the table of contents. '_Blood Magic and it's roots, The Carnal rites, Origin of the Gods, _I can't wait to read it!'

He smiled. 'Thought you'd like it.' He smiled.

'This ones from the family.' He said, holding out another gift for her.

'But I didn't get them presents!' She was shocked.

He laughed. 'You're not allowed to, you can't technically buy members of the royal family presents it's seen as carrying favour. Haven't you noticed none of our friends ever get me birthday presents of anything?'

She shook her head. 'But I get you presents!'

'You're exempt. You can't try and get favour when you already have it.'

She rolled her eyes at his remark and tore the paper from it. It was a long black cloak that matched her dress. 'It's gorgeous.' She gushed as she fingered the thick and twinkling fabric.

'It goes with your dress.' He remarked. 'My mum must have ordered it when she got your dress.'

She put the cloak down and handed him his present. 'Thought we could add to your blood traitor status.'

He grinned and pulled off the paper. It was also a book, _Space. _

'You seemed to enjoy the science museum.' She said as he eagerly flicked through the pages.

'It's brilliant!' He exclaimed and drew her into a hug.

A knock at the door broke them apart. 'Sir?' It was the same guard that had been watching the crown jewels.

He carried the same silver crown Draco had worn last year and a thick heavy necklace.

'Who's that for?' Draco asked as he took the crown from the pillow and placed it onto his head.

'The Princess sent it for Miss Granger.' The guard told him.

'She said I could borrow a necklace I didn't think she meant crown jewels!' Hermione gasped. 'I can't wear that!'

It was a thick chain that sparkled in the light like her dress, at the end sat a large emerald.

'You have to; it would be rude to refuse. I suppose we've leant them out before.' He mused. 'Not that big a deal.'

She sighed and picked up the necklace, it was heavy. She held it up to Draco, 'do me up?'

He walked behind her and fastened the necklace for her, his fingers lingering to brush lightly against her neck. 'There, you're done.'

She stepped away from him, and fingered her mask to make sure it was still in place, it too twinkled in the light.

'Well, I won't lose you in a crowd.' Draco teased.

'It's too much isn't it? I look ridiculous.' She fretted.

He shook his head. 'You look perfect, you look royal actually.' He mock bowed to her and she laughed and curtsied back.

He held out an arm. 'Shall we, my lady?' He joked.

She placed her arm in his and laughed. 'Lead the way, my lord.'

All the guests for the dinner were in the grand hall stood enjoying a glass of champagne as they entered, people bowed to Draco as they walked by.

'My father looks like he's about explode.' He smiled as he handed her a glass from a nearby footman's tray.

She scanned the room and found Lucius stood next to an aging man in gray robes, he did indeed look like he was about to explode, his eyes were fixed firmly on her.

'If looks could kill.' She muttered.

The Dukes eyes kept flicking from the necklace she was wearing to their linked arms to the expensive dress she wore.

'He can't do anything; you are my uncle's guest.' Draco assured her. 'He can't even do so much as yell at me over this, my uncle alone is in charge of the black invites and Matilda wants you to wear the necklace.'

They spotted Dumbledore across the hall wearing a rather extravagant mask with the feathers of a peacock and gave him a friendly wave.

A gong sounded. 'My lords and ladies, dinner is served.' Banes decreed from the doorway.

Everyone placed their empty champagne glasses down on a small table as they left the great hall and went through into the dining room.

The servants had done a fabulous job of it. There were candles on every free surface and the long table was adorned with bright flowers and golden plates.

There were place cards on each table. She did a double take as she saw the Minister for Magic would be sat on her right, she was thankful Draco would be on her left.

Everyone took their seats and Hermione stared blankly at the masses of cutlery in front of her.

Draco leaned over, 'start at the outside and work your way in, just copy me.' He told her and she nodded.

The seat at the end of each table was empty and a trumpet sounded, everyone rose from their seats as the King and Matilda entered.

Armand wore the King's crown and Matilda wore the intricate golden crown that had been made for her mother.

'Welcome my friends!' The king declared. 'I won't hold you all with a speech, I'm sure you're all just as hungry as I am!' He gestured with his hand and everyone was seated again.

Wine was poured as the amuse bouche was served. She was thankful she had glimpsed the menu for the night otherwise she would have no idea what was in front of her.

They were beginning with hot crab pinwheel's, she watched as everyone ate them in one bite and followed it down with the small glass of wine they had each been poured.

She'd never had crab before so she took a deep breath and placed the small food in her mouth, she was surprised by its sweet flavour.

'I hear you were moved up two years at school?' Fudge spoke from her right as he finished his wine.

'Yes Sir.' She answered.

She was prevented from speaking again as the next course had arrived. There would be several courses, this was the soup course.

She had no idea what it was since it was French but it was wonderful and sweet, she suspected sweetness would be a common theme for the evening's meal.

'The king tells me that we have you to thank for the new policy on house elves?' The minister continued.

She coughed on her soup and had to gulp down some wine to clear her throat, she elbowed Draco who was silently laughing next to her.

'His majesty is too kind, we only spoke about house elves once.' She was finally able to answer.

'And yet with one conversation you had him convinced to change a millennia old law.' Fudge looked deeply impressed.

She didn't eat any more of her soup, not wanting to cough and embarrass herself more; several people also seemed to be saving room for the later courses so she didn't dwell on it.

'I expect you'll be challenging more laws once you finish school.' Fudge mused.

She thought for a moment. 'Well, why wait that long? You can change all the unfair laws right now.' She told the minister as she sipped on her wine.

The minister paused on his own wine and frowned at what she imagined was the most intimidating face he could manage. 'What unfair laws would those be?'

She frowned back. 'Where do you want me to start?' She asked. 'Prejudice against Werewolves is clear in the law, restriction of land from Merepeople and Centaurs, cutting of funding from the Dragon research programs?'

Fudge turned back to his soup and scowled at it. 'Yes well, when you're older and in a prominent ministry position you can challenge any laws you like.'

Draco was laughing into his soup as Hermione put the minister through his paces, at the end of the table she saw King Armand beaming at her as he watched the spectacle, on the kings right Lucius was glaring at her and hissing at his brother.

The soup was cleared away and replaced with a plate of chicken and roast potato in a sweet sauce that she happily woofed down.

The minister had begun talking to the French Ambassador Mister Dubois about some new French policy he was trying to bring in so she turned to speak to Draco.

'Matilda's going to kill my uncle, he's sat her next to the Swedish ambassador and he's dull as nails.' He whispered to her, they could see Matilda with a polite smile on her face engaging the old Ambassador in conversation; she was clearly bored out of her mind.

Once she was happily full of potato the plates were cleared away and replaced with a leafy salad containing spinach, red onion and peppers.

She spared a glance to the King who now seemed to be having a very quiet argument with his brother next to him, nobody had yet to notice the pair, and she could only guess they were arguing about her presence here.

Once the salad had been devoured the plates were again replaced with a selection of cheese and more wine. Hermione and Draco, both young were only being given very small amounts of wine and she wondered how the adults with their full glasses would manage to walk out of the room without falling over.

Desert was a chocolate biscuit cake that Hermione thoroughly enjoyed.

Once everyone had finished their cake and the plates had been cleared the King stood. 'Our other guests have begun to arrive for the ball, if you would care to go through my family and I will join you all soon.'

Hermione stood to follow the crowd. 'Who are you escorting in this time?' She asked Draco.

He shrugged. 'Swedish Ambassadors granddaughter I think, she's so clumsy she nearly broke my toe last time we danced.'

She supressed a giggle. 'Good luck, try not to break anything I expect a dance out of you.'

He saluted her. 'Yes m'am. Blaise should be here, go find him and keep out of trouble.'

She laughed. 'Don't worry I'll be good.'

She left the royal family behind to go and find her friends.

...

Her friends were all dressed splendidly, the masks had made it slightly harder to find them but eventually her eyes had landed on Blaise in his impressive blue suit and he waved her over.

'Please tell me that's not the Countess of Chester necklace?' Blaise whispered to her once their friends attention was drawn away.

She nodded. 'Matilda lent it to me for the night. It's not a big deal Draco said they lend stuff like this out all the time.'

Blaise frowned. 'Er, yeah sure. No big deal.' He downed his small glass of champagne and joined their friends watching the royal unicorns run outside in the snow.

After a few minutes of the servants making sure everyone had a drink and the trumpets were going off to herald the arrival of the royal family.

The King entered first on his own and everyone bowed or curtseyed to him, he cut an impressive figure with his golden crown.

Next entered the Princess, on her arm was the Minister of Magic, her beautiful silver crown rested on top of her crown braid.

The Duke and Duchess entered together, both wearing their coronets.

Finally came Draco, he was escorting the Swedish Ambassador's granddaughter as he had predicted. She seemed to be a few years younger than him; she'd probably start at Beauxbatons next year.

The procession made its way over to the two thrones at the other end of the hall.

The King, who had several more gray hairs appearing in his thinning blond hair, took his place on the throne to the right. His daughter took her place stood behind him. Draco and his parents stood behind the empty throne on the right.

'My dear friends, Happy Christmas!' The King began.

'Merry Christmas!' The crowd chorused back.

'What a wonderful year we have had! As we look to the New Year I ask you all to continue in the spirit of peace and unity that we have followed these past years since the war. Only by working together can the wizarding world prosper!'

There was a loud applause to this small speech, though Hermione noticed that the Duke didn't clap.

The family, minus the King who stayed on his throne, made their way to the centre of the ballroom.

The Orchestra on the stage began and the guests watched as the royal family and their guests waltzed gracefully around the floor.

Again the guests applauded as the dance came to an end and Draco made his way over to his friends for a quick word before he had to make the rounds greeting his honoured guests.

'She stepped on my toe four times!' He hissed at Hermione who failed to suppress her laughter.

Draco laughed with her for a moment before being called away by his mother to make the rounds.

She spent the time without him dancing with each of her friends. Blaise pulled her quickly around the floor in a fast pace dance that had them both in hysterics as they tried to keep up.

'I'm going to the toilet.' She told Daphne before ducking out of the room.

It was on her way back into the room that she came face to face with her worst nightmare, the Duke.

'Miss Granger.' He came to stand in front of her; he was stood a little too close for her liking.

She nodded her head and took a step backwards from him. 'Sir.'

He took a step closer to her again. 'You may think yourself-'

'Uncle!'

They both turned around, it was Matilda who had come to her rescue.

'Matilda! Fancy meeting you here.' He sneered as he took a step away from Hermione.

'Well it is my house.' Matilda replied dryly. 'What are you two doing?'

'We were just talking.' Lucius replied.

Matilda looked past him to the terrified expression on Hermione's face.

She turned to the guard in black stood across the room. 'Tom? My Uncle is tired, please see him back to his room.'

The tall guard nodded and crossed the room to Lucius.

'I'm not tired.' Lucius replied dryly.

Matilda looked at him menacingly, with an expression that made Hermione flinch away.

'No? Fine. Tom my uncle is being a dick please take him back to his room and don't let him out, the go to the King and tell him he was about to threaten Hermione.'

'Yes ma'am.' Hermione found herself slightly jealous that Matilda got to live with such a handsome guard as she listened to his deep voice, he was ridiculously tall with dark hair and piercing green eyes.

The guard took Lucius' arm and led him up the stairs, the Duke didn't put up a fight, and the threat of his brother finding out about his behaviour had silenced him.

'Come on Hermione, let's get you some air.' Matilda put her hand on Hermione's lower back and pushed her outside. She paused to grab two orange drinks from a tray as they left.

Hermione braced against the cold in her thin black dress as she took a seat on a nearby bench.

Matilda sat down next to her and handed her the drink. 'It's a cocktail, don't tell anyone I gave you that.'

Hermione smiled and took a drink of the fruity drink, she couldn't taste any alcohol and drank it all happily.

'Thanks for saving me; I don't understand why he hates me so much.' She told the princess.

'He sucks that's why. He's a blood purist that fell in with Voldemort, couldn't tell you why my granddad and my dad don't give two shits about blood.' Matilda told her.

Hermione sighed, then a thought of something she had seen earlier came to mind. 'If you don't mind me asking, how did you get that scar on your tummy? I can't think of any curse that would leave a mark like that.'

Matilda downed her drink. 'Yeah you won't find any curse like this in a Hogwarts book. So Draco hasn't told you? I thought he might have, I suppose my dad's gag order is too much... I have no idea how I got it, I remember walking down the street with my mum and the next thing I knew I was in a hospital bed a week later.'

So Hermione's theory was right, she had gotten that scar when the Queen was killed.

'So it is a cursed scar? I'm so sorry, I can't imagine what it must have been like.' Was all she could think to say as she twisted her empty cocktail glass in her hand.

Matilda smiled. 'It was a long time ago, you're realy nice Hermione, I'm glad Draco has you. Hey, will you promise me something?'

Hermione nodded.

'Just- look after him okay? Royal life can get complicated it's good to have someone to keep you grounded.' Matilda told her honestly.

Hermione nodded. 'Of course, he's my best friend.'

Matilda smiled. 'Speaking of my cousin, we should go back inside before he sends a search party out for you. We can't spend all the ball sat here morbidly discussing the death of one Queen and the cursing of the future Queen, let's dance.'

Matilda left her in the capable hands of Fred and George, who each took a turn leading her around the dance floor and making her laugh, as usual when she spent time with the duo her face ended up hurting from laughing too much.

They took her over to the rest of their family, Ron was not in attendance again this year. The two older Weasley siblings Bill and Charlie had come home for the ball. Bill told her all about his work as a curse breaker much to her fascination he told her all about n encounter he'd had with a mummy not two weeks ago as they danced in a slow waltz, Charlie then led her around the dance floor and told her all about the dragons he worked with and she told him all about the dragon she had smuggled out of the castle the year before. She then endured a dance with Percy who lectured her all about how to become a prefect. She sat down for a few minutes with Ginny, this was her first ball, and they gossiped about all the other guests and Hermione lightly teased her for her obvious crush on Harry whom she couldn't stop watching across the room with Neville and offered her some advice on dealing with boys she liked.

'Honoured guests!' The King spoke from the stage.

'May I present Celestina Warbeck performing with the Hogwarts choir and Miss Daphne Greengrass!'

Hermione could see the panic on Daphne's face as she entered the stage, they hadn't had a chance to perform yet as the school performance had been cancelled due to the attack on Justin and Nick so Hermione gave her a reassuring thumbs up as she took to the stage with a world famous singer.

Draco was finally freed from a conversation with the Bulgarian Minister and made his way over to her.

'Dance with me.' He muttered into her ear and led her onto the dance floor as the music began.

Daphne sang beautifully with the singing sorceress in a version of "A Christmas Cauldron full of Love" and she and Draco twirled around the floor with the other couples.

The song ended to great applause and Daphne was hugged by Warbeck before she rushed off the stage and into the delighted arms of her family, Hermione couldn't help notice that her younger sister was beginning to look a little pale and was reminded of her blood curse that would end her life in only a few years and instantly felt guilty for having such a good time.

Warbeck sang a few more songs and Draco and Hermione danced to all of them.

Finally the witch had sung her final song and curtseyed to the King as he joined her on the stage.

'Isn't she just fantastic? Ladies and gentlemen give another round of applause to Miss Celestina Warbeck!' Now, I've got a little treat for you all because of the snow, I've arranged for us all to go on midnight sleigh rides!'

Excited chatter filled the hall and the guests began to mill outside where several carriages were waiting, they were being pulled by the beautiful winged horses that Matilda bred.

Draco had disappeared for a moment but soon returned with his cloak and her new cloak that matched her dress.

He helped her into a carriage and climbed in after her, some of the carriages carried groups of six or four but their carriage contained just the two of them.

A servant appeared with a thick blanket for them which were being handed out to all carriages and another carried a tray of hot chocolate.

Hermione lent into Draco's warmth as she sipped on her hot drink while the carriages began to move out of the castle gates.

Draco wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in closer.

She smiled happily as her head rested on his shoulder. 'Your uncles a genius.'

He laughed lightly. 'Well, he is the King.'

The carriage ride went through the town they had been exploring earlier and passed the ancient temple before turning and returning to the castle through the rolling fields that surrounded Regiis Terra.

'That was amazing.' She said to Draco as he helped her down from the carriage.

He smiled. 'It was nice to actually get you to myself for a few minutes tonight.'

The rest of the ball was amazing, she danced with all of her friends again including Neville and Harry and encouraged Harry to dance with Ginny, which he did much to the youngest Weasley's delight.

The ball ended with fireworks that could only be described as breathtaking, she had been stood between Draco and Daphne, the three of them huddled underneath a blanket as they watched the bright display in the sky.

All the last guests finally left and it was only the people with a black invite that remained.

The King bid everyone a goodnight and left for bed, Matilda muttered to Hermione that he was probably going to go and yell at his brother for how he spoke to her earlier.

'Want to go on a night time walk?' Draco asked and she nodded eagerly, though it was two am she was too excited to sleep.

Draco swung her new black cape around her shoulders before fastening his own, and pulling her outside.

It was still snowing as they made their way towards the frozen lake and they both pulled the hoods up on their capes and linked hands.

'Did you have fun?' He asked her as they came to a stop.

She smiled up at him. 'Best night of my life, that sleigh ride was amazing!'

A family of unicorns ran past them, they seemed to glow in the moonlight.

Draco turned to face her. 'I'm so glad I met you.'

She smiled back. 'I'm happy I met you too.'

His eyes flicked down to her lips and then back to her lips. 'You're not wearing the pin I got you.' He reached up to finger a stray curl that had fallen from her braid.

'I sent it to the bank.' She told him. 'I wanted to keep it safe.'

'I'm sorry.' Was all he could say as he stepped closer to her.

'I'm sorry too.' She told him as he leaned in closer to her lips.

Both of their eyes fluttered closed, any moment now their lips would finally touch.

'Draco? Are you out here?' It was one of the black guards, they jumped away from each other.

'Couldn't have waited ten more seconds could they?' He muttered to her. 'I'm here!' He called over.

He gestured at the palace and they began the walk back through the snow.

He came to a stop outside the door to her suite. 'Night Hermione.' He said quietly and lowered her head to kiss her forehead lightly, 'I wish my father wasn't an obstacle,' he was gone when her eyes opened again. She found her fingers kept brushing against the spot on her forehead that his lips had pressed to as she got ready for bed in her beautiful room.

The thoughts of their almost-kiss lingered on their minds as they tried and failed to fall asleep in their comfortable beds.

......................

The Yule breakfast the next morning was basically a feast with mimosas. There was no seating plan for this meal so she sat between Draco and Matilda making jokes about all of the hung-over ambassadors.

The King was sat at the head of the table again but he spent the entire meal glaring at his brother at the other end of the table.

'I take it he spoke to him?' She whispered to Matilda.

Matilda frowned at her apple and cinnamon porridge. 'Talk is one word for it. They were yelling at each other for an hour.'

Hermione felt incredibly awkward. 'I really don't think I'm worth all this upset.'

Draco answered before Matilda could. 'Well the rest of us do, ignore my dad he's a dick and nobody listens to him.'

The Duke was ignoring his brothers glares and was spending the entire breakfast glaring at Hermione.

The King took notice of this and seemed to snap.

'Hermione dear.' The King spoke loudly.

'Yes sir?' She was shocked to be singled out like this in front of everyone; the eyes of everyone were now on her.

'I was wondering if you would join us for the Easter garden party this year?'

She heard Draco and Matilda quietly gasp next to her.

'I would love to Sir, thank you.' She replied and the King went back to eating his breakfast of sausages and pancakes.

'What's the Easter party?' She whispered to Matilda.

'It's one of the most exclusive parties of the year. It's usually just us and all the different Ministers. He's never invited anyone else.' Matilda whispered back.

The King was now glancing at his brother with a smug expression, the Duke looked ready to draw his wand on his brother.

Eventually it was time for her to return home, she thanked the royal family for having her to stay and hugged Draco and Matilda goodbye before stepping into the large green flames and emerging back home in London.


	27. A Warning

The train back to Hogwarts was spent listening to the complaints of Pansy, whose entire family had missed the Christmas Ball due to a sickness bug.

'What could have made you all sick?' Millie had asked her.

'Probably Christmas dinner, it's a shame they changed the laws on punishing elves.' The girl had replied.

Draco leaned over and whispered in Hermione's ear. 'Odd her entire family got sick after Matilda sent them a bottle of wine as a present.'

She had raised an eyebrow. 'I thought the royal family don't usually do presents?'

Draco had smiled. 'They don't, bet Pansy was chuffed to get it, it's a real shame it made them ill.'

Hermione had suppressed a laugh. 'Yes, a shame. I'm sure she would have loved a carriage ride with you.'

...

Everyone settled back into classes immediately. The attacks of the previous term seemed to be remaining in the past as students began to feel freer to roam around the corridors alone again, not that Hermione was ever left alone, and her permanent Slytherin guard were annoying her to no end.

She had sat down for lunch on her second week back next to Harry and Neville on the Gryffindor table.

'Hey Mione.' Neville greeted her as she sat down. Since the four friends had gone down to fight Voldemort at the end of last year nobody batted an eye when people sat a different table, it was very common now to spot a Slytherin sat with the Gryffindor's or a Ravenclaw with the Hufflepuff's.

'Did you hear?' Harry asked her conversationally.

She shook her head, panic rose in her as she suspected there may have been another attack.

'Moaning Myrtles flooded the bathroom again.' Neville told her.

She playfully hit Harry on the arm, 'Gods don't scare me like that! I thought something serious had happened!'

Neville laughed at her reaction.

'So anyway we went in and she was her usual charming self.' Harry continued. 'Someone threw a book at her, can't say I blame them.'

'Why throw a book at a ghost? What moron tried that?' Hermione asked.

Neville shrugged. 'She didn't see, they chucked it down the loo she was hiding in.'

Hermione frowned as she plated up some sausages for herself. 'So someone was trying to get rid of it?'

Fred and George came and sat down next to the small group. 'Who's getting rid of what?' Fred asked, slinging his arm around Hermione's shoulder and stealing one of her sausages.

Harry made sure nobody else was looking before reaching into his bag and pulling out a small, thin black book, it was old and shabby looking.

'Someone tried to flush this in Myrtle's bathroom.' Neville told the twins.

The identical duo exchanged a glance. 'And you just picked it up? Are you an idiot?' George asked surprised.

Fred nodded. 'It could have been cursed!'

Neville raised a brow. 'When did you two become the voice of reason?'

Fred frowned at him. 'How dare you, voice of reason my arse.'

'You should see some of the books the Ministry's confiscated. Dad's told me all about them, there was one that burned your eyes out and all sorts.'

Harry rolled his eyes. 'Well I've still got my eyes, it clearly isn't cursed.'

Hermione held out her hand and Harry gave her the book.

The faded cover told her that it was fifty years old and that it had belonged to a T.M. Riddle.

'I know that name.' Fred said, looking at the book over her shoulder. 'He got an award for special services to the school.'

Hermione looked at him in surprise. 'How in the Gods names did you know that?'

'Do you realise how many times Filch has made me scrub that entire trophy room in detention? Cause it's a lot.'

The pages inside were blank, not even faded writing remained. 'Why would someone want to hide an empty book?' She asked the group earning shrugs in return.

She turned the book over. 'Must have been a Muggle-born. This is from Vauxhall Road.'

She handed the book back to Harry who returned it to his bag.

....................

Hermione was huddled in front of the fire in the Slytherin common room underneath a thick patchwork blanket Daphne had put on her before retiring to bed.

She was reading the book Draco had gifted her for Christmas.

_Ancient Encounters_

_In the kingdom of Mercia it was reported that all three of the Gods appeared to a young woman named Eldreda. Her young husband had been killed in battle and she begged the Gods to spare him, offering her life in return. It was reported that the Gods appeared before her and the dead man was returned to life once more. Exactly twenty-four hours later the young woman died, her life had been taken in exchange for the injured man. _

_This is further evidence that the Gods protected the balance of all things in the ancient world._

'Any good bits?' Draco asked, jumping down on the couch next to her.

She shut the book. 'Yeah, I'm learning so much! We should do another ritual next full moon, there's loads to try in this book.'

Draco pulled out a still-sealed letter and tore it open. 'Sure. Oh for God's sake not again.'

She leaned over to read the letter. 'What's up?'

He laughed. 'My uncles tried brewing his own wine again. He's managed to poison himself, again.'

Hermione laughed. 'He's not the most conventional King is he?'

'My mum's having to meet with the council tomorrow because he's given himself and Matilda a sickness bug.' Draco rolled his eyes and put the letter down.

He pulled himself under her blanket and put his cold hands on her neck, making her shriek and push him off.

He laughed as they finally settled in under the blanket. 'So how was your day?' He asked.

She threw her head back against his shoulder and groaned. 'Gods, Snape's got me doing so much I'm tired all the time. Then there's Harry and that bloody book.'

'What book?'

'Oh this diary he found, it's empty but someone tried to flush it down Myrtle's toilet so it's clearly something but we've got barely anything to go on.' She sighed and shut her eyes.

'Well what do you have to go on?' He asked. 'I wouldn't worry, if anyone can crack it it's you.'

She smiled. 'Thanks, er we know it's a book from Muggle London, it's fifty years old, and it belonged to someone called Riddle.'

Draco sat up. 'I know that name.'

She waved him off. 'No he won an award for services to the school.'

Draco shook his head. 'No I remember Matilda telling me about some murder of a family called Riddle, I think it was Riddle anyway. Want me to write to her and see what they know?'

She nodded. 'Yes please!'

She let out a yawn and he smiled down at her, he'd grown another inch now while she remained the same.

'Come on shorty, let's get you to bed.' He pulled her up against her protests and took the book from her hands and pushed her towards the girl's corridor. 'Go to sleep, you can have your book back in the morning.'

She rolled her eyes but admitted she was exhausted and went off to bed. 'Yes, dad.' She teased over her shoulder.

...

'It's just over here.' Fred pulled her by the hand over to a display case in the trophy room.

'This one?' She asked, they had come to a stop in front of a large, old-looking trophy.

Fred nodded and she leaned in to read the plaque.

_For services to the school_

_Tom. M. Riddle. _

_1943_

_Awarded by Armando Dippet_

'Damn, I wish it said what he was given it for.' She sighed.

Fred nodded. 'See that's actually really weird, cause all the others do. Look, "for saving a drowning student" and this one is "for healing students of the plague" wow that's an old one. That's the only one that doesn't give a reason.'

Hermione frowned and looked up at Fred. 'So why wouldn't his say what he did?'

Fred shrugged. 'Must have done something top secret.'

'The chamber was last opened fifty years ago and it stopped for no reason.' She mused. 'Maybe he caught whoever was doing it.'

Fred nodded. 'That's a good theory.'

'Thanks for showing me this, I'm going to go see what it says in the Library.'

...

'Nothing! There is absolutely nothing about a Tom Riddle in the library, not even in the Prophet archives!' She slumped down on the Gryffindor table next to Fred and Harry.

Draco came and sat down across from her with Neville by his side. 'Honestly Neville, you're a pure-blood you're not getting attacked.'

Hermione frowned. 'Why what's happened?'

Draco poured her a glass of orange juice before pouring his own. 'Neville's bought himself a protective amulet.'

'Neville? Why?' She asked the boy.

Neville pulled the amulet out his pocket. 'Everyone knows I was nearly a Squib, I just want to stay safe.'

Hermione took the amulet from him. 'I thought Snape put a stop to this nonsense selling, Neville this is just glass it's not protecting you from anything.'

Neville frowned and looked embarrassed, 'I just don't want to get hurt.'

Hermione smiled kindly at him. 'It's okay you're scared, but trust me, you're safe.'

'But everyone knows I'm useless at magic.' He mumbled into his potatoes.

'Nev, you're not a bad wizard! You've literally just started using your new wand. Give it time and you'll be surprised at the change.' She told him. 

Draco nodded. 'Yeah Nev, you willingly jumped into a chasm in the school to go and fight Voldemort, nobody thinks you're a bad wizard.'

...

As the term progressed Hermione couldn't help it as her thoughts dwelled on the gruesome scar she had seen on Matilda as she got ready for the ball together.

She'd flicked through all the books she thought of in the library, including those in the restricted section and so far had found no spell that could leave a mark like the one she had seen on the Princess.

The image of the large scar that looked as though it was branded onto her was prominent in her mind but she felt she couldn't just go to Draco and ask him what had happened, she thought that for once she might be prying too much into a families private affairs but she just couldn't stop herself once the thought had entered her mind.

'Sir?' She had decided to bring the subject of curses up during her DADA lesson with Snape one night, if anyone would know about dark curses it would be her all-knowing mentor.

'What?' He asked, looking up from his marking. She was supposed to be writing an essay for him on Werewolves in silence at the present moment.

'I wanted to ask you about curses.'

He put one of his papers down. 'I had planned to cover those at the end of the year.'

'It's about a specific incident.' She added.

He sighed and stood from his desk. 'Okay, hit me.'

She smiled at his relaxed speech, she loved that her mentor was so strict with everyone but her.

'I was wondering what curse could leave a massive scar that looks like a mix of a burn and a lightning strike?'

Snape frowned at her. 'Has someone been attacked?'

She shook her head. 'No it's just something I was reading about but it didn't go into enough detail really.'

He nodded. 'Yeah, there are curses that can do things like that. They wouldn't be in the library they're all illegal.'

'Do you have books like that?' She asked.

'Why so interested?' He asked.

She felt a little bad for lying but she knew that the scar on the princess was a secret. 'You know me, Sir, can't stop once I've got the scent.'

He rolled his eyes and went over to the locked door of his desk and pulled it open. 'Here. Don't show this to anyone or I'll lose my job.'

_Spells of the Darkest Art _the title read. 'Thanks, Sir. I'll read it once I've finished all my essays.'

He nodded. 'Almost every spell in there is illegal, never use them.'

She nodded and tucked the book into her bag before continuing with her essay.

...

As the weeks passed by without incident the attacks on all the students fell to the back of everyone's mind, her personal Slytherin guard even lightened up much to her joy.

She had been walking with Harry and Neville when they overheard Lockhart bragging to Professor McGonagall, he was taking credit for the end of the attacks. 'I doubt there will be any more trouble Minnie. I dare say the Chamber is locked up for good this time. The culprit must have known that I was hot on the trail and got scared. Now all we need is a bit of a morale booster!'

'Did he just call her Minnie?' Neville whispered to the pair.

Hermione nodded. 'I think Lockhart will be lucky if he doesn't mysteriously disappear by the end of the year.'

Lockhart's morale booster became clear in February on the morning of Valentine's Day. For a moment Hermione and Draco thought they had walked through the wrong doors into the great hall, the walls were all covered with pink flowers and painted hearts. He had somehow got the ceiling to rain down heart-shaped confetti that people were angrily picking out of their morning porridge and tea.

Daphne and Blaise pointed at the teacher's table in answer to their questioning looks. Lockhart was wearing pink robes to match the room; he was waving his hand for silence as the teachers sat either side of him were looking angry. At the end of the teacher's table, Hagrid was harshly thumping Professor Sprout on the back, who was choking on the confetti.

Hermione cast her eyes to Snape at the other end of the table and almost laughed as he angrily brushed pink confetti from his black robes.

'Happy Valentine's Day! Thank you to the fifty people that have so far sent me a card!' He bellowed cheerfully.

Blaise leaned over to whisper in Draco's ear. 'Yeah right, if anyone's dumb enough to send him a card I'll eat my wand.'

'I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all!' Lockhart continued.

'Liberty looks like a stretch.' Tracey muttered as the group noticed Dumbledore looking stony-faced as his eyes scanned the monstrosity of decorations that were occupying his hall.

'Don't think the surprise ends here!' Lockhart added cheerfully. A dozen dwarves entered all looking like they had been force-fed Skele-Grow if the stony expressions on their faces were anything to go by, they had all been forced into wearing golden wings and were carrying little harps. 

'That's not at all demeaning.' Hermione muttered to Daphne who was looking bemused at the spectacle.

'My little helpers here will be roaming the school today to deliver your valentines. I'm sure my fellow teachers will help in the spirit of the occasion! Why not ask Snape how to brew a love potion, or Flitwick about Entrancing Enchantments!' Both teachers looked like any student who asked them this would be murdered.

All day long the dwarfs kept barging into their classes to deliver valentines, to the frustration of all. Although Fred and George were relishing the chance to cause chaos and were gleeful as a dwarf burst into their Transfiguration lesson to serenade a red-faced Professor McGonagall, though she did laugh along with the class as the song complimented her beautiful cat whiskers.

She'd had to have a word with Ginny about subtlety after she had sent a singing telegram to Harry. 'Harry doesn't like bold things like this, just try being his friend and never again compare his eyes to toads.' Ginny, however, had seemed very distracted through their conversation, she thought she had heard Ginny muttering about getting something back somehow.

Harry had spent all of dinner complaining that his ink pot had smashed and ruined a lot of his belongings in his escape attempt and left for his common room in order to search through his belongings for salvable items.

...

The full moon was high in the sky as the young pair made their way outside underneath Harry's invisibility cloak. Hermione had a bunch of fresh flowers from the greenhouse tucked under her arm and Draco carried a bag of fruit. They were going to leave offerings to Vutris, who accepted such offerings instead of sex magic.

They had to walk slightly into the forbidden forest as Hermione had read that when done correctly the spell would have a visual impact and she didn't want to get in trouble again.

'Here's far enough.' She said once they were obscured by the tree line but not far enough into the forest to feel scared.

This ritual would be different from the others they had done for Atune, there would be no salt circle or blood.

Hermione pulled out her wand and cast a slicing charm; she delicately carved the runes from her book into a large stone near them which she then places the offerings of flowers and fruit on top of the carvings. They were attempting a very powerful protection spell.

'Ready?' She asked Draco, reaching out her hand towards him.

He nodded. 'Ready.' He placed his hand into hers.

'Dea dona nobis praesidium.' They both chanted together.

'Dea dona nobis praesidium.' They continued as the wind picked up around them.

'Dea dona nobis praesidium.' They could both feel heat rising around them as suddenly the trees surrounding them burst into a brilliant blue flame.

'Dea dona nobis praesidium.' A light seemed to be coming from the runes on the stone she had carved.

'Dea dona nobis praesidium.' Hermione gasped as she felt a sudden pain on her wrist, Draco also flinched as his wrist also had a sudden wave of pain.

'Dea dona nobis praesidium.' She could feel blood running down both of their wrists into their joined hands, this hadn't been described in the book at all.

'Dea dona nobis praesidium.' Time seemed to freeze.

'Hermione.' She heard a faint voice calling; she looked over to Draco but seemed to be frozen along with the flames.

'Hermione you are in grave danger. The monster is real and it wants you.' The voice was high like a beautiful melody despite it's warning.

The presence of a Goddess became too much for the young witch and she felt a blackness in the corner of her vision before she hit the floor unconscious.


	28. Branded

Hermione eventually came round as she felt something cold and wet on her forehead.

'What's going on?' She managed to mumble.

'Oh thank the gods.' It was Draco, she managed to open her heavy eyes.

She was in his bed and he was mopping her brow.

'How did we get here?' She asked him, slowly sitting up.

He gestured for her to be quiet. 'Everyone's asleep. I carried you. I didn't know where else to take you, you said the final line and then you just passed out.'

She shook her head. 'No, there was a voice. Didn't you hear it?'

He shook his head. 'What voice?'

'It said - it said I was in danger, that the monster was real. It was crazy, everything seemed to freeze and then I heard it. I probably dreamed it if I fainted.' She mumbled.

Draco shook his head. 'I don't think so. I think that Vutris spoke to you!'

Hermione shook her head. 'Why would the High Goddess speak to me? I'm not important.'

Draco frowned at her. 'Well yes you are but we'll get back to that. A Goddess spoke to you.'

She shook her head in denial again. 'No, the ritual mustn't have worked.'

Draco smiled gently. 'Yeah it did. All the flowers and fruit were gone, the trees were all back to normal and bloody lightning struck near us. If you want absolute proof then just look at your wrist!'

She remembered the intense pain she had felt in her wrist and looked down at it, what she saw made her gasp.

The circle with the pentagram she had carved into the rock had been cut into her wrist; it looked like she had been branded with it.

'Bloody hell.' She was shocked. 'Is it on yours too?'

Draco nodded and showed her the matching mark on his arm.

'I went to Snape after I put you in my bed for some healing cream and he couldn't see it. I think only you and me can see it.' Draco told her gently.

'Oh my God I've scared you for life!' She gushed. 'I'm so sorry! The book didn't say it would do that!'

He shrugged. 'It's okay, only we can see it.'

The truth settled onto Hermione as she stared at the mark on her wrist, it didn't hurt now at all. A God, not just any God, the High Goddess had spoken to her and warned her she was in danger.

...

Draco had been correct, nobody else could see the pentagram on their wrists apart from each other, upon his instruction they had been very careful about whom they told. They had each confided in Blaise and Daphne about their experience in the woods. Draco had been concerned about the worst sort of person finding out and it making the papers, according to him the accidental branding of the skin of a royal probably wouldn't go down too well. She, of course, was still feeling incredibly guilty about the mark on Draco's wrist. He, a week later, was still swearing he didn't mind as nobody could see it but she still felt a funny sort of hollowness in her stomach whenever she saw the mark. The thing that annoyed her the most was that she didn't understand how it had happened at all, the book perfectly described everything that could happen apart from being branded. Draco had finally relented and written a letter to the High Priestess at the temple of Vutris, with all details of their previous rituals to find out what had happened and now they were merely waiting for her to reply.

In the following week it seemed the attacks had come to a firm halt, there hadn't been a single attack since the return to school in January. Professor Sprout was loudly beginning to speak up that her Mandrakes were becoming moody and secretive, in other words they were entering adolescence and would be ready to be made into an elixir in a few more weeks.

She had been flicking through the Dark Arts book that Snap had leant to her; it was indeed full of the most powerful and foul spells and curses. Most of the spells had disclaimers under them that use of them would result in life imprisonment in Azkaban. There was even detailed instruction on how to split ones soul and live forever in some form, the process for which had made her feel physically sick and forced her to put the book down for several days.

On the topic of Matilda's scar however, she was still drawing up a blank. She knew that it must have been incredibly dark magic to leave a mark like that. Harry's scar was a result of being blasted in the face with the killing curse and that had only left a small scar that could be easily hidden. Matilda on the other hand looked like she had been simultaneously set on fire and struck by lightning. Hermione knew that if any book had the answer to the Princesses mystery curse, it was the book in front of her and she was determined to read to the end even if some of the things she was reading her disgusted her.

...

'There, how's that?' She asked, standing back from the cauldron. She had taken the shape of Daphne again in her second attempt at brewing Polyjuice potion. Snape had taken the form of Dumbledore.

Snape nodded. 'Yes, very suitable work.'

He added one of his own hairs to the batch and resumed his own form, she followed suit and then smirked.

'What's so amusing?' The professor raised a brow.

'Nothing, we're just currently a perfect imitation of ourselves.'

She could swear Snape rolled his eyes. 'You're coming along very well with private tutelage. The Mandrakes will be ready in a few weeks, I'm told three months there about, I want you to read up on restorative draughts this week because you're going to help me brew it when the time comes.'

She did a double take at him. 'Sir? That's a big responsibility. Shouldn't it be done by someone more experienced then me?'

'I'll be stood right next to you. We will practice the potion several times before the real one. I'm very confident in your abilities. I haven't seen a more promising potions student since Li- I want a foot on restorative draughts with a focus on Petrified victims by next week. You're dismissed.' He informed her.

...

As she sat down at the Slytherin table she pulled at the strap on her new bra as discreetly as she could, her chest had now grown to the extent that her mother had sent her a small collection of bras in various patterns.

Once she had finished with pulling at the uncomfortable wiring she caught the eye of Harry, who was waving her over to the Gryffindor table.

She made a hurried goodbye to Daphne and Tracey and hurried over to her to Harry, who had an odd expression on his face that was a mixture of excitement and horror.

'Any news on the Diary?' She asked as she sat down next to him.

He nodded. 'I spoke to it the other day.'

She raised a brow. 'You _spoke_ to it?'

He nodded again. 'So on Valentine's Day one of those bloody dwarfs ambushed me and I broke my ink-pot all over my stuff, when I got back to my room I was going through everything and cleaning it up but the diary didn't even have a drop of ink on it! So I tried writing something in it and it disappeared! Then Riddle wrote back. It's amazing.'

'Well?'

He frowned. 'Well what?'

She rolled her eyes. 'Honestly Harry. What did it say? And where is it now?'

'Oh. Well Riddle said that he was awarded his medal for catching the person who opened the Chamber, so you were right there.'

Hermione nodded. 'I thought as much with all the secrecy, what else did he say?'

'Well, that's where things go a bit downhill. So he kind of sucked me into the diary - don't interrupt - so it sucked me in and I was in Riddle's memories I think watching it all. It was Hagrid, that's why he was expelled. He had a monster hidden in a trunk and it killed the girl.'

Hermione frowned. 'I very much doubt Hagrid could harm a fly never mind kill a muggle-born. Can I have a look at it? It must be a powerful bit of magic to put all his memories into a book.'

Harry shook his head. 'I know, I don't want to believe it either. Hagrid said that the animal was innocent, but then again Hagrid thought a baby Dragon was innocent. I'm going to keep it in my room, it's in the chest at the end of my bed safe it's got too much good information to bring it out.'

Hermione nodded, understanding his logic. 'Well, we'll have to look into this Harry. If it is Hagrid we need to do something. Or if it isn't him maybe he knows something.'

Harry stared with a melancholy expression. 'He's the one that told me I was a wizard Hermione. I can't just go up to him and accuse him of trying to kill people.'

Hermione took his hand and gave it a comforting pat. 'Nobodies been attacked for a while now, it'll keep.'

Harry nodded and she released his hand, besides them Ginny jumped up from her meal unnoticed by the duo and raced from the hall.

...

'You look shit.' Daphne told her as Hermione flopped down onto her bed.

Hermione groaned. 'Gods I feel it. Snape's got me working so bloody hard I feel like I'm on the edge of a breakdown every other day.'

Daphne put down her copy of Witch Weekly. 'Mione you're only thirteen you shouldn't feel so stressed all the time.'

Hermione groaned again. 'It's only for this year, all these extra lessons with Snape will pay off and next year will calm down, assuming we get a competent Defence teacher next year.'

Daphne tossed her copy of Witch Weekly at the girl, they had an unspoken system of Hermione reading all Daphne's fashion and gossip magazines and stealing each other's clothes. 'How do you know Lockhart won't stay on?'

She sat up in her bed to give her blond friend a blank stare. 'Daph if Dumbledore doesn't sack him at the end of the year, I'll kill the man myself.'

Daphne laughed. 'I'll help you. Do you know he marked my paper down because I didn't mention he'd won that stupid smile award they do.' She said while gesturing at the magazine Hermione was now flicking through.

'What a load of rubbish, I read that paper and it was perfect. I'd take it up with Snape if I were you.' Hermione told her, then placed the magazine down on her bedside table.

'Erm no thanks, he might rope me into all these extra lessons with you and i enjoy having a life thanks.'

Hermione pulled herself up off the bed and began to remove her uniform in exchange for her thickest pyjamas.

'You're so lucky.' Daphne said, pulling one of Hermione's bras up from the floor and holding it to her own flat chest. 'I wish I'd just bloody well hurry up and grow some, there's first year boys with bigger boobs than me.' She tossed the bra back to the floor and slunk down in her bed.

Hermione laughed. 'I am older than the rest of you. It's your birthday soon, don't worry about it you're not missing much my back hurts all the ruddy time now.'

Hermione sat down in front of the vanity to begin brushing out her hair when Tracey entered.

'Draco's at the entrance to the corridor for you Hermione.' She told her as she walked into the en suite for her nightly shower.

'What on earth could he want at this time?' Daphne asked as she pulled on an extra pair of bed socks to fight of the sudden late wave of cold that had struck the dungeons.

Hermione sighed and pulled a fluffy blanket around her shoulders. 'Probably wants help with an essay, you all treat me like a slave.' She teased her friend before making her way into the hallway in her thick patchwork pyjamas a fluffy brown blanket thrown around her shoulders.

He was stood at the entrance to the girls rooms, he wasn't stupid enough to actually try and walk down the corridor as some boys were which would result in him becoming stuck until Snape felt like releasing him, their head of year had left Flint stuck to the floor for a full day once to teach him a lesson.

Draco was in his dressing gown but she could see the bottoms of his own thick pyjamas sticking out, in his hand he clutched a letter, from the almost manic expression on his face she knew that the High Priestess had answered their letter.

The common room was thankfully empty so they took the couch in front of the roaring fire. He held the letter out to her, his hands shook slightly. 'Read it.'

She took the letter from his hand and looked at the elegant script.

_Your Highness,_

_It is as always a pleasure to hear from you and of course you may count on my discretion in any spiritual matter._

_In response to your letter I must say I am shocked. I have only read of such marks appearing without intent, it is indeed a rare occurrence. _

_ From the detail you have provided of your previous rituals I can only assume this has happened as a result of your earlier ritual to warn yourself and your friend when the other is in danger. I can only guess in this case, but I think that the marks will now also hurt to alert you of any danger. Another reason this could have occurred would be because you were holding hands. _

_I would say though that for a mark to appear that the Goddess Vutris has noticed you both and marked you. To be marked shows that you have been touched by a powerful protection spell, so there is good news to be found._

_From my readings of these rare binding marks I can say that should one of you die that the mark will fade._

_If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to write to me again._

_Your servant,_

_High Priestess of the Cheshire Temple_

_Albia _

'Well that's good news, to get rid of my mark I just need to kill you.' She managed to get out. 'Why doesn't she have a surname?'

'None of them do. You enter religious servant and you renounce your history and names and titles and wealth, the lot. That's what you're taking from this letter?'

'It's settling in, I'll freak out in a moment I'm sure.' She said.

'I'll get you a drink.' He said, standing to go.

She shot her hand out to catch his. 'No, stay. I'm fine.'

He sat back down and took her hand firmly.

She took a deep breath. 'So we've basically just done the warning ritual a bit more thoroughly?'

Draco nodded.

'And nobody will ever be able to see it unless they are also marked like us?'

Draco nodded again.

'Powerful protection too?'

He nodded.

'Are you mad at me?' She asked him.

He shook his head and gave her a tight hug. 'I promise I'm not. I was just a bit freaked out that you passed out and suddenly we both had this matching brand forever.' Then he smiled and jokingly poked her in the ribs. 'Can't think of anyone I'd rather be branded with.'

Then he let out a deep yawn.

'Right. Off to bed with you. We can talk about this more in the morning.' She told him.

He gave her a mock salute and disappeared off down the girl's stairs, when she entered the girl's room again everyone was fast asleep and she crawled into her comfortable and warm bed to join her friends in a peaceful slumber.

****************************

Sorry for any mistakes.

Hope you all like where this is going.

A killer snake might turn up soon.


	29. The Future of the Throne

'So that's when I add the flies?'

'No, you need to stir it counter-clockwise five times first.'

Hermione was spending her day in the library as she had offered to help Graham Montague, the Slytherin Chaser pegged for being the future Capitan, with his potions essay. He sat on the table behind her and the twins in class and had noticed him struggling and offered her aid.

He was heavily built, more of a beaters build than that of a chaser but she had to admit he was a fantastic player even if his academic career wasn't going as well.

'Thanks Hermione, you're a lifesaver.' He told her as they returned their books to their shelves.

She smiled up at him, at fifteen he had hit his growth spurt and towered over her petite form. 'No worries, give me a shout any time you need help.'

'What if I wanted to see you outside the library?' He asked.

'You mean study in the common room or something?'

He laughed. 'No Granger, I'm asking you out.'

She was that shocked that she had been rendered speechless as her mind instantly flicked to Draco, whom she had seen kissing Pansy just this morning.

'You need supervision to go to Hogsmede right? How about you and me go together? The next trip is this weekend after all.' He said.

She managed a smile and a nod.

'Perfect, meet me outside the Great Hall at about nine?'

He lightly kissed her cheek and then wandered off, leaving her frozen in the library for several minutes.

She spent a long time thinking about her personal life after he left. After things had ended with Theo they had finally managed to return to a normal friendship, relationships when you are eleven don't really count they had decided. But this would be different, Graham was fifteen and she was thirteen now, it would be considered her first proper relationship.

She had to admit that when she thought about dating her thoughts would instantly fix on Draco and the beautiful pin he had given her what felt like an age ago, but he was with Pansy and that wasn't likely to change any time soon until the King managed to convince the Duke to let his son live his own life that is. She needed to get on with things and lead her own life she eventually decided, maybe one day Draco would be free and so would she but until that day she couldn't waste her young life waiting for him.

She finally resolved to meet with Graham and instantly went to find Daphne to ask to raid her wardrobe for something girly to wear.

...

The morning of her date was cold and frosty; it was still dark outside when Daphne had dragged her out of bed. She had showered and applied her smoothing potion to her hair. Daphne had applied her makeup for her, she could have used a spell but Daphne had insisted on doing her up for her first proper date ever.

They had finally settled on having a half-up-half-down hairstyle and she would be wearing one of Daphne's dresses. It was a dark green v-neck that fitted her well, though it was a tiny bit tight across her chest it wasn't noticeable, they had paired the outfit with thick black tights and Tracey's pair of ankle boots along with Millie's small bag and the silver bracelet Daphne had been given for her twelfth birthday.

'You'll need something to fight off the cold.' Daphne mused as she rifled through all of their closets. Eventually, she came to the black sparkling cape that she had received at Christmas.

'Remember, he lives for Quidditch, so if the conversation runs out just talk about that and you'll be fine.' Millie told her over breakfast and she nodded along, she wasn't feeling as nervous as everyone clearly thought she must be, she got on with Graham.

...

Their date into Hogsmede had been quite nice, they had gone looking at the massive display of Owls in the Post Office and he had stood by her dutifully as she had perused the many quills on offer. They had finally settled down in the tea shop, Graham had a raspberry and elderflower tea while she had white chocolate flavoured hot chocolate. The conversation had flowed easily between them, they had discussed the Slytherin teams current Quidditch standing and what he would do if he were Captain, they talked at length about classes and laughed over the latest school gossip, apparently the head boy and girl had been caught in their private common room by Snape going at it, as a result, they had both been returned to their house dormitories rather than the private residence that were reserved for the head boy and girl.

'I had a really great time today Hermione.' He told her as they had finally made their way back to Slytherin, it had grown dark outside now, they had been in Hogsmede for ten hours together, though the time seemed to fly past them.

He took her hand and pulled her into an alcove just off from the entrance to the dungeon.

'I had a great time too.' She smiled up at him.

Then he was kissing her, his lips were chapped from the cold and he seemed to be trying to force his tongue into her mouth, but she didn't mind, she was just excited to be kissed.

Then his right hand rose to grab her breast.

'Oh.' They broke apart to the startled face of Draco Malfoy.

'Ah Malfoy, see you at practice on Monday?' Graham asked, as if he hadn't just been caught feeling up Hermione.

Draco nodded his head at him but made no move to leave.

'We should do this again soon Hermione.' Graham finally turned to her and said, bending down to give her another quick kiss before walking off and leaving her with her best friend.

They stood there and stared at each other for some time before she snapped. 'Are you going to say anything?'

He frowned at her. 'Yeah I am, what on earth do you think you're doing? Sneaking around with Montague? Snogging in the corridors where anyone can see you? Don't you have any self-respect?'

She was livid. 'You hypocrite! You snog Pansy all the time! And I'm not sneaking around I quite publically went on a date with him today.'

'You went on a date with him?' Draco asked in a quiet voice.

She nodded. 'You have a girlfriend Draco, you can't possibly think to reprimand me for not wanting to be alone.'

'But I don't-' He began.

She held up a hand and cut him off. 'I won't talk about this anymore. You feel free to snog your girlfriend and I will snog whoever I want to, okay?' With this she brushed past him, knocking her shoulder with his as she passed.

...

_Malfoy Mistress Turns 18_

_This Friday the Mistress to the Duke of Wiltshire, Eloise Lestrange of France, turned eighteen and was lavishly gifted by the Duke she serves with a pearl necklace and matching earrings. As Pearls are usually gifted to announce an engagement the people wonder now what the Duke intends..._

Hermione threw the paper down on the breakfast table as Draco slumped miserably next to her, their argument a few days before now forgotten by this news.

'How can he do this to my mother?' He groaned.

'Pearls are for engagement, what's is he playing at?' Blaise nodded.

'He can't seriously be planning on separating from your mother, she's one of the most respected women in the world for her charity work.' Neville added in.

'He shames us all with his behaviour.' Draco mused. 'My poor mother, she must be so upset. Gods I hate him.' He muttered the last part so that Hermione could barely hear him.

She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, 'your mum is the toughest woman I've ever met, I'm sure she's giving your dad hell right now.'

Draco smiled weakly at her.

A large eagle own similar to his own landed on the table in front of him, she recognised it as being from Malfoy manner.

'See? This is probably from her letting you know everything is alright!' She beamed.

Draco hastily tore the seal on the letter and read it; his face seemed to grow paler with each line he read.

'I need to write to my cousin.' He declared, getting up from the table and stalking off without telling anyone what he had just read, as he walked he tossed the letter into the roaring fire of the great hall.

Hermione couldn't help worry over what he had read as she watched the scroll go up in flames.

...

Draco refused to speak about his father or mother to anyone for days, he eventually told them all to drop it and they did as he wished. Hermione knew he would tell her in his own time, she couldn't help dwell on the matter, surely the Duke wouldn't leave his wife for some teenaged mistress of no consequence?

The doom and gloom that surrounded Draco nearly overshadowed the arrival of the invites for the next Christmas ball, nearly.

'Standard as usual.' Her friends all mused as they held their invites out.

'Did you get a black one again Hermione?' Harry had asked, he and Neville were eating breakfast at the Slytherin table with them as the owls arrived.

'I haven't looked yet, hang on.' She said as she finished off her eggs.

She opened the letter by her side so nobody but Draco could see.

The card wasn't black, it was white.

She opened her mouth to ask what it meant when Draco leaned in and frantically whispered in her ear. 'Tell them it's black!'

She nodded, their exchange seemed to have gone unnoticed by the group who were all busy admiring each other's invites, Harry especially was drawing in lots of attention by receiving a black invite.

'Please, Harry you defeated you-know-who as a baby, of course, you're getting a black invite at some point.' Draco had told him.

Draco had gestured for her to follow him out of the hall and she silently followed him until he pulled her into a broom closet.

'Let me see it properly.' He told her and she handed him the card.

'What in the God's name is he playing at?' Draco hissed as he read the card.

'What's wrong?' Hermione asked, had she been banned from attending?

'Hermione, this is the same invite I receive. It doesn't even count as an invite it's more of a royal summons.' He told her. 'You're invited to spend the Christmas week in the palace with us.'

Her mouth dropped open. 'What the hell? There's no way my parents would let me do that.'

Draco nodded. 'You best write to them, you can use my owl. See what they say then respond to my uncle.'

She nodded and the pair sat quickly to write the letter.

_Dear Mum and Dad,_

_I've got my invite for the next Xmas ball; the thing is it's a weeklong invite. They want me to go on the 19th_ _so I thought I'd ask you if I'm allowed to go before I respond._

_School's fine._

_Love Hermione_

The reply from her parents had arrived at breakfast the next day.

_Hermione,_

_We were going to surprise you when you came home. We're all going to Cancun for some winter sun! We'll get home on the 23rd. I don't want you spending Christmas without us though, you can go after presents on Christmas. _

_Love,_

_Mum and Dad_

_xox_  
  
'That works I guess, it's not as serious if you're just there for three days.' Draco mused. 'You'll get to come to the Christmas service at the temple.'

Hermione perked up at this. 'We can ask the High Priestess about our marks!'

Draco nodded. 'Did you tell your parents?'

She scoffed. 'What that I've basically got an invisible tattoo at thirteen? No thanks, they'd never let me come back to school. Why did you tell yours?'

Draco shook his head. 'Are you mad? My dad might actually kill me. I told my uncle but he's super religious enough that he thinks it's amazing.'

Draco had then aided her in writing to the King to tell him she would be unable to accept his invitation for the entire week but would be able to come at midday on Christmas.

'Now nobody will know you didn't just get a black invite again.' Draco released a deep breath.

'Why does it matter how long I was invited for?' She asked him.

'I might as well put a string of pearls on you right now if people find out you spent the week in the royal palace. You get black invites because you're brilliant and a genius and people think the King is just bringing you into the fold while you're young, if you spend the week then people will think we have an understanding or something.'

'Oh, but you haven't given me any serious jewelry. It's not like I'm being decked out in bracelets.' She said.

'It wouldn't matter. You spend the Christmas week in the palace with the Royal Family and you might as well get fitted for your coronation robes.' He muttered.

She frowned. 'Duchesses don't get coronations?'

Draco frowned. 'Yeah I know, just a figure of speech.' He trailed off. 'Plus if you spend the entire week there my dad will definitely try and corner you again.'

Hermione shuddered. 'No thanks, I'll have a nice break in Mexico.'

Draco smiled at her 'You'll have a much better time there than you would in a boring old castle.'

The day progressed as normal; Snape had her working hard on defensive spells and she managed to finish her Charms essay an entire week in advance.

It was a little late now and she was curled up in front of the fire in the common room, her friends had all gone to bed. She was reading the Dark Arts book Snape had leant her, its contents were truly revolting to the point she was horrified her teacher would own such an item. She had almost given up on reading about the curse that had caused Matilda's scar when she began the last chapter.

_The use of the Infertility Curse "_Heredes non vivet_" will leave the victim with a burn-like scar over the torso that may look like a lightning strike and may darken the surrounding skin. The scar will never heal nor fade and will be sensitive to touch. The curse cannot be undone. WARNING: Use of this curse if caught will result in the Dementor's kiss being performed on any person involved._

She slammed the book shut. Matilda couldn't have children. Draco would one day be King.


	30. Elosie Lestrange

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco reveals some shocking news.

She still couldn't believe it. If she was right then Matilda wasn't able to produce an heir and when she died Draco would become King, an old King if Matilda lived to old age but King nonetheless. All the slipups finally made sense "you'd be a good queen" and "getting fitted for coronation robes" finally clicked into place.

There was no chance of Lucius outliving his niece, which meant that when she died as presumably an old lady that Draco would inherit the throne, if he outlived her that was. She reminded herself that there were only about ten years between them and she might well live longer than her cousin, but still, if that were the case it would be Draco's children that would inherit.

She had known for several days now but still hadn't approached Draco about it; she just couldn't ask him about it. She had pried too far and uncovered a very personal family secret, not just a family secret but a royal secret. As a result, she had been avoiding Draco.

This avoidance ended after a few days when she found out that a fifth-year Slytherin girl called Mabel was dropping out of Hogwarts to marry into a French Wizarding family, she was marrying a wizard twenty years her senior.

'What the actual fuck? Mabel's only sixteen!' She declared to Draco as she sat down next to him by their tree by the lake, it was finally warm enough to venture outside for any sustained length of time.

'My mum had me when she was sixteen.' Draco replied.

'What the hell. Why?'

Draco set his book down. 'She married my dad when she was fourteen and my dad was nineteen. It's kind of the way things are. We all get married young, we all pop out an heir young, then we spend the rest of our lives going to boring society luncheons.'

'Your mum got married when she was a year older than I am now?' She was so shocked at the news. 'So why did Mabel drop out?'

'Well, my mum dropped out when she got pregnant with me in the sixth year so she's either pregnant or planning on getting pregnant straight away.' Draco shrugged.

'Wizards live until they're like one hundred why do they do this so young?' She asked, her eyes grazed over their initials carved into the tree.

Draco shrugged. 'I guess the priority is always continuing the family name, making heirs and whatnot.'

The thought of his need to make an heir to follow him on the throne flashed through her mind. 'Will you?'

'Will I what?' He asked.

'Get married so young?' She pressed.

He looked off to the lake and thought for a minute. 'Probably, I don't know.' He looked behind him to the carving of their initials on the tree. 'Depends who I'm marrying.'

They both blushed and sat in silence for a few minutes. Then Draco suddenly laughed. 'Like if my dad makes me marry Pansy, they'll have to drag me down the aisle, but that'd probably be when we're both in sixth year.'

'Your dad couldn't make you marry her surely.'

He raised a brow at her. 'Of course, he can. If both our parents sign a marriage contract then I don't have a choice.'

Hermione sighed and leaned into his side for warmth, he wrapped an arm around her. 'I'm sorry, Pansy sucks. I wish you could get stuck with someone nicer.'

He allowed a small smile. 'She's not so bad sometimes. You've never met her parents, have you? Her dad might actually be worse than mine. The pressure they put her under is insane, it's no wonder she does some of the things she does.'

Hermione frowned and replied in a dry voice. 'She tried to poison Daphne to stop her singing at the Christmas ball.'

Draco raised his eyebrows. 'Run that by me again?'

'She was trying to slip her a potion to take away her voice.'

Draco frowned into the distance for a minute before sighing. 'What a bitch. But it makes sense again, her dads always getting at her to be the best.'

'You're seriously defending her right now?' Hermione shot back.

'Well, what about you? Why didn't you tell anyone when she tried it?' Draco asked.

Well, he had her there she had to admit. 'I don't know. She was crying and - I just felt bad for her.'

'She does some messed up stuff I'll give you that, but she does get a lot of stick from her parents.'

'Are you just saying all this to feel better about having to date her?' She raised a brow.

He shrugged. 'I suppose. But it can be nice having someone who gets it.'

'Don't I get it?' She asked.

He shook his head. 'You try to understand, but she's experienced it.'

She nodded in understanding. 'Well, the second you realise she's a crazy bitch I promise not to say I told you so.'

He barked out a laugh. 'Very generous of you.'

'So everyone's getting married as a teenager?' She asked.

He nodded. 'Yeah, most of our friends will probably end up married to each other. Daphne's a renowned beauty so she'll probably be the first to go.'

Hermione shuddered in disgust; Daphne's parents would make their own daughter marry a man she couldn't be attracted to? What a ghastly prospect.

'So what happens when you get married at Hogwarts? I can't imagine they have married couples in seventh year still in separate dorms.' She asked, she couldn't recall anything about this in Hogwarts: A History.

'Oh, there's a wing on the fourth floor set aside with loads of small suites like the head boy and girl get that they go and live in.' He told her as he put his book back in his bag.

'So if they get pregnant, the boy gets to carry on with school and the girl has to drop out?'

Draco frowned but nodded. 'Yeah, I imagine you have lots to say on that subject but I have to get to chess club. You can lecture me all about it later yeah?'

She rolled her eyes and nodded. 'I'll make flashcards of my argument for you.'

He laughed as he offered her a hand to pull her up.

'Go beat Blaise.' She told him as he left her at the entrance to the library.

He laughed. 'That's not that hard to do, I don't know if you recall that giant chess set last year but I'm a pretty good player.'

She took her seat in the library and pulled out her Potions essay. 'Won't see me dropping out of school for any man, I'm having a career first.' She mumbled to herself as she began to write on the properties of Aconite.

...

Harry, Draco, Neville, and Hermione had endless conversations discussing Harry's trip into the Diary. He had finally relented on allowing Hermione to inspect it when it was revealed that it had been stolen.

Draco and Hermione had been smuggled into the Gryffindor common room under the invisibility cloak to view the crime scene.

Harry's trunk had been emptied and its contents were laying in disarray around their small circular bedroom.

'You guys don't have ensuites?' Draco asked.

'Really? Harry's been robbed and that's what's coming to your mind?' Neville scolded him.

'Boys stop. Let's look around.' Hermione silenced the bickering pair.

Even his bedding had been pulled off. His books had been ripped apart.

'What the actual hell?' Hermione asked, as she fingered his Transfiguration notebook, which had several pages eschew now. 'They definitely knew what they were looking for? They must have really wanted it.' She mused.

'Who is _they_ though?' Draco interrupted her thoughts.

Neville frowned. 'Only a Gryffindor could have done this, only they know our password.'

Hermione nodded. 'Would Hagrid know it?' She asked sheepishly.

Harry rounded on her. 'I thought we'd ruled Hagrid out as a suspect?'

Draco was straight to her defense. 'No we didn't. We said it was unlikely because we didn't want to believe it. But this is a bit much now, isn't it? We should go and speak to him!'

'I'm not going up to Hagrid and accusing him of attacking people!' Harry raged.

'Harry, I don't want to believe it either. But didn't you two see Hagrid coming out of Knockturn Alley when you went school shopping?' Hermione asked.

'Yeah, but he was just buying slug repellent for the school cabbages.' Neville informed them.

Hermione sighed. 'Okay, we won't speak to him just yet. But I swear to Vutris if one more thing happens we're going to speak to him.'

Harry nodded. 'Okay, that's fair.'

...

The term continued into March without incident. The Mandrakes were still maturing; Professor Sprout had been thrilled when she told Snape that she had just broken up a wild party in the greenhouse. Snape had also taken this as a good sign and begun to prep Hermione to make the revive draught with him soon, it was hard and long work and she often returned to the common room after midnight now but it was worth it.

Her friends had all been busy choosing their class options for third year. Daphne had completely freaked out about her future options until Hermione had sat down and gone with her options with her. Draco had signed up for every available option, and had confided in her that he would be given a time-turner in order to attend all his classes.

'So Snape is just going to give you the ability of time travel?' She had asked.

'No, you can only go back a few hours max. I'll need to use it at least once a day so I can go to all my lessons.' He informed her.

'Don't you think you're taking on a bit much?' She'd fretted.

'Hermione, I'm top in our year. I think I can handle a few extra classes. Plus I'll have you to help me if I get stuck.' He'd replied with a cheeky grin.

She'd rolled her eyes. 'Fine, I'll help you if you take me back in time with you once!' She offered.

'It'll be really boring but okay.' He smiled and the deal was sealed with a handshake and a hug, their usual style.

...

Draco still hadn't told her what was in the letter that had upset him so much and she still hadn't admitted she knew about the whole King thing.

It was nearing midnight when Snape returned her to her common room, she had in mind putting on her cosy pyjamas and flopping into bed but she'd spotted Draco sat on the comfy leather couches staring into the fire, he hadn't even noticed her come in.

His head snapped up when she tossed a blanket from the pile at him. 'What are you still doing up?'

He held out a hand which she took and he pulled her down next to him, they got into a comfortable position with her head on his chest and he pulled the blanket over them as she let out a yawn.

'I was thinking. I've never felt so-' He trailed off and sighed.

'I wish you would tell me what's wrong. I could help.' She offered.

Her head moved on his chest as he chuckled darkly. 'I don't think so... She's pregnant.'

She sat up to stare at him. 'Who is?'

He sighed and rubbed at his forehead. 'Eloise. My father's mistress. She's pregnant.'

'Oh.'

'Yeah. Oh. That's why he gave her the pearls for her birthday.' He told her.

'Oh, your poor mum. This must be hard for her.' She rubbed his arm and he threw his head back onto the couch.

'She's pretty devastated from what Matilda told me. She and Ana, you remember her? Ana's her lady in waiting? Yeah well, her and Ana both had to pick her up off the floor when she found out.' Draco's eyes look a little bit wet and she fixed her attention on the fire while he discretely dried them on the back of his hand.

'Matilda's back from Russia?' Hermione asked, she felt bad at such a time but her thoughts flicked to Tom Riddle.

Draco shook his head. 'My mum's out there for a month with her, since the Birthday party so she wouldn't have to be around Eloise. She didn't mention anything about the diary if you're wondering; I think my letter might have gone astray.'

She threw her arms around him though as he let out a sniffle. 'It'll be okay Draco! And hey, you'll have a little brother or sister to play with now! I know it's not what you imagined but it's done now so you have to start planning for how this will affect you. And don't worry about Riddle, it's not important right now.'

Draco looked back into the fire, and then perked up suddenly. 'It's a full moon tonight, right? Would you come and do another protection ritual with me? Nothing big but it would make me feel a little better to know at least there's a God watching out for me.'

She smiled gently. 'Of course. I was just reading about a lesser offering to Vutris I wanted to try next month with you. We'll have to run though, it's nearly midnight.'

They both hastened to grab their darkest cloaks and ran to the kitchens where even at the late hour the elves welcomed them with a hot drink to take with them and gave them a basket of fresh fruit as an offering.

They made it into the cover of the Forrest just as the clock struck twelve. She had Draco, and his steady hands, carve onto a tree the pentagram symbol for Vutris while she laid the fruit on the roots of the tree.

Draco had managed to cut his finger while carving the tree so they each added a few drops of blood onto the fruit for added measure, while Vutris usually wanted Sexual Rites as an offering, she wouldn't turn her nose up at a blood offering.

'Let's not hold hands this time.' Draco said hesitantly.

She resisted rolling her eyes at him. 'Duh, one invisible mark is enough thanks.'

She took a deep breath and began the chant. This one would only need to be said three times rather than the usual seven:

'Incolumem custodiat nos' She began.

The tree instantly began to burn with brilliant purple flames that gave off no heat to burn them but instead filled the young pair with a pleasant warmth.

'Incolumem custodiat nos' Draco repeated.

The fruit, lightly splattered with their blood, also burst into flame. The wind seemed to pick up around them. Hermione felt like the mark on her wrist was itchy.

'Incolumem custodiat nos' Hermione finished.

The flames roared higher and then vanished as if the tree had never been burning, the fruit had vanished. The wind died off as suddenly as it had come.

Draco looked at her with a wide smile. 'That wasn't so ba-' he trailed off at the look of horror on Hermione's face.

_'You are in grave danger young one. It will come for you soon.'_

The musical voice was gone and so was she. For the second time, she fainted into Draco Malfoy's arms.

************************  
Wpw 30 chapters! Thanks for sticking with me!  
I just wrote my first death scene for this story in other news, it's not for a while yet but be warned, many people shall be dying in cruel ways.  
E x


	31. A Golden Mirror

She was flying. No, she was floating. Her head hurt. The world was dark and cold.

It was then she felt the warm arms around her, she was being carried. She managed to open her heavy eyes to look upon the blond angel carrying her. 'Draco?' She asked weakly.

His head snapped down, his expression was worried. 'Hermione! You fainted and hit your head; I'm taking you to the hospital wing.'

It was only then she noticed something hot and wet on her face, it was trailing heavily down her brow and into her right eye.

'Where are we?' She asked, her surroundings had gone from darkness and stars overhead to a sudden blinding torchlight.

'We're in the entrance hall. Nearly there.' He wasn't even out of breath from carrying her the entire length of the grounds, she took a moment to thank the Gods that he worked out with Blaise every morning and had Quidditch to keep him so fit.

'Can I walk?' She asked.

He nodded and stopped walking. 'Keep your arm around my shoulder, I'm not having you hit you hit your head again.'

She did as commanded; keeping one arm lightly around his neck he slowly lowered her onto her feet.

She got two steps before the ground rushed at her again, she never felt the impact though, only Draco's warm arms wrapping around her again. He had been walking very closely, sensing she would be falling and was silently carrying her again towards the Hospital Wing without complaint.

'Sweet Merlin, what happened to her?' The matron screeched as he walked in carrying the groggy Hermione.

He gently laid her down on the first available bed. 'She fainted in the woods and hit her head.'

Madam Pomfrey immediately started working on the large gash on Hermione's forehead while simultaneously forcing a pain potion down the girl's throat.

'Make yourself useful boy, get me a bowl of warm water to clean her up.' The Matron called to him without turning from her patient.

Pomfrey made quick work of the large gash on her forehead and began rubbing a clear gel onto the sight of the wound to prevent any infection just as Draco returned with the white bowl and cloth, he rolled up his sleeves and silently began clearing the blood from her face.

Hermione was coming around again just as Draco was wringing out the cloth for the final time.

He winked at her as he wiped the final specks of dried blood from her neck. 'There, you look a little bit more human now.'

She did feel much better; the cut on her head was now mostly healed over by the skillful healing of the Matron and she could taste the sweet honey-like sensation of the pain potion working.

'How do you feel dear?' Pomfrey asked Hermione as she sat up in the bed.

Hermione nodded. 'Better. Everything's clear now.'

The matron nodded. 'Right, I want you to drink the blood replenishing potion and then you may go.'

Hermione sipped on the bitter potion, it took her several minutes for her to get it all down.

It was nearing one am when they finally were allowed to leave.

'I'm used to you delivering my potion order dear; try not to wind up as my patient again soon.' Were the Matrons parting words as they left.

They walked quickly down to the dungeons, not wanting to be caught out. It was only when they were safely in the common room again.

She didn't argue with Draco as he began to pull her towards the boy's rooms until she realised that she needed pyjamas.

'Let me get changed.' She bid him.

He nodded once. 'I'll wait here for you.'

She turned and quickly made her way into the girl's rooms as silently as she could. She quickly removed her dirty robes, there was blood on her white shirt, and she wondered if the elves would be able to get it out. She tossed it into a pile into the end of her bed and pulled on her most conservative pyjamas, in case she should be discovered in his rooms. She went into the en suite quickly to splash some water on her face and pulled her long hair into a braid.

She wrapped her blanket around her shoulders and made her way back out to Draco who smiled at her appearance.

He placed his arm around her waist and pulled her down the stairs to the boy's rooms. He stood over her, pulling off his clothes and pulling on some pyjama bottoms and top and climbing in after her, she tried and failed not to look at him in his underwear.

'You heard her again didn't you?' He asked as she climbed into his bed.

Her eyes were suddenly wet and her breath was panicked, she felt as she had when Snape had taken her back into that clearing in the woods.

He yanked the curtains on his bed shut and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to lay down on his chest and held her as she wept.

'She said - she - it's going to get me. The monster, it's going to get me.' She managed to get out.

'That's what she said?' Draco gasped.

Hermione nodded. 'She said - the voice - it said _it_ will get me soon.'

Draco held her tighter. 'I won't let it.'

Once she was finally calm enough she found herself to be exhausted and fell quickly into slumber in the safety of Draco's warm embrace, with the feel of him stroking the hair on her head with his other arm wrapped tightly around her.

...

For the following week, Draco didn't let her out of his sight. He must have run the length of the castle some days to meet her from her classes to walk her to lunch. He kept up with the strain of it all until he finally took Fred and George into his confidence and they joined the secret "Hermione Guard".

She, of course, noticed her newfound security team, it was worse than when she had all of Slytherin watching out for her. Though this time she didn't mind, every small noise was making her jump and she was afraid of every small shadow as though some creature would leap from it. This was to the extent that she hadn't even been in the library for five entire days for fear of some evil lurking behind every bookshelf. Fred, bless him, had sat next to her for six hours without complaint in the library after he'd noticed she wasn't going so that she could catch up on the small mountain of work that Snape had set her.

Draco meanwhile had finally calmed down at the news of the pregnancy of his father's mistress. His mother was still abroad on tour with Matilda but the second he returned he was resolved that the moment she was out of the wilds of Russia he would write to her.

Her Latin lessons, now being held in the safety of the common room where they could huddle in the warm embrace of the roaring fire, were progressing incredibly well. She couldn't help think that if Draco wasn't destined for a royal life that he would make a very good teacher. He'd gone as far as telling her that the letters they would write this summer would be in Latin.

She still couldn't bring herself to speak to him about said royal life though. She'd had ample opportunity in the many times they had been alone, but she couldn't quite manage to bring the subject up. What would she say? "Hey Drake, so as you know I'm a nosy git and I noticed that your cousin can't have children, what should I wear to your coronation?" So she had remained silent on the subject until she could think of the right thing to say, she was conscious of the fact that she had overstepped and might upset him.

She had completed the terrible book that Snape had leant her and it was time to return it.

She grasped the book tightly under one arm, it was partially covered by her robes so that nobody could see the title. She raised an arm to knock on the door.

'Enter,' came the cold voice on the other end.

She pushed open the heavy wooden door that led to Snape's private office. It was about the same size as his potions classroom. In one corner he had set up a private table for brewing whatever potion took his fancy, another wall was taken up by a full dark bookcase overflowing with volumes of books. Pushed in one corner was a desk of matching dark wood behind which sat her head of house.

It was a weekend so he wasn't wearing his usual black robes, he was wearing black trousers and a dark blue jumper and a thick black fleece over it so that only the ends of the blue jumper sleeves were peeking out the end. It was always odd to see him dressed so casually, she hoped one year he would accept the annual invite he received to the Christmas ball and she would get to see him in his formal attire.

'Ah, Granger. Stir that would you?' He gestured to a boiling potion on his desk.

From the mother of pearl sheen and spiraling smoke she knew it was Amortentia. 'Trying to enchant someone sir?' She joked as she stirred twice counter clockwise.

He ignored her joke. She couldn't resist leaning over the cauldron and inhaling the smoke differently. It made her feel happy and light and she smiled at the smell.

'Anything interesting?' Snape asked as she smiled at the smell.

She turned to face him. 'Nothing surprising.' She shrugged and then produced the book from behind her robes. 'I've brought this back for you.'

'Ah, did you find what you needed?' He asked, he reached for the book but she roughly tossed it onto the desk between them.

'Why do you keep such a terrible book?' She asked.

He picked up the book and flipped through it quickly before slamming it shut again. 'It was a gift. Now it's just a memento of old times.' He tossed the book back down onto the desk.

'A memento? You keep a memento of a treasured memory. Are you saying being a Death Eater is a treasured memory?' She asked, not quite able to meet his eye.

He tugged absently at his left sleeve, confirming her theory.

'No, I don't.' He finally said.

The confirmation that her mentor, the man who had encouraged her to skip two years and who tirelessly worked with her in her studies to the present day had hunted her kind in the past shook her.

'Do you want me dead?' She asked, staring at the book on the desk.

'No, I do not.' He replied gently.

'What about my kind?' She continued.

He shook his head; though he usually repressed emotion it was clear on his face now, his eyes looked a little glassy. 'Your kind?'

'Don't play dumb. Muggle-Born's, would you see the others dead?' She demanded.

His voice shook slightly, low enough for her to really notice it. 'No.'

'Then you should burn that book.' She told him finally. 'What's more, you shouldn't have given it to me in the first place. I'm thirteen for Vutris sake! What were you thinking of, giving a child a book like that?' She was on a roll of anger now.

He stood up and she fell silent. 'You have battled Voldemort, twice. You aren't a child anymore, and I'm sorry for that. I was thinking that something in this book may one day save your life as the curse in the forest did last year. And now you have read it there is no reason for me to keep it.'

He pointed his wand at it and the book burst into flames.

....

_Mistress of the Duke of Wiltshire Pregnant!_

Draco hurled the copy of the Prophet across the common room in a rage and stormed to the boy's rooms.

Hermione picked up the article and read:

_The Duke of Wiltshire and his mistress Miss Eloise Lestrange,_ daughter of the late _Ada and Phineas Lestrange who died in the outbreak of the war, are expecting a child together due November. _

_No doubt the young Earl of Pemberly is looking forward to having a younger sibling to play with._

_The Prophet expresses their congratulations._

_Neither the Duchess of Wiltshire or King Armand could be reached for comment._

_By_

_Rita Skeeter_

Hermione sighed and chucked the paper down onto Blaise's lap and went after Draco. If anyone thought it odd that she was going into the boy's room in the middle of the day they didn't say so.

Draco was laying face down on his bed unmoving, his head buried into his pillow.

'Not now Blaise.' His muffled voice came from his pillow.

She smiled and shut the door behind you. Draco turned around and lobbed a pillow at her, still believing her to be Blaise. It thankfully missed her by quite a bit.

'Good thing you're not a chaser, what a lousy shot.' She teased as Draco quickly dried his eyes.

'I'm an excellent shot shut up.' He replied as he sat up, throwing his legs over the side of his bed.

She stood in front of him and he wrapped his arms around her and rested his forehead on her stomach. She raised a hand to stroke his hair soothingly, 'everything will be okay.'

Draco groaned into the fabric of her jumper. 'My poor mum. How can he do this to us?'

'I don't know. I don't know what to say.' She said as she ran her fingers through his hair. 'But the news was going to get out eventually, the worst is over now.'

He pulled back to look her in the eyes. 'You're wrong. The worst is yet to come.'

She frowned. 'What do you mean? What could possibly happen?'

He sighed and threw himself back to lie down on his bed. 'You'll see, my father will manage to make things even worse.'

...

Everyone had given Draco a wide birth to cool off since the news broke and eventually things managed to calm down once the school gossip mill put out that some fifth years had been caught up to no good on the fifth-floor. The one good thing about a school full of teenagers was that a good bit of juicy gossip made everyone forget the happenings of the week before.

Things were surprisingly normal after that. Hermione had even managed to put the warning into the back of her mind as another week passed without any sudden monsters leaping out to attack her.

The big talk of the school was the upcoming match between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor.

It was actually a nice day for once and the entire school was expecting to turn out to cheer for either team. She, of course, would be cheering for her friends on the Gryffindor team.

She was walking with Draco and Harry to collect Harry's Quidditch things when both boys seemed to freeze.

'Did you hear that?' Harry gasped.

Draco nodded. 'Yeah. What was that?'

Hermione's mind instantly began matching pieces. A voice that only two people could hear? Two people, that just so happened to be able to speak to snakes?

She clasped a hand to her forehead, how had this taken her so long to figure out?

'I've just thought of something! I'll meet you down at the pitch I need to go to the library!' She charged off.

'What was that about?' Harry asked Draco who shrugged.

'You know Hermione, can't let a thought linger without a trip to the library. She shouldn't be going off on her own.' Draco mused; he began to walk after her.

'She said she'd meet you at the pitch? She'll be quick.' Harry added and Draco went off with him.

Hermione rifled through a book she'd flicked through once before until she came to the page she was looking for.

_Basilisk_

Of course it was a Basilisk! Only Draco and Harry could hear it, and now the victims being petrified made sense! Colin had seen the snake through his camera; the cat had seen a reflection on a wet floor! Looking into its eye directly would kill the victim but to see it to a lesser extent would have less severe consequences. She had to get the word out.

She knew exactly where to start; she had walked past another muggle-born in the library. A Prefect called Penelope. She ripped the page from the book.

'Penny?' She called out to the tall blond that was packing up her stuff, probably to go out and watch the match.

'Granger? Are you going down to the match too?' She smiled at the young girl.

Hermione showed her the sheet of paper. 'The monster that's attacking students! It's a Basilisk!'

Penelope read the sheet of paper quickly and then gulped, clearly, she agreed with Hermione's theory.

'Come with me, we've got to tell a teacher!' The Prefect declared and began pulling her from the library.

Hermione pulled her to a stop. 'We can't just go walking around! If it's hiding behind any corners we'll be killed!'

Penelope began digging through her bag and retrieved a golden hand mirror. 'Her, Per- someone gave me this for my birthday, we can use it to look around corners.'

Hermione nodded and took the mirror from her. 'That's perfect.'

They made slow progress through the castle; they were heading for the Quidditch Pitch as that would be the fastest way to find a teacher on a match day.

'Nearly there.' Hermione reassured her companion, who was beginning to sob with nerves. Hermione kept the sheet of paper bunched tightly in one hand, ready to show the first available teacher, and gripped the mirror in the other hand so tightly that her knuckles were white.

Hermione held the mirror around the final corner to be greeted by a pair of fearsome yellow eyes.

**********************************

So, I don't write in order. I've got chapters from years 6 and 7 sorted and the death toll is rising dramatically. Thought I'd let you all know of the pain to come :)

E x


	32. Without Her

The players were beginning to steam out onto the pitch as Draco took his seat, he'd saved a space next to him.

It was nice to watch a match instead of playing in it, he often found watching other matches was a good way to measure his opponent's weaknesses.

'Blaise have you seen Her- Ahh!- He clutched the mark on his wrist, a powerful burning was raging through it. Something was very wrong.

'Drake? What's wrong?' Blaise asked with a worried face as Draco clutched his wrist and screamed, attracting the attention of those near.

'Hermione's in trouble!' Draco declared just as McGonagall rushed out onto the pitch.

She quickly dismissed both teams, though she kept a hold of Harry.

All of the students were ordered to immediately return to their common rooms. Draco felt like his stomach was trying to flip over.

He felt desperately sick; he knew exactly what must have happened. He had spent weeks staying by her side, and the one moment he left her she had been hurt.

He was frozen in his seat as everyone else neatly left the stands, McGonagall's eyes finally landed on him and he could see the pity in them.

He forced his legs to climb down the steps from the stand and onto the pitch over to his teacher and a confused looking Harry, thought with every step closer Draco took a look of realisation came across his face.

'What happened?' Draco asked desperately once he had reached them.

She looked at him with a gentle expression. 'There's been another attack. A double attack.'

'Hermione?' He asked, he knew the answer would be a yes but he hoped and prayed it would be a no.

His teacher merely nodded and they started in the direction of the hospital wing.

When he looked back on the day, he couldn't remember the walk to the Hospital Wing, he remembered McGonagall confirming it was Hermione and then there was a bit of a blank and he was at the doors to the wing. Harry had later shown him some bruises on his arm that he had gotten on the walk over from Draco gripping his arm so tightly, apparently, Harry was concerned Draco would faint the entire walk over. This part was vivid in his memory: The great doors were pushed open to reveal two privacy screens had been added, he knew Hermione would be behind one of them.

Behind one screen was the new addition of a sixth-year girl he knew to be a perfect but couldn't recall her name, Draco braced himself for what he was about to see behind the next curtain.

'Hermione!' Harry exclaimed, he'd gone pale at the sight of her.

Hermione lay completely still, as if a statue on a bed in front of them. Her eyes were open and glassy, looking down at her hand that looked as if she had been holding something.

'She was holding this.' Professor McGonagall told them, holding out a golden mirror. 'Can either of you explain it?'

The pair both shook their heads; Harry brushed a hand over Hermione's hair, which was also frozen in place. Draco had a sudden odd thought that it was a good thing that it wasn't windy when she was attacked or she would be annoyed at being frozen with wild hair, a strange laugh came from him and then he was crying hysterically.

Harry put a hand on his shoulder as he sank to the ground next to her bedside. Everyone but him knew what was about to happen, his face or skin must have given it away as someone thrust a bowl into his hand. As he was sick into it he couldn't help think that it was the same bowl he had used to wipe the blood from her face not long ago.

Madam Promfrey finally managed to get a Draught of Peace down his throat once there was a break in his tear, there was an unnatural calm that flowed through him despite how raw and brittle he currently felt. Though he was glas it got rid of the taste of sick in his mouth.

They sat at her bedside for a few minutes; Harry was stroking her hair soothingly still, as if she could feel it. Draco could not bring himself to touch her; he could barely look at her. All he could think was that he should have gone with her.

Finally, Snape entered the room, robes billowing behind him.

'Time to go.' McGonagall told the boys gently.

She left with Harry, who she was escorting back to his common room.

Snape was looking at Hermione like he was about to be sick as well. He finally pulled his eyes from her still form to turn to Draco.

'Come on.' He said with unusual warmth to his voice that he had only heard a few times in his life. He had known Snape his entire life, he and his mother were old friends, and had never seen the man looking so unstable.

He couldn't recall the walk back to the common room either, just the feeling of Snape's arm on his back guiding him through the empty corridors. The next thing he remembered was being sat between Daphne and Blaise, who both had red-rimmed eyes. Daphne had his hand in a vice-like grip as Snape spoke, and he had broken the news of the attack to them.

'You will all return to the common room by six pm. No student can leave after that time for any reason; any trouble and you are to summon a teacher who can escort you somewhere if needed. Each morning I will escort you all to breakfast at eight am from there you will follow your teacher to your first lesson. Quidditch training and matches are postponed for the moment as Dumbledore had deemed it unsafe.' He told them.

There was a grumble at the news of no Quidditch but no noise came from Draco, he was staring with dead eyes into the fire.

'Are there any questions?' Snape asked once he had finished listing off the new rules.

Draco's hand shot up.

'Yes Malfoy?' Snape asked, a little shocked that the catatonic Draco had finally come to life again.

'When will the revive draught be ready? Does it hurt to be petrified? Will it hurt to be brought out of it? Do we know who is leading these attacks?' He listed off; he needed to know what was going to happen to the girl he - to Hermione.

'It's a few weeks away. No it doesn't hurt and no it won't hurt. For all purposes, the petrified students will have been walking down a corridor and they'll wake up in a bed and tell us the last thing they saw and we'll catch whoever has done this.' Snape told him and Draco nodded in thanks.

Snape answered a few more questions from students about the new rules and then finished with a cold warning.

'I will say this. If the person carrying out these attacks is not caught, it is extremely likely the school will be closed. Now, you should all go to bed, it's very late.'

Draco allowed Blaise to pull him to stand from the couch. He noticed Tracey and Millie leading a shell shocked Daphne down the girl's corridor and had to remind himself that Daphne had just lost her best friend, he would check on her tomorrow as Hermione would want him to.

Blaise led him carefully down to the spiraling staircase into the boy's corridor, he allowed him to help with his tricky buttons to his shirt as his own hands were shaking too much though he did manage to remove his own pants and finally Blaise quite literally tucked him into bed.

'Try and get some sleep if you can mate, she wouldn't want you to be a zombie.' Blaise told him before leaving to get ready for bed himself.

........................

The next few days were all a blur, he couldn't pay attention in class and the teachers weren't exactly punishing him for it. He'd even knocked a cauldron full of potion over and Snape had vanished the mess without so much as a snarky comment. Draco wondered if Snape was missing his nightly classes with Hermione, he knew he was certainly missing teaching her Latin and the cute was she would scrunch her nose up when she didn't understand something and then the delighted gleam she gave when she did.

He and Daphne had latched together in an attempt to fill the void left by their missing friend, they could now often be found sat on the couches by the fire in silence. He just couldn't get the image of Hermione laying stiff on that Hospital bed out of his mind, Daphne had been to see her now and appeared to be having the same issue.

What was bothering him most was that he needed to know what had done this. Hermione had clearly figured it out, the fact that she had been carrying a mirror and had clearly warned another Muggle-Born not to go anywhere alone showed that. The mirror had shown the Professors that Hermione was aware she couldn't look directly at whatever had done this and were now all frantically searching through the restricted section in hopes of finding whatever book the young genius so clearly had come across.

Due to the restrictions on free movement, he hadn't been able to see Hermione again since the attack, until finally he snapped and walked across the school on his own.

As he walked to the Hospital Wing, a bunch of flowers he had ordered in his hand, his mind dwelled on the pregnancy of his father's mistress. He knew his parents had not married for love, but it truly made him despise his father the way he continued to shame his beloved mother. He couldn't help think that his father might displace him as heir with this new child whom he could raise with his prejudice's, uncle Armand had gotten his hooks into Draco at an early age thankfully. He shuddered to think at the monster of a boy he would be without the influence of Armand and Matilda.

Once when they were very little, he and Blaise had gotten into an argument over he couldn't remember what, the result of the argument was what they both remembered. Blaise had ended up calling him a mummy's boy and Draco had hit him in the face with a garden fork, resulting in a very small scar on the bridge of his nose that blended in with his freckles. This was now an incident that made them laugh, since Draco now had his fair share of scars off his friend in return. He couldn't help think that Blaise had been correct; he was a mummy's boy.

He had written to her just this morning at the news she was finally back in England, having left Matilda to her Northern tour.

_Mum,_

_Thank the Gods you're back in civilised lands, I've been wanting to write to you for weeks but there' not a sane owl out there that would make that trip._  
I'm so sorry. He's gone way too far this time and I'm so angry on your behalf over his treatment of you and how he is publically shaming you with these mistresses. I'm sure uncle Armand will have something up his sleeve to deal with him.   
Something terrible has happened. Hermione has been petrified like the other Muggle-Borns at school. I let her go off on her own for five minutes and she was attacked and it's all my fault. The teachers are saying that if they can't catch whoever's doing it then the school will be shut. I'm surprised the royal guard hasn't descended to guard my every move.

_I miss you,_

_Dragon._

The thought of anyone ever reading his letters to his mother made him cringe, for one he'd never live the "dragon" nickname down. Putting his thoughts down onto paper had helped a lot but he couldn't help thinking there was nobody else he would rather voice his woes to than Hermione.

'Just what do you think you're doing Mr Malfoy?' A stern voice came from behind him, breaking him out of his train of thought.

It was McGonagall, 'I'm visiting Hermione.' He raised the flowers in his hand to show her as evidence.

Her stern face melted away. 'I see. But you can't just go walking around on your own at a time like this.'

Draco sighed, 'Professor, I am as Pure Blooded as it gets, I dare say I'm safe.'

Her stern face was back. 'Now wait just a minute-' She began but he cut it off.

'Look I never do this, but I am the Earl of Pemberley and I am going to the Hospital Wing and there's nothing you can do to stop me. You can come with me if you want and you can put me in detention but I am going.' He told her finally.

She must have seen the resolve in his eyes. 'Detention tomorrow lunch after class. Let's go.'

She had led him to the Hospital Wing and allowed him to place the flowers in a vase on her bedside table, he still couldn't bring himself to touch her but he did pull the blanket up a little higher on her, he knew she couldn't feel temperature at the moment but only having her legs covered felt wrong.

....

Nobody would sit next to him or Daphne in the Great Hall. They were both so deeply upset that they kept making it rain, they had both quickly grown used to eating a soggy tea and casting a drying charm over themselves before leaving, this was until Dumbledore noticed and banished the rain with a jet of blue light into the ceiling.

It was breakfast the day after this event that Draco went and sat next to Harry and Neville on the Gryffindor table. 'Have you spoken to Hagrid yet?' He asked.

'No. I don't think he did it.' Harry told him.

'Are you insane?' Draco barked. 'Have you seen Hermione? Go and speak to him or I will and trust me you'll be much nicer. If I go I'm taking a royal guard with me to arrest him.'

Harry sighed and nodded. 'I guess it's time. We'll go tonight, under the cloak.'

Neville stood and stretched. 'I'm going to go get my Herbology essay done now then, Sprout's taking a group of students over there now I think.'

They both bid the growing boy, really growing he had shot up these last few weeks, farewell and turned back to their food.

'It's a shame about all these new rules, we could have met you from Slytherin and you'd have been able to come with us.' He told Draco.

'It's probably for the best. I'd only lose my temper with him.' He raked a hand through his blond hair and ignored the sympathetic look his friend gave him.

...

Snape was this time escorting Draco to the hospital wing with a fresh bunch of flowers. He wasn't sure why but if Hermione could sense anything around her he wanted her to have pleasant surroundings and know he was still trying to take care of her in whatever way he could.

Snape had taken one look at the boy and remarked. 'You look terrible. You're paler than usual and that's saying something. How much are you sleeping?'

Draco had shrugged. 'A few hours I guess.'

Snape sighed. 'When we're done here I'll get you some dreamless sleep.'

They finally arrived at her bedside and Draco looked at Hermione to see her lifeless eyes. He raised a hand to stroke her forehead but dropped it back to his side.

His attention turned to the golden mirror that Snape was now turning over in his hands.

'She figured it out didn't she?' Draco asked.

Snape set the mirror down on the table next to Hermione. 'I dare say so.'

Draco despaired. 'But it didn't matter, she still got hurt.'

Snape widened his eyes it shock. 'Of course it mattered! She saved not only her life but that of Miss Clearwater's!'

Draco shut his eyes tightly. 'I should never have let her go off on her own.'

'In the two years I've known Miss Granger there's one thing I've learned about her, nobody can stop her once she sets her mind to something.' Snape told him. 'Come on; let's get you that sleep potion.'

...

'Well, we can rule Hagrid out as a suspect.' Neville stated as he sat down next to Draco in the Great Hall for breakfast the next morning.

'What happened?' Draco asked as Harry sat on his other side, he was sporting a large gash on his chin.

'We narrowly escaped with our lives.' Neville said dryly as he reached for the plate of pancakes. Draco noticed his arm was full of bruises.

'That's a bit of a stretch Nev.' Harry mused.

'We were nearly eaten you lunatic!' Neville replied to him. 'I'm going to sit with Seamus and Dean.'

The two boys watched after Neville as he stomped over to the Gryffindor table.

'You going to tell me what happened?' Draco asked.

'Right, yes. So we went at night to Hagrid's but the Minister for magic and well, your dad came.' Harry began.

'What was my dad doing there? He's meant to be in France right now.' Draco was puzzled.

'I'm getting to that, just listen.' Harry began. 'So Hagrid started to tell us about what happened but then the Minister came with Dumbledore to arrest Hagrid.'

'So he is guilty?' Draco asked.

'No! Stop interrupting.' Harry scolded. 'So Hagrid, we were hiding under the cloak at this point, told us to follow the spiders but then your dad came and sacked Dumbledore.'

Draco was shocked and angry at the same time. 'He did what?'

Harry nodded. 'He got the board of governors to sack him over the attacks.'

Draco looked up at the empty Headmaster's table and frowned. 'Right, my dad's a git. What happened next?'

Harry frowned at the point. 'Well, we followed the spiders. We came to this massive spider called Aragog who could talk. Literally he was the size of a baby elephant.'

'An Acromantula?'

Harry nodded. 'He was why Hagrid was expelled. But he said he'd never attacked anyone, there was a girl killed in a bathroom by the actual monster but he'd never left Hagrid's rooms.'

Draco nodded in acceptance. 'Did it know what the monster was?'

Harry nodded. 'He said it was an ancient creature that Spiders fear above anything else. But he refused to tell us what it was; he was too scared to tell us what it was.'

Draco groaned in frustration. 'Harry you moron. You're a wizard, he's a spider. You should have made him tell you.'

Harry sighed. 'We didn't get the chance, after that his hoards of children tried to eat us. We had to fight our way out, that's why Neville's so annoyed with me. To be honest, if he hadn't been there I'd have been eaten, he blasted most of them away.'

'Is that why you're both so banged up?' Draco asked.

Harry shook his head. 'No, that's mainly why Neville is annoyed with me. I tried a spell Hermione was talking about once and it blew us both on our arses.'

Draco rolled his eyes. 'You should have known better than trying out a Hermione-level spell.'

The two boys paused for a moment to fondly think of their insanely smart and powerful friend.

Then Draco put his head in his hands. 'So we're back to square one. We have no idea what it is. I wish Hermione was here, she figured it out all on her own.'

...

April arrived with news from the palace. Armand, having heard that Hermione had been attacked, had canceled the Easter garden party citing the attacks at Hogwarts as the reason. Draco had received a long letter from his Uncle offering his support in the matter. He had sent over a team of royal physicians to look at all of the petrified students and they seemed to agree that a revive draught from Mandrake root was their best hope.

As May began, he was still yet to hear from Matilda about who Tom Riddle was as she was delving deeper into the wilds of Russia and out of reach. He wondered if she had even gotten his letter and had sent another to be safe. Eventually, he had written to the King to ask him instead. He was just on his way to the Owlry to send it when he came across a surprising presence.

'Father?' He was stunned.

'Draco.' His father acknowledged.

'What are you doing here?' He asked, quickly tucking the letter to his uncle into his pocket and out of sight.

His father was wearing long golden robes and held his usual wand cane tightly in his right hand. 'I'm just seeing how the deputy headmistress is getting on.' Then he smiled. 'I'll need to get a new groundskeeper too, I wonder if Hagrid's enjoying his cell.'

Draco was horrified. 'Cell? You sent him to Azkaban! What's wrong with you? Hagrid never did anything wrong!'

Lucius looked at his son sternly and raised his cane off the ground, Draco was very wary of the fact he was in striking distance.

'Now Draco. Is that any way to talk to your father or a Duke? Hagrid is a filthy half breed and I won't have him here. As for your ridiculous Half-Blood Headmaster, this place will be better once the Muggle-Born's have been wiped out; I needed to get him out of the way to let the Heir do their work.'

His father had finally lost it.

'You're wrong.' Draco told him firmly.

'Excuse me?' His father asked in a high, stern voice.

'The school won't be better at all. Blood purity is a load of rubbish.'

His father raised the cane to strike him but Draco was faster. He brandished his wand and blasted his father across the hallway.

'If I find out you had anything to do with this father, I will never forgive you, and I will tell uncle.' He kept his wand in his hand.

His father, seeming very shocked that Draco had finally stood up to him, pulled himself up from the floor. 'You cannot run to your uncle for everything boy one day you will be the king and -'

'And I will be a Duke far longer than I will ever be king, now get out of my school before someone hears you and we end up on the front page.'

He stormed past his father who remained silent.

Draco moved quickly through the corridors, he didn't fancy getting another detention for being out alone, but he knew that he was probably the safest person in the school. The Heir of Slytherin was hardly going to attack someone actually descended from Slytherin himself, were they?

He sent his owl off to the King baring his letter before pulling a second letter from his pocket. He unfolded it in order to give it a quick check over.

_Dear Mr and Mrs Granger,_

_I am so sorry for the attack on your daughter. _

_I know you are coming to visit her tomorrow so I thought I would write and offer a further explanation of what has happened to her. I know Dumbledore will have written but he's probably filled the letter with Magical Jargon knowing him as I do._

_Putting it in its simplest terms, an unknown monster has put her in what I believe you would call a coma. There is a plant that the school grows that can wake her up that will be ready in a few weeks. She will be completely fine after this "medicine" has been administered, although we still do not know what has caused this. _

_We are hoping that when all of the students are revived that they will be able to tell the teachers who can put a stop to it._

_Yours Faithfully,_

_Draco Malfoy_

_Earl of Pemberly_

...

Mr and Mrs Granger arrived just after breakfast the next day, they both seemed to be hiding their discomfort at the situation quite well as he greeted them in the corridor.

'Ah, Your Highness.' Mr. Granger said as he noticed Draco coming towards them, he held out a hand which the boy shook.

'Draco please.' He firmly shook the older man's hand before letting go.

Snape was escorting them. 'What are you doing out in the corridors alone?'

Draco rolled his eyes. 'I'm not alone, I'm with you. Oh come on, I walked from the Great Hall to the door it's hardly a great trek. I wanted to be here.'

Mrs. Granger was dressed in a pale blue office dress and thick white cardigan, 'that was very nice of you dear.'

Snape huffed out a sigh and gestured up the corridor. 'This way please.'

The Grangers were taking in the castle in all its splendor.

'This is your first time here?' Draco asked as they walked.

Mr. Granger nodded. 'It's the most curious thing, it looked like a terribly unsafe ruin from outside, but once we came inside it all suddenly changed.'

Draco nodded. 'It's the anti-muggle wards. That is, we can't have non-magic people stumbling upon the school.'

'You said Hermione will be okay?' Mrs. Granger suddenly asked.

Draco opened his mouth to reply in the affirmative but Snape got there before him. 'I will brew the revive draught myself, the plant we use should be ready in a few more weeks, before we leave I could take you down to the potion labs and walk you through the process?'

Mrs. Granger nodded. 'That would be lovel-'

'And are you the best man to be brewing something so important. No offense but shouldn't a doctor be doing it?' Mr. Granger cut her off with a concerned face.

Snape, to his credit, took this comment well and replied with patience. 'I am one of the highest educated brewers in England Sir; most of my potions are used in our wizarding hospital.'

This seemed to soothe the worried father and they continued at a brisk pace towards the Hospital Wing.

Jean Granger had cried upon seeing her daughter. Robert Granger had gone very pale and tired to stoke his daughter's hair. They both offered reassuring comments to their daughter, though they had been told that she couldn't hear them.

Draco thought that the parents had been someone comforted by the knowledge that their daughter had no idea what had happened, that she had turned a corridor and would wake up several weeks later with no sensation of time passing.

Eventually, they left the sterilised confines of the ward and made their way down to the potions classrooms so that Snape could show them exactly how he would cure their daughter.

'Hermione's room is near here isn't it?' Her mother asked as they returned to the common room. 'She always says in her letters how it's in the dungeons.'

I'll show you, if you want?' Draco spoke quickly.

'That would be lovely.' Mrs. Granger replied.

Draco led the small group to the common room entrance and spoke the password. 'Merlin.'

'Are all the passwords fictional wizards? What a clever idea.' Mrs. Granger exclaimed delightedly.

Snape and Draco shared an amused look.

'Merlin is not a fictional person. In fact, the royal family descended from him.' Snape informed them much to their surprise.

'You're the first muggles to ever come in here.' Draco told them as they crossed the entranceway.

'Daph?' Draco called the blond girl over from the couches. 'These are Hermione's parents.'

Daphne's eyes widened in clear surprise. 'I've never met a muggle before! It's very nice to meet you!' She exclaimed, shaking both of their hands with much enthusiasm.

Draco rolled his eyes once again at his friend's embarrassing display. 'They were hoping to see Hermione's room?' Draco added.

'Erm. Men can't walk down the corridor or you'll get stuck. I can take you.' She said gesturing at Mrs. Granger who then disappeared down the hallway with Daphne.

In all, the Granger's visit lasted a few hours before Snape returned them by Floo to their London home.

The day and comfort he had been able to give to Hermione's parents had lifted his mood massively.

He'd snuck back to the Hospital Wing after dinner to see Hermione again before bed and almost knocked the youngest Weasley girl to the ground as she was walking around like a zombie, not letting it dampen his great mood he returned to Hermione's bedside.

He tried not to look at her blank staring eyes and finally reached out to touch her; he began by lightly stroking her forehead and found her to be fairly cold. He reached over to the empty bed on her left and pulled the spare blanket from it, draping it over her to the best of his ability.

He finally turned his attention to the hand by her side, the one she had not carried the mirror in. He ran his hand over it first and then went to take hold of it but found there was something already in her hand.

With a delicate maneuver and great difficulty, he managed to extract what appeared to be a sheet of a book. Draco knew it was something important as he eagerly smoothed out the page, Hermione wouldn't ever deface a book.

_Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters in the world, none is more rightly fearsome than the Basilisk, also called the King of Serpents._

He didn't need to read the rest, it all made sense. Of course it was a Basilisk, a monster that he and Harry would be able to hear. Hermione, ever the genius, had figured it all out.

With one last soulful look at Hermione, he tucked the paper into his robes and ran for the Great Hall, hoping and praying to any Gods that might be listening that Harry would still be in there.

**********************

Sorry for the late update, I burned half my hand off. All better now.

E x


	33. Heirs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nice little 6k chapter for you.

'Merlin's beard.' Harry exclaimed as he read the sheet from the book.

'I know! She figured it all out!' Draco exclaimed excitedly.

Harry then frowned and looked up at the blond. 'What kind of idiots are we?'

'What do you mean?' Draco asked back at this surprising notion.

'It's a snake! It's the bloody symbol of Slytherin, we're both Parseltongue's and only we can hear it. We must be thick.' Harry mused with a frustrated line appearing in his brow.

Draco sighed. 'We can ponder our idiocy later Potter.' He sat down on the bench next to Harry and took the sheet of paper from him.

'We need to stop these attacks.' Harry told him. 'Have you shown that to a teacher yet?'

Draco shook his head and returned the sheet of paper to his pocket. 'If the teachers find out there's a Basilisk roaming around they'll shut this place down faster than you can say Hogwarts.'

Harry nodded along with him. 'So what do we do?'

Draco shrugged. 'We fix this ourselves.'

'You want to go fight a massive killer monster? Okay, have fun with that one do let me know how it goes. Harry mocked.

'Where's your Gryffindor courage? I bet Longbottom will come with me.' Draco taunted.

'No he won't. He fell down the stairs this morning and cracked his head on the step; he's in the hospital wing overnight.' Harry told him.

'Well, that's decided then. You'll have to come with me.' Draco told him.

'Come with you where?' Harry asked with a dry expression. 'Don't tell me, you've figured out where the Chamber of Secrets is?'

Draco shook his head. 'No. But I have figured out who might.'

'Who?' Harry asked, astonished at this news.

'You were saying how stupid we were for not figuring out it's a snake, this one's even worse. The last girl died in a bathroom, what ghost do we know that hides in a bathroom?'

Harry looked him dead in the eye. 'You've got to be kidding me. You don't mean-'

'ALL STUDENTS ARE TO RETURN TO THEIR DORMITERIES AT ONCE. ALL STAFF ARE TO MEET AT THE STAFFROOM IMMEDIATELY.' McGonagall's voice rang out.

'Not another attack! Not now!' Draco exclaimed.

'What do we do?' Harry asked, horror clear on his face. 'Go back to our dormitory's?'

Draco shook his head. 'No. We're going to the staffroom too. We'll get there before most of the teachers if we run.'

Harry nodded and the two boys leaped up and made for the staffroom.

They made it there in record time, both incredibly out of breath.

'Now what?' Harry asked.

There was a large and ugly wardrobe to their left that Harry wrenched open, it was full of teacher's cloaks so the pair pushed them aside and climbed in.

'We'll hear what's happened and then if we need to we'll tell them what the monster is.' Draco whispered to Harry as teachers began to file into the room, all wearing a worried expression.

McGonagall arrived last and slammed the door shut. 'Our worst fears have been realised. A student has been taken by the monster right into the Chamber itself.'

Draco heard Harry gasp in horror next to him and shoved him roughly in the ribs to keep him quiet.

The teacher's reactions were similar to Harry's though, Sprout clapped her hands over her mouth, Flitwick gasped in despair, Snape gripped the back of the chair very hard.

'How can you be so sure?' Snape asked, his knuckles were now gripping the chair so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Draco had a fleeting feeling of guilt as he couldn't help thinking "at least it's not Hermione".

'The Heir of Slytherin has left another message.' A white-faced Professor McGonagall told him. 'Right under the first one, _Her Skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever._'

Snape looked like he was going to be sick, Flitwick brushed away an escaping tear and Sprout patted him comfortingly on the shoulder.

'Do we know who the Heir is yet? I still think the Malfoy boy should be looked into.' Flitwick said.

Draco frowned at this and Harry placed a comforting hand on his shoulder for a moment.

'Don't be ridiculous.' Snape spoke up. 'His best friend is currently petrified upstairs in case you've forgotten.'

'He's a Parseltongue, he's literally related to Slytherin.' Sprout added.

'So is Potter, I don't see any of you pointing the blame at him. And of the two of them, he had more reason to attack muggle-borns, those muggles he lives with are despicable.' Professor McGonagall spoke up. 'No, I doubt it's either of them.'

'Who's the student?' Sprout finally asked.

'Ginny Weasley,' answered Professor McGonagall.

Draco felt Harry flinch next to him and remembered he had danced with the girl at the Christmas Ball. Draco remembered walking past her in the corridor and seeing her walking as if asleep, perhaps she knew the monster was after her.

'We'll have to send all the students home tomorrow. This is the end of Hogwarts.' Snape replied. 'Best get working on our CV's.' He said in a strangely high voice.

The door to the staffroom suddenly banged open, through the small keyhole Draco saw it was Lockhart and rolled his eyes.

'Sorry, dozed off. What have I missed?' He asked in a cheery voice. The other teachers were looking at him with clear hatred.

'Just the man.' Snape spoke up. 'A girl has been taken by the monster, your moment has at last come.'

'That's right.' Sprout spoke up. 'You were telling me just last night that you'd figured out where the Chamber of Secrets is.'

Flitwick nodded. 'Yes, you were telling me you were sorry you didn't get the chance to fight the beast yourself.'

Lockhart looked pale and tried to speak but was cut off by McGonagall. 'You better get to it, Lockhart.'

'I'll be in my office getting ready then.' Lockhart mumbled and then left the room.

McGonagall shook her head at the retreating man. 'That's got rid of him. I want every head of house to round up the students and tell them what has happened. They will leave before breakfast tomorrow. I will break the news to the other Weasley children.'

Draco felt a surge of pity for Fred and George; he knew how much Hermione cared for her friends and he could see why she liked them so much.

The teachers all streamed out of the room and Draco and Harry stepped out of the wardrobe. 'She knew something Harry.' Draco told him, thinking back to the sight of her earlier. 'That's why she was taken. She's a pure-blood, there's no other reason.'

Harry nodded. 'You don't think she's-' His voice trailed off.

Draco couldn't see any way that the poor girl could still be alive, he couldn't say that to Harry obviously for risk of upsetting him further.

'No, not yet. Twenty-four hours I reckon. Then it'll kill her.' He mumbled. 'Come on, we need to go talk to Moaning Myrtle.'

'Shouldn't we talk to Lockhart?' Harry asked. 'I know he's useless but if he's going after the monster then we should tell him what we know.'

Draco pulled him from the Staff Room and towards the bathroom of one particular ghost. 'He's obviously fake; he's probably already halfway to London by now.'

They marched down the stairs to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom along the dark and empty corridors.

Moaning Myrtle was sitting on the tank of the toilet. 'Hello, Harry.' She greeted him.

'You two know each other?' Draco asked.

Harry nodded. 'We met when someone threw the diary at her.'

Draco nodded at this. 'Miss Myrtle, do you know who I am?'

She nodded. 'You look a lot like your uncle did at your age. He was always very nice to me.'

'I need your help.' He told her.

She seemed to perk up at this. 'What do you want?'

'To ask you how you died?' Harry spoke up.

She looked as if someone had just paid her the highest compliment. 'Oh, it was dreadful. I died right here in this stall. I was upset and hiding in here because Olive Hornby was being mean about my glasses. But I heard someone come in and speak in a funny language and I figured out it was a boy talking so I unlocked to door to tell him to piss off and use the boy's loo and then I was dead.'

'But how did you die? Specifically what happened to you?' Draco asked, he had asked how she died not for her entire life story after all.

Her thrilled expression continued. 'Your Grace.' She gave him a small curtsey. 'I have no idea; I just remember seeing a pair of big yellow eyes. My body seized up and then I was dead. I came back so I could haunt Oli-'

'And where did you see the eyes?' He interrupted her.

She gestured to her left. 'Over by that sink.'

Harry and Draco hurried over to inspect it, ignoring Myrtle as she continued to prattle on about haunting Olive Hornby.

It looked like an ordinary sink for all purposes, from its porcelain bowl to its piping.

'There's a snake on it.' Harry announced.

'What? Where?' Draco asked.

Harry showed him the mark, it was tiny. Scratched on the side of the copper pipes was a delicate snake.

'Oh, that tap's never worked.' Myrtle piped up.

Draco turned around and frowned. 'And nobody ever found this suspicious?' He was shocked at the stupidity, 'I thought people had been searching for the chamber for centuries?'

'That's bloody good point actually, how has nobody noticed this?' Harry agreed with him.

'Surely when they put the toilets in they must have noticed a mark like this?' Draco mused, referring to the change over from the Roman style toilets to that glorious muggle invention that he was most grateful for. He often wondered why Wizards hadn't invented the toilet by the time of Hogwarts founding and yet had created sinks, but if today had taught him anything it was that some people can be really thick.

'How do you reckon it opens?' Draco asked.

'I think we should try Parsletongue.' Harry said. 'Myrtle said she heard a funny language.'

'Go on then.' Draco gestured to the snake, figuring it couldn't hurt to try.

The strain of effort was evident on Harry's face as he attempted the language, 'Open.'

Draco shook his head. 'That was English. Can't you speak it on command?'

Harry shook his head. 'I never knew I was doing it until the Duelling club.'

Draco frowned, Harry wasn't a natural-born Parseltongue it seemed, now was not the time to comment on such things.

'_Open.'_ He hissed.

Harry jumped at the hissing sound coming from Draco, as if this were the first time he had ever heard it rather than English.

At once the tap emitted a deep groaning sound from within; the sink began to sink down out of sight leaving a large pipe exposed. They had found the Chamber of Secrets.

Draco looked down into the dark abyss they were presented with. 'For Merlin's sake, how the bloody hell has nobody ever found this?'

Harry shrugged. 'Now what?'

Draco stared down into the darkness once more, he had a sudden feeling that they should turn and run for a professor.

'I'm going down there.' Harry said.

Draco nodded, Ginny was down there. As was the monster his own ancestor had apparently hatched. He was going too; there was no way he couldn't go now that they had found it. He doubted Ginny still lived but the hope on Harry's face spurned him on that she may yet be saved.

'Let's go then.' Draco said; keen to get the leap over with.

The two boys sat on the edge of the exposed pipe. Harry, and his Gryffindor bravery, pushed off first. Draco took a deep breath and thought of Hermione, then he pushed off too.

It was actually quite disgusting, it was like going down an endless slimy slide and he couldn't see a thing apart from the occasional piping branching off in different directions. He was grateful it was a simple water pipe and now a sewage line they had slid down. He knew they must have slid below the dungeons, below the caves under the school the Philosopher's stone had been hidden in, probably below the Black Lake.

He worried that it might be a sheer drop and that they had just foolishly jumped to their demises, but at the last moment the pipe leveled out and he shot out of the end, crashing into Harry. They were in a large stone tunnel just large enough for them to stand in.

'I can't believe you're related to the nutter that built this place.' Harry told him, looking at the slimy walls.

Draco sighed. 'I'm related to Gryffindor too remember. Come on.'

They pressed on into the dark tunnels; he could hear their footsteps loudly on the wet floor. 'There goes the element of surprise; the monster can probably hear us.' He told Harry who nodded in agreement.

Draco suddenly held up a hand to signal Harry to halt. 'Any sign of movement and you shut your eyes.' Harry nodded at his instruction.

There was no need for such a warning; the tunnel was quiet, the only sounds coming from their footsteps in the water and the crunch of bones under their feet.

'Can't we light our wands?' Harry asked as he stepped on another rat skull.

Draco shook his head. 'I don't want to give the monster any further indication of our movements.'

Draco lightly kicked a rat skull out of his way; he dreaded to think what Ginny would look like when they found her. He began thinking of ways to distract Harry from the sight of her corpse when they came to it, he settled for stunning Harry and levitating both bodies back out the way they came if it came to it.

'There's something ahead.' Draco declared, grabbing hold of Harry's shoulder. The pair froze, waiting for any movement, but there was none.

'Maybe it's asleep?' Harry mused.

Draco rolled his eyes at his desperate hoping, though did think to himself it would be a damned sight easier to kill if it were.

Draco, still seeing no movement, moved to look closer at the thing. He could feel his blood pumping through his ears.

Draco finally lit up his wand, filling the small chamber with light. His eyes widened. It was a giant snake skin, of vivid green, laying cold and still on the floor before them. It must have been at least twenty feet long.

'Fuck me.' Harry managed to get out. 'And it shed this, it's bigger probably.'

'Thanks Harry that's exactly what I wanted to hear as we press on to find the big vicious killer snake.'

'Sorry.'

Draco gestured for them to press on, there was no use lingering over the former skin when Ginny had already been in the Chamber for hours, they needed to press on.

The tunnel ahead twisted and turned and seemed to slope downwards slightly, he wondered just how deep under the school they were. The pair wanted nothing more that the tunnel would end yet also dreaded the very same thing.

Finally, they came to a solid rock wall ahead of him on which two entwining snakes were carved; their eyes were set with great emeralds. Draco wondered if Slytherin had been gifted them from the Royal Collection, probably.

'Potter, when I open that door shut your eyes.' Draco told him in a steady voice.

'What about you? You'd still die?'

'No I won't. I have Slytherin blood; Slytherin hatched it so it can't harm me. Well, its eyes can't kill me at any rate.' Draco told him.

Harry nodded and shut his eyes.

_'Open.' _Draco hissed at the snakes on the wall. The snakes began to circle one another before parting and revealing a large opening in the wall.

'You can open your eyes.' Draco told him.

They were stood at the end of a long and dimly lit chamber. There were towering stone pillars bearing the forms of serpents that rose high to support the cave ceiling.

'Wands ready.' Draco said and they both held their wands ready to fight as they slowly made their way through the chamber, both looking for the slightest sign of movement.

They finally came towards the end of the corridor to see a giant face before them.

'Well, that's a bit pretentious.' Draco said.

They had to crane their necks to look into the giant face looming over them. It was ancient, a face with a long thin beard and long hair.

'I don't see the family resemblance.' Harry mused.

Their eyes finally traveled down to the bottom of the great statue to see a small figure with flaming red hair sprawled underneath it.

'Ginny!' Harry shouted, sprinting over to her with Draco hot on his heels.

'Is she dead?' He asked as he stood over the scene, scanning the room for any danger still.

He shook his head. 'No, she's alive.'

Relief flooded both boys.

'Wake up.' Harry said gently, pleading as he shook her but Ginny's head merely lolled from side to side like a ragdoll.

'She won't wake.' Came a cold voice from behind them.

There was some shadow coming towards them that Draco couldn't quite make out. He glanced down at the limp form of Ginny and noticed Tom Riddle's diary clutched in her hand.

'Harry Potter, and Draco Malfoy.' The voice was clearer the closer the specter drew near.

Harry strained to get a better look at the person. 'Tom Riddle? Is that you?'

'Yes,' came the voice. 'I thought you would come alone Harry Potter, I want to speak to you.'

Harry clearly grew frustrated. 'We're in the Chamber of Secrets! We can talk later.'

'We will talk now.' Tom Riddle replied. Draco didn't know how Harry had recognised him, he still couldn't see the boy clearly.

'How did Ginny get like this?' Draco asked.

The face turned to look at him; there was something familiar in the features, if only he can see it more clearly. 'That is a good story, rather long too. The short version is that the foolish girl opened her mind and heart to a book.'

Draco's eyes flickered down to the diary in Ginny's hands.

'What are you on about?' Harry asked.

Things were beginning to click into place for Draco but he still wanted to hear an explanation.

'The Diary, my Diary.' Said Riddle. 'That little bitch has been writing in it all year, telling me all her dirty little secrets and woes. How her brothers tease her, her fear of her brother Ron, how she has to come to school with second-hand robes and books, her ridiculous crush on you, Potter, I thought she would never shut up about dancing with you at the Royal Ball.'

Harry's cheeks gained a pinkish tint, Draco thought that maybe Harry had enjoyed dancing with Ginny at the ball too; he had jumped quite willingly down the pipes to come face danger for her after all.

'It was very dull, listening to the pathetic troubles of a little girl. But I was patient. I was nice and sympathetic, Ginny simply adored me.' Riddle continued.

Draco finally placed the face from an old Prophet article in his father's study. He wanted to call out in alarm and pure terror but stopped himself. Hermione would wait to hear the full story, get all of the facts, so that is what he would do.

'I grew stronger and stronger as she poured her soul to me. Powerful enough to start pouring a little bit of myself back into her.'

'You possessed her didn't you?' Draco asked, wanting to get to the point.

Riddle nodded. 'I got her to open the Chamber of Secrets, had her write the messages on the wall. She set the Serpent on the Mudbloods.'

Harry shook his head, still shaking Ginny in an attempt to raise her. 'She wouldn't do that.'

Draco began going over curses in his head, a fight would soon break out.

Riddle laughed, it was high pitched and unnatural. 'She didn't know she was doing it of course. Quite funny once she started noticing gaps in her memory let me tell you, she thought she was going mad.'

'Why would you use her though?' Draco asked. 'She is a Pure-Blood.'

Riddle looked back at the young Earl. 'A Blood-Traitor. But it was more an opportunity of chance, she came across the Diary. It took her a very long time to stop trusting her diary, she tried to get rid of it and that's when you found it.'

Harry frowned at him. 'And you showed me Hagrid, you framed him didn't you?'

Riddle was very close now. 'He was easy to frame, always having a new dangerous pet. I thought someone would realise there was no way such an oaf could be the Heir to Slytherin.'

Draco frowned. 'But you aren't the Heir.'

Riddle seemed shocked at this. 'Yes, I am. I command the Serpent.'

Draco frowned. 'I know who you are; you're descended from the Gaunts. They descend from Agrona Slytherin, his sister. You aren't a direct Heir.'

Riddle waved his hand. 'Irrelevant, I'm still his natural Heir. I wanted to finish his noble work.'

'Well, you haven't finished it. Nobody has died this time, not even the bloody cat. They'll all be revived soon.' Harry butted in.

'But my plans changed.' Riddle replied. 'Killing Mudbloods doesn't matter anymore. I've been focused on you for some time now Harry Potter.' Riddle looked deep into Harry's eyes and smiled. 'Imagine how angry I was when Ginny stole back the Diary, she was scared I would repeat all her secrets back to you. I was very angry. I made her write her own farewell on the wall and come down here.'

'You made her write that her own skeleton would be down here forever?' Harry was horrified. 'How could you be so cruel?'

Riddle ignored Harry's outburst. 'She was very boring when I got her down here. Wouldn't stop crying, it always used to annoy me when the children in the orphanage would cry.' He looked down at Ginny, 'there's not much left of her now, her life is transferring to me now.' He bragged. 'I have so many questions for you Potter.'

'Oh yeah?' Harry seemed to be in shock.

'How is it that you, a little boy, defeated Lord Voldemort?' Was the question.

Harry frowned. 'Why would you care? He was after your time!'

So Harry hadn't figured it out.

'Harry.' Draco tried to say in a calm voice through it shook slightly. 'Tom Riddle is Voldemort.'

Harry's head shot back to Riddle in horror.

'Harry, I want you to levitate Ginny and get her out.' Draco told him, without taking his eyes from the young murderer in front of him.

'What about you?' Harry asked.

'Don't worry about me, go and get help.' Draco told him.

He didn't take his eyes from Voldemort but he saw Harry quickly leaving the Chamber with a floating Ginny next to him from the corner of his eye and he heard the Diary fall from Ginny's hands to land directly behind him.

'What was wrong with Tom Riddle?' Draco asked, he could feel the adrenaline at work. 'Not scary enough for you?'

Riddle ignored the jibe. 'I made myself a new name that everyone would fear once I became the greatest sorcerer in the world.'

Draco shook his head. 'You're not the greatest sorcerer. I can name two off the top of my head right now.'

'And who might that be?' Riddle asked in an amused voice.

'The King for one, and Dumbledore.'

Riddle frowned for the first time. 'Kings can be other thrown and Dumbledore has been driven out of this castle by the mere memory of me.'

'Dumbledore is never gone from Hogwarts! He will be back!' Draco roared back at him.

A loud screech came from the end of the corridor, silencing both boys. It was a large red phoenix, Dumbledore's bird. It was gripping a brown bundle in its talons. It dropped its load at Draco's feet, it was the Sorting Hat. The bird then flew up high and landed on one of the stone serpents.

Riddle laughed as Draco picked up the Sorting Hat. 'So this is what Dumbledore sends his champion? A bird and a hat? Clearly he thinks your Royal name will carry you through your trial.'

He raised a hand at the statue. 'Let's match the power of Salazar Slytherin against the young Earl of Pemberly.'

Draco resisted a smile, Voldemort hadn't figured it out.

He watched Riddle walk to the stone face of Slytherin; '_Come forth Serpent of the Mighty Slytherin.'_

Slytherin's stone face was moving, the mouth was opening to reveal a massive black hole. Something was slithering within.

'Aren't you going to run?' Riddle asked.

Draco put his hands in his pocket. 'Nope.'

Riddle raised an eyebrow. 'Prefer to take your death like a man? Suit yourself.'

A fifty-foot serpent was appearing before them, with skin a dark green and eyes of bright yellow. Its skin looked tough and Draco instantly dismissed the thought of cursing the snake, nothing would get through that skin. "What am I going to do?" He thought to himself.

The sorting hat hardened in his hands and from it, he pulled a beautiful silver sword with a red jeweled hilt.

'How are you not dead?' Riddle asked, clearly shocked at the sight of Draco staring into the eyes of the Basilisk while twirling the sword in his hands.

Draco found the time to be thrilled he had practiced fencing with Blaise and Theo from an early age.

'You aren't the only heir of Slytherin. You really don't know your royal history do you?' He shot back; he couldn't believe he was speaking to a young Voldemort like this but it put the literal fear of death from his mind for a moment.

'What are you on about?' Riddle asked.

Draco frowned at him, taking his eyes from the Basilisk which was stationary for now.

'You think someone as obsessed with Blood Purity as you would study the royal lineage. Let me spell it out for you, in the ten short years Nicholas was the King he married the Granddaughter of Salazar Slytherin. I am a direct descendant of him. A Basilisk cannot harm a member of the family it was hatched by.'

Riddle seemed to think for a moment before speaking. 'It matters not, it obeys me.' Then he turned to the snake. _'Kill him.' _

The Basilisk began to slither towards him.

He held his sword aloft. '_Stop attacking. You will never leave this chamber again!'_

The Serpent halted immediately.

Draco looked upon Riddle with a triumphant expression. 'There, your beast will never be able to be used as a weapon ever again.'

Riddle looked furious; his eyes had a red gleam to them now. 'I don't need it to. Ginny is nearly dead and I am nearly returned. I can do the killing myself. _I said, KILL HIM!_' He ordered the snake more strongly.

The Snake seemed to pause for a moment before making its way to Draco again. '_Disregard that order! Kill Riddle!' _He shouted back at the snake.

The mighty Basilisk halted again and lifted its giant head to look between its two masters.

'_Kill him!_' They both ordered at the same time.

The Basilisk looked confused, Draco figured what would happen right before it did but did not have time to act.

The Basilisk reared its massive head and swiped ferociously forwards to hit them both over. Riddle, not being a physical being, was not affected by this and the head passed simply through him. Draco was not so fortunate; he was hit about the chest at some force and knocked from his feet and thrown into one of the stone serpents supporting the roof.

He hit his head against the stone harshly and it knocked him senseless for a moment. He instantly felt the warm and wet substance of blood running down the back of his head and down his neck to be absorbed by his shirt.

'Dumbledore will stop you even if you fell me here.' Draco managed to say as he used the sword to push himself up

'_Kill him!' _Riddle screeched and the Serpent followed the order.

It lunged for Draco, humongous, sharp teeth bared. Draco was ready and he lunged towards the oncoming snake.

Draco put his whole force behind the blow, stepping into the attack as he had learned so long ago. He drove the hilt of the sword upwards through the head of the Serpent and he was sprayed with warm blood in the face. He felt a sudden searing pain in his arm. The Basilisk's mouth had clamped shut upon the sudden injury to its brain and one of its thick fangs was now embedded in his right bicep.

The Basilisk reared upwards and screeched in pain before it fell forwards, landing dead at Draco's feet.

Draco slid down the stone Serpent behind him, his vision was fading fast, the world was spinning.

He had, of course, read about the powers of Basilisk venom. He had but moments left to live, all he could think was that Voldemort would get away and Hermione wouldn't be safe, he had to stop him.

He gripped the end of the fang with his left hand and pulled it quickly from his arm, gasping at the pain and the blood that now sprang from the wound.

Riddle was smiling. 'You'll still die. The venom spreads fast.'

Draco pulled himself up and began to stumble towards Riddle's laughing form, fang raised to stab him. But it was too far and he was too dizzy, he fell before the Diary.

'You will die alone down here. I hear the Queen was killed by my followers, you'll be with her soon.' Riddle taunted.

"I have to stop him," he thought desperately. "He came out of this Diary" he managed to remember and he reached to pull the Diary towards him.

He gripped the fang tightly in his hand, it was his only weapon now, the sword was still buried in the head of the snake.

He did the only thing he could now; he raised the fang up high and plunged it straight into the Diary.

The Riddle in front of him released a painful scream; ink spurted from the Diary in a great rush and covered his hands and face. Riddle was screaming and writhing and then in a burst of light, he had gone.

He looked down at the Diary; the venom had burnt straight through it. He tossed both items without care to the side; this same venom was now burning through him.

'I did it. I stopped him.' He spoke aloud to nobody, Riddle was correct he would die alone down here. He didn't feel alone though, he felt happy that he had secured the safety of his loved ones, this gave him a warm feeling.

The warm feeling was increasing actually; there was warmth in his fingertips.

This was not how he imagined death, it wasn't so bad really. The pain was gone and warmth was spreading throughout him. He looked down at the wound on his arm leap in surprise at the sight of Fawks crying onto his arm. Before his eyes, his wound was sealing shut but not fully, at least it was no longer gushing blood.

The Chamber came slightly more into focus but still kept its fuzzy edge. 'Thank you Fawks.' He said astonished. The phoenix was trying to save him, but he feared it was too late. He felt warm and the pain was gone, so the bird had at least accomplished something, but he was too far gone. Blackness took him.

........................................................................

'He should be waking up any second now Ma'am.' A voice came; it was a man's voice.

'You said that ten minutes ago!' A woman's strained voice replied, it was his mother.

He was laying on something very comfortable but found the room too bright as he attempted to open his heavy eyes.

'He's been heavily sedated Ma'am, it will take a while for him to come around.' The man's voice came again.

'I'm sure the healers know what they are doing Auntie.' A different voice spoke, he knew instantly to belong to Matilda.

He finally managed to open his eyes. He was in a private room of St Mungo's reserved for the use of the royal family. He had been here before when he fell from his broom when he was eight and broken several ribs.

He smiled at the sight of those at his sickbed. There was a healer, the same one that had patched him up the last time he had been here. His mother and Cousin stood in one corner of the room in a deep discussion with the healer; the trio had yet to notice his open eyes.

Stood at the foot of his bed, partially obscured by several vases of fresh flowers no doubt sent by well-wishers, was his uncle beaming down at him.

'Gave us quite the scare lad.' His uncle spoke to him calmly, his eyes looked glassy.

His mother nearly knocked him back out as she flung herself at him. 'You foolish boy! What were you thinking battling a Basilisk! Oh but I'm so very proud of you! Is there pain?' She managed to get these sentences out in one breath.

He shook his head and patted her lightly on the back with his left arm, his right appeared to be heavily bandaged.

'No, I'm fine.' He reassured her.

Matilda was next, though she was much gentler with him in her hug, she was openly crying tears of relief.

It was several minutes before he was left alone with his uncle. Narcissa and Matilda had left him for a few minutes in order to finally get some sleep and food.

'What happened? I thought I was dying.' He asked his uncle, who had sat at the edge of his hospital bed watching him inhale a bowl of chicken soup.

'The Potter boy raised the alarm. He burst into the Hospital Wing with a pretty much dead Ginny Weasley but then she suddenly woke up. I got your letter asking who Riddle was and set off immediately for Hogwarts while also sending for Dumbledore. We got there just as Miss Weasley was waking up. Harry took us down into the chamber; he and Dumbledore remained outside while I went in. I covered the head of the Basilisk with my coat and called them in. I thought you were -'

He wiped a stray tear from his right eye and took a deep drink from his goblet of water.

'I thought you were dead. But Dumbledore's bird was still trying to heal you. We got you here straight away and the Healers got to work on you. You were nearly dead, we nearly lost you a few times in the night. You've been plied with so many concoctions containing phoenix tears to save you. I even had an expert come over from Spain to take a look at you.'

'I'm sorry I scared you uncle.' He said awkwardly.

Then his uncle gave him a harsh look. 'You are the future of the crown dear boy; promise me that you will be more careful with yourself. You are so precious to me.'

Draco nodded. 'I know, I'm sorry. Precious throne needs a precious King.'

His uncle raised a brow and moved to pull him into a hug. 'You stupid boy! You are like a son to me! I couldn't bear to lose you. Throne or no throne I never want you to put yourself in such reckless harm again.'

Draco's eyes fogged up and he hugged the man he wished was his true father back tightly as the tears rolled down his cheeks. 'I couldn't bear to lose you either.'

*****************************************************

I included the Roman toilet style thing because I refuse to believe elegant Wizards would ever defecate on the floor and vanish it. I never quite grasped "The Death of the Author" when I studied it but I understand it well enough now she keeps coming out with such ridiculous notions.

Have we all seen "The King" on Netflix? It's bloody good.


	34. Waking Up

He'd been given a summary of events from Matilda later that evening. He'd been unconscious for a week recovering from the venom that nearly claimed his life. Matilda had commented with a smile that Harry Potter had refused to leave Ginny's bedside until her parents had arrived, apparently, it looked like he had developed quite the crush on her when they had danced at the ball.

The bandage had finally been taken from his arm so the wound could be cleaned and redressed; he had caught sight of a thick, jagged cut and looked away. His mother had cried when they had been told he would bear the scar forever, his father hadn't even been to visit him since he had woken. This didn't matter; the family he cared about were among him: his mum, Matilda, and Armand were there for his as they always were.

Armand had also told him that a hero's welcome awaited him at Hogwarts. For their courageous acts, Dumbledore had awarded Harry one hundred points and Draco two hundred points. The sword of Gryffindor was now on display in the Great Hall for all to admire and moaning Myrtle's bathroom had been sealed temporarily. Professor Lockhart had been discovered trying to flee the castle by Dumbledore and Armand, the King had the man seized by the royal guard and he was now under suspicion for suspicious behavior.

They had sedated him once again as he needed lots of rest but he awoke the next day with a healthy appetite and Matilda snuck him some butter covered pancakes.

Armand had taken a seat at the edge of his bed once again once as Matilda and Narcissa had left for some lunch.

'You'll be glad to hear that the Mandrakes are almost ready for consumption.' Armand told him and beamed once the smile erupted on Draco's face.

'Can I be there when they wake Hermione up?' Draco asked.

His uncle nodded. 'You should be discharged in a few more days. Bloody lucky that bird got to you when it did, the expert I brought in said five more seconds and you would be dead, so don't grumble about staying here for a few more days.'

Draco nodded obediently. 'As long as I can be there when Hermione wakes up, I just don't want her to panic.'

His uncle looked at him with kind yet scrutinizing eyes. 'You're so young to feel such intense love. I wonder if the old prophets were right about soul mates.' He said more to himself than anyone else.

'Uncle!' Draco protested, while blushing a Gryffindor red. 'We're just friends!'

His uncle rose a brow to look at him in disbelief, 'whatever you say, lad. Have to admire though, the girl would make a fine Duchess and an even better Queen when the day comes.'

'We're just friends.' Draco told him firmly.

'You are, yes. I will continue to try and persuade my brother to let you leave that Parkinson girl. Then you would be able to remedy your "just friends" situation.' His uncle mused, Draco could see a plot forming behind his eyes.

'Dear Vutris please stop.' Draco groaned.

His uncle laughed and clapped him on his shoulder. 'Okay, I'll stop. I am proud of you lad, you know I think of you as my own son and well, your own father may not say it but I will. You were so brave to go down into that Chamber and I am very proud of you.'

With this, the King rose and left Draco to his blushes.

......

Draco sniggered and tossed the mornings copy of the Prophet away from him.

'Thought you would be used to be being on the front page by now.' Matilda teased him as she looked over the newspaper.

Much to his horror, Draco had discovered that he and Harry had been front-page news ever since they went down into the chamber for their heroic options.

_Hero of the downtrodden still in St Mungo's! _Read this morning's title, under the title had been a long article detailing Draco going down to fight to monster and Harry rescuing Ginny and raising the alarm. Although he had enjoyed a beautiful little article that revealed, upon inspection of his wand, Lockhart's most commonly used spell was a memory charm and that he was now under guard awaiting trial.

'Did you see the article about your teacher?' Matilda asked.

Draco nodded. 'I believe it. The man's a fraud.'

'My dad has given dispensation for them to use _Veritaserum_ on him at the trial. He isn't saying whose memories he's been taking.' Matilda told him.

Draco raised a brow in shock. 'He's never done that before.'

Matilda nodded. 'He let them use it on the Death Eaters that tortured the Longbottom's, but that's it.'

The only other news of import in that edition of the paper was an announcement of the death of Nicolas Flamel, which Draco believed should have been the front page news rather than something he had done over a week ago. Flamel was survived by his wife of six-hundred and fifty years. The King and Matilda would be called away from his bedside in a few days to attend the funeral in France.

...

Two days after they had left for the funeral in France, Draco was discharged from the Hospital.

He had insisted on a quiet return in the walls of his own common room, which his fellow Slytherin's obliged him in, the other houses did not.

'Well in, mate!' Someone he'd never spoken to clapped him on the shoulder hard.

'Absolutely insane you are lad!' A seventh year called to him across the Great Hall.'

'You'll get all the girls you will!' A sixth year prefect teased him over the tables in the courtyard.

'The next person who speaks to me is getting hexed.' He had informed his common room upon entering after a long day of spotlight and compliments; he tossed himself down onto his bed roughly before picking up the space book Hermione had given him.

'Drake? Don't you bloody dare hex me! Put your wand away or I'll put you on your arse.' Blaise told him, 'Daphne's asking for you mate.' With his messenger duties performed Blaise strolled into the bathroom, Draco heard the shower come to life.

Draco groaned and gently replaced his favourite book on his dresser before making his way back out to the common room.

On his first day back at school he had caught Daphne walking rather out of breath into the common room.

'Well Hermione and I always walk from the dungeon to the tallest tower every day to stay fit, now that we're allowed to walk the corridors alone again I thought I'd start it up again but I didn't like it on my own, I'll wait for Hermione to get out of hospital.' She'd looked so pitiful and she'd said the magic word "Hermione" and before he knew it Draco had offered to take the daily journey to the tallest tower with her each day.

'Are you ready?' Daphne had asked as he made his way into the common room.

Draco nodded and they began their journey together.

Usually the walk was just in the morning but they had decided early on that they would add an additional evenings walk so that they could duck into the hospital wing and pay homage to Hermione.

He had to admit that this daily journey had aided in his rapid recovery, it was little wonder now why Hermione and Daphne were in such good shape. Theirs was a routine almost as vigorous as his daily workout with Blaise and Theo. With these stairs, working out with the boys, and returning to Quidditch he was finding himself to be in the best shape of his life. Although he had to admit that he did contemplate tossing Daphne down the stairs when she suggested they run up every other flight of stairs.

He was, at long last, fighting fit again after his injury. It was a shame Fawks hadn't gotten to him a few moments earlier, his wound would have apparently faded completely and negated a need to stay in hospital, alas the bird had narrowly saved his life and he would now hold a long and grim scar on his bicep at the sight of the fangs penetration and where the venom had literally burned his skin away.

He didn't mind the scar much, he didn't have to look directly at it much anyway, but he thought it was worth it and King's should probably have some battle scars to show their valour, Armand was covered in scars on his body from battling Death Eaters back in the day.

His parents, or at least his mother and uncle, were thrilled at the progress he was making. He agreed that he was now the pinnacle of health, he thought that if Hermione fainted again during their rituals he would be able to carry her back to the castle without the help of a weightlessness charm.

They were out of breath following their walk; they stood in front of the doors to the Hospital Wing and caught their breath before they went in or Madam Pomfrey would make a fuss.

Seeing Hermione laying like a statue still made him feel sick to his stomach, but he found himself to be in much better spirits now that she would be imminently revived.

Professor Sprout had been excitedly telling anyone who would listen that her Mandrakes were all trying to move into each other's plant pots now, apparently that meant that they were ready.

'You'll be back with us soon Hermione.' He told her statue form, he knew she couldn't hear him but it gave him a strange sense of comfort to talk to her, even if the conversation was entirely one sided.

...

The next day Snape fetched him from breakfast. 'I have with me the revive draught, I thought I would pick you up on the way.'

Draco looked down Snape's arm as they walked the corridors to glance upon the potion that would revive Hermione. It looked to be thick, a honey-like thickness, and a vivid green like the leaves from the Mandrake plant.

The other spectators were already gathered in the Hospital Wing: Dumbledore and each head of house, and the parents of each victim. Draco went to stand with Mr and Mrs Granger; the latter wrapped him in a tight hug.

'Draco dear, how are you?' Jean Granger asked him. 'Hermione arranged us a subscription to your newspaper, we've been reading all about you! It said you killed the monster that did this to our girl?'

Draco nodded and bowed his head sheepishly. 'It was nothing really.'

'Modest as your uncle.' Dumbledore's voice came from behind him; he was beaming at the boy. The old wizard looked to Hermione's parents, 'he broke about one hundred school rules, found a secret chamber and faced off against a hundred-foot monster.'

Robert Granger smiled at Draco. 'That doesn't sound like nothing. Thank you.' Robert held out a hand which Draco shook, the dentists hands were cold.

'I will begin in the order of the attacks.' The matron announced and made her way over to the end cot, which looked almost comical with a small cat on it and a fretting Filch stood over her.

'Why are they starting with the cat?' Jean Granger whispered to him.

'Well, if something doesn't work, better a cat than one of the students.' Draco whispered back.

'Will something go wrong?' Robert Granger whispered, panic evident in his voice.

Draco shook his head. 'Snape's brewed remedies for the royal family in the past, there's nobody better.'

All the tension in the room seemed to be released in a great breath as Mrs. Norris jumped to attention and snarled but was struck dumb by the unfamiliar surroundings. Filch began to stroke her comfortingly and this seemed to calm her.

'This seems a confirmation of our beliefs; they will be confused when they wake. Their last sense was of being attacked.' Dumbledore spoke to the room.

Jean and Robert held each other's hands as Colin was spoon-fed the thick remedy.

Colin gasped a deep and ragged breath and his eyes shot open, he looked around in a blind panic and reached into his robes for his wand before freezing as his muggle mother swept him into her arms with words of reassurance.

Next they came to the odd form of Nearly-Headless Nick, there had been a lot of debate whether or not such a remedy would work on a ghost but they'd decided it couldn't do any harm.

The remedy fell straight through his head and onto the pillow but it seemed to work anyway as the Ghost leapt to attention, looking around frantically until his eyes landed on the headmaster. 'Headmaster! The monster!'

Dumbledore held up both his hands to halt the frantic ghost, 'It has been slain Sir Nicholas, calm yourself.'

The Gryffindor ghost did indeed seem calmed by this; his dear ghostly friends were crowding him now.

Next was Justin. Madam Pomfrey administered some drops into his eyes.

'What's that?' Jean asked Draco.

'He's had his eyes open for months. She's just putting some moisture in them.' Draco whispered back.

'She didn't put any drops in that first boy's eyes?' Robert asked. Colin was now being cradled in his mother's arms.

'His eyes were scrunched nearly shut.' Draco told him.

Justin was now being fed the mixture. His awakening was less frantic than the others, he began to cry.

'The boys in shock.' The matron announced. His parents were now hugging him tight as he sobbed and Pomfrey administered him with a draught of peace.

Draco and the Grangers took a deep breath. It was Hermione's turn. The drops were added to her eyes.

Her mouth was ever so slightly ajar, probably from the rapid breaths she had taken as she made her way through the corridors. The green mixture was carefully placed into her mouth. Instantly the colour returned to her cheeks and she blinked.

She shot up in the bed and reached into her robes for her wand, it of course was no longer there. Snape had the good sense to remove it in case she should accidentally curse everyone in the room in defence.

Draco forced himself to stand back as her parents tightly embraced her and told her that she was safe.

She required several calming breaths followed by a calming draught.

'The monster?' She asked Dumbledore. Her voice cracked from disuse.

'Slain.' Snape answered.

Hermione nodded and fell back in relief onto her father's shoulder. Her eyes landed on Draco and she immediately began to cry lightly.

Draco came and took her father's place cradling her.

'You're okay. You're safe. We're all safe.' Draco reassured her gently as Penelope on the next bed was revived. 'I found the paper in your hand and killed the monster. Everyone's going to be okay.'

Once she was a little calmer she laughed strangely. 'Guess all those protection rituals didn't work.'

'We're alive aren't we?' He rounded back on her.

'She said, she told me it was after me. She was right, it got me.' This set her off crying again.

He stroked her hair gently, seeing her moving and talking made him feel so light and happy that he had to beg himself no to cry in front of all these people.

After several hours the muggle parents were taken home by the heads of houses, they would return tomorrow to check on their children.

The petrified students ate hungrily; they hadn't eaten in months to be fair to them. Hermione made her way through four chicken wraps, an entire loaf of bread, two packets of crisp, twelve roast potatoes, five Yorkshire puddings, and a jacket potato with cheese and onion which she polished off with a slice of chocolate cake. Colin, who had been petrified the longest, had eaten even more.

Daphne had to help Hermione to the toilets, none of them had walked in some time and they were all very stiff, but she managed to walk back on her own.

'Mr. Malfoy it's after curfew, you must return to your house.' The matron told him.

He was sat at the end of Hermione's bed, he had just finished regaling her with all that she had missed these last few months.

He looked up at the matron. 'Another hour, please?'

The matron sighed and nodded her permission. 'You must be quiet, everyone else is asleep.'

The pair nodded and Pomfrey left them to it.

He looked back to Hermione. 'There's something else though. When we were trying to get into the chamber Harry couldn't speak Parseltongue, he isn't a natural-born speaker like I am.'

Hermione nodded. 'It makes sense. There isn't a history of it in his family.'

'So why can he do it?' Draco mused.

'Voldemort can speak it can't he?' She asked with a grave expression of understanding.

Draco nodded. 'He is descended from Slytherin's sister.'

'I think that when he failed to kill Harry that he might have somehow given him the ability. Like those power exchange spells I was telling you about before Christmas - oh no!' She sat up in bed.

'What is it?' Draco asked worried.

She looked at him. 'I missed the Easter garden party at the palace!'

Draco honestly could have kissed her right then, but stopped himself. 'Hermione, my uncle cancelled it due to all the attacks.'

'Oh.' She lay back in her bed. Filled with a sudden surge of courage that can only come from surviving an attempt on one's life she spoke. 'I know about Matilda's curse.'

She braced for his anger.

'Oh thank the Gods.' The relief was evident in his voice. 'I've been dying to have someone to talk about this since they told me.' He murmured.

He didn't hate her for prying then. 'When did they tell you?' She asked.

'When I turned ten, my mum wanted me to have some form of normal childhood without that kind of pressure.' Draco told her, he was looking around to ensure everyone was still asleep. 'How did you find out? Did Snape tell you?'

'Snape knows?' She was shocked, although it made sense that he would give her the book containing the curse when she'd asked, he'd obviously known what she was getting at.

Draco nodded. 'Dumbledore brought him to treat her, nobodies studied curses like him.'

'So Dumbledore knows?' Hermione asked, this wasn't a very secure secret if so many people knew.

Draco shook his head. 'Not the full extent, he only knows about the curse on her stomach, he knows she can't have children.'

'There's more?' What more could there be?

Draco froze, realising he'd let more information slip. 'Oh, I thought you'd know that bit too.'

Hermione frowned. 'You've confused me now.'

Draco sighed and spoke quietly, his voice full of pained emotion. 'They didn't just curse her not to have children. They put a blood curse on her.'

Hermione gasped. 'Like Astoria has?'

Draco nodded. 'I don't know what would have happened if Snape hadn't been brought in. She would have been dead in weeks if he hadn't slowed it.'

Hermione covered her mouth in horror. 'They tried to kill her?'

Draco nodded. 'It was to make my uncle suffer. My aunt - The Queen, they used a Avada on her, but they wanted my uncle to have to watch his daughter waste away.'

'But Snape stopped it? How do you stop a blood curse?'

'He slowed it, you can't stop it once it's happened.' Draco told her.

'How long does she have?' Her eyes were feeling wet.

'She should live into her fifties, she's lucky I suppose, Astoria will never finish school.' Draco told her.

'So you'll become King when you're forty or fifty?' She asked, she had been imagining him being crowned in his eighties or nineties. Wizards usually lived into their hundreds; Matilda would have her life cut in half.

Draco nodded. 'Depends how old my kid is, I might just abdicate in favour of them. I really don't want to be king. It depends when she di - it depends when the curse catches up with her; my dad might end up being King first. I'll be a Duke longer than I'll be the King. Matilda really has the best healers available.'

'I'm so sorry Draco.' Was all she could say.

Draco moved to sit beside her on the bed, she scooted over and he put an arm around her shoulder and she rested her head on his chest.

'It's okay; I'm used to the idea now. It just sucks; she's like my big sister.' Draco sniffed.

'Gods what will you do? Pansy can't be Queen!' The thought had suddenly come to her.

Draco looked at her with a blank expression for a few moments. 'Mione, the Queen can't have a career. They're just the Queen, that's it. No challenging unfair laws or anything.'

Oh. Was this why Draco wasn't fighting harder to have a relationship with her? He doesn't want to force her into the life of a royal, the life of a Queen who can't have a career. She let the subject dropped for now.

She smiled; the tears had finally spilled over her eyes. 'Well, I'm not going to curtsey to Pansy.' She could only joke at this new news.

Draco laughed lightly. 'I'm not going to marry her. My uncle's promised to put a stop to it but its taking time; both of our fathers have drawn up a formal contract.'

She blinked and looked up at him. 'Like a _contract_ contract?'

He nodded then gently pressed her head back down onto his chest where she shut her eyes.

They were discovered sleeping like that early the next morning by Pomfrey who angrily kicked Draco out.

********************

She and the other students were released later that week to go to the feast.

It was there that she despaired at the news that exams had been cancelled, Draco who was sat next to her had laughed at her distraught face and told her if she was really that keen to sit an exam that she should speak to Snape.

So that was where she was now.

'You want to sit an exam?' Snape asked with an amused expression. 'Oh, I've missed you.' She heard him murmur under his breath, He gestured for her to sit down and went to a stack of exam papers on his desk.

He put the paper down in front of her. 'You have one hour for the paper. Start now, I'll go set up your practical.'

She'd managed the paper okay, it was a little harder than she had been expecting for a fourth-year paper but she managed it okay, she put the difficulty down to being out of class for so long. She laughed at the question on the effects of Polyjuice potion, having brewed it successfully.

She found the practical a breeze; he'd had her brew a draught of peace, which he had taught her last year.

'That's your time.' Snape finally announced, he had been marking her paper while she brewed.

'Okay.' She stepped back from her potion as he inspected it.

'Perfect. You got full marks on your paper as well. That's an Outstanding for you.' Snape told her proudly.

She beamed. 'At least I'll be ready for OWLs next year.'

Snape smiled deviously. 'Actually, that was an OWL exam. Congratulations. I think that makes you the youngest person to ever sit an Owl. I'll get you started on NEWT level potions next year, now get out I have to rewrite the OWL exam for the end of the year now.'

**********************

I think once I've completely finished this book I'll divide it up into different books otherwise it'll be one 400 chapter story and I worry it may be a bit much to read. Like I could do year 1-4 then 5+? What do you think I should do? Should I break it up or keep it as one massive story.


	35. An Early Ending

Nice little 5k chapter for you

****************************

The news that Hermione had woken from being petrified for several months and then earned herself an Outstanding in a Potions OWL had somehow made the covers of the daily prophet and she had received congratulatory letters from several noteworthy places: The Royal family, The Board of Potioneers, The Desk of the Minister of Magic, Both her parents, and the Royal Council.

Montague had come to her at first chance and asked for another date, to which she had agreed.

She had been thinking about the subject of her love life a lot since waking up. The fact was that was really wanted a career, she wanted to affect positive change in the world and not live for galas and charity appearances. This is what Draco was sparing her from, a life of duty instead of doing what she wanted.

With all non-NEWT and OWL classes canceled the other students were enjoying the sunshine.

Draco had pulled Hermione out of the library, where she was attempting to catch up on all the lessons she had missed while she was "a statue" in the Hospital Wing.

Draco had pulled her over to their tree, with the compromise that she could read in the sun. 'You've been inside for months, you'll end up paler than me.'

So here they were, sat under their tree, soaking up some much-needed sun. Draco was just laying next to Hermione, basking in the sun. After an hour Daphne and Blaise had come to join them by the lake's edge and a small water fight occurred followed by drying out under the sun.

''Draco?'

The small group turned to see Harry stood unusually sheepishly off to the side.

'Harry?' Draco acknowledged. 'You missed the water fight.' He smiled at the boy and gestured to their still slightly damp clothing.

'I need to talk to you.' Harry told him.

Draco nodded, 'Alright.' He looked to the rest of his friends, 'I'll be right back.'

He and Harry walked a little ways away from all the students outside, until they were near the edge of the Forbidden Forrest.

'What up bud?' Draco asked.

'I need to tell you something about the Chamber, I've been talking to Ginny about things and I think I've got it all pieced together.' Harry told the blond.

Draco frowned. 'The Chamber? Harry that's done, it's in the past.'

Harry shook his head. 'How did Ginny get the diary in the first place Draco? I think your - I think someone slipped it into her cauldron when we were shopping before school.'

'You think someone planted it on her? Who?' He asked, although he suspected he knew the answer.

'I'm sorry but I think it was-'

'My father?' Draco filled in the gap.

Harry could only nod his head in confirmation.

'Excuse me.' Draco managed to get out before turning on his heel and walking back to the tree.

Daphne and Blaise were splashing in the water again and Hermione had returned to her book.

'Would you come with me please?' His voice was strained as he asked her. She held out an arm and Draco pulled her up.

'Are you okay?' Hermione asked as he pulled her through the grounds.

He could only shake his head.

'I can't read your expression, are you mad or sad?' She asked gently.

'Both.'

He pulled her through the castle, down into the dungeons and through their common room until they arrived in his bedroom.

He sat on the edge of his bed and pulled at his hair in frustration before putting his head in his hands. He then jumped up and began pacing the room.

'Draco, I'm sure it'll be okay.' Hermione tried to reassure him.

'No it fucking won't!' He yelled. He punched the closed door. 'Ouch! That fucking hurts!'

'Draco stop this right now and sit down.' Hermione calmly commanded, even though her heart was racing.

The energy seemed to sap from him and he collapsed in front of her to his knees and sobbed, his hands rose to cover his face.

Hermione knelt down in front of him and pulled him gently onto her shoulder. He tightly wrapped his arms around her and sobbed onto her shoulder while she rubbed slow, soothing circles onto his back.

'It was him, it was all him.' He managed to get out.

She didn't understand but she carried on rubbing the circles into his back.

The door slowly creaked open.

'Get out!' Hermione called without looking up and the door was quickly closed again with a muffled sorry.

'What happened?' She asked once his sobs had stopped.

He knelt back into her eyes, his own were heavily red rimmed. 'My father, he's the one that slipped Ginny Weasley the Diary, everything that happened this year is his fault. He nearly killed you.' He sniffed and wiped at his eyes.

She sat back on her heels. 'Oh.'

'My father nearly killed you Hermione, what do I do?' She had never seen him look so miserable.

'You have to tell someone. I'm sorry but you do.' She told him, placing a hand firmly on his shoulder.

He nodded. 'I'll write to my uncle, sorry for crying on you.' He went suddenly pink; she could see his clear embarrassment.

'It's okay, how many times have I cried on you?' She said with a large smile.

'I need to know more before I do anything.' Draco mused, standing and sitting on the edge of his bed and pulling Hermione to sit next to him.

She frowned. 'Who could you ask? It's not like you can ask Lucius.'

He nodded, seeming without hope until an idea flashed into life in his eyes. 'Dobby?' He called.

'Yes, Master Draco?' The small elf cracked into the room, he was wearing his usual pillowcase.

'We need to ask you something Dobby, if that is okay?' Hermione asked.

The elf rapidly agreed to help in any way he could.

'Dobby, did you ever see my father with a small black diary? Or hear anything about it?' Draco asked.

The elf immediately burst into tears.

'I'll take that as a yes.' Hermione murmured while the pair did their best to calm the small creature before them.

'The Duke was indeed involved in the plot of terrible things this year.' The elf finally told them. 'I heard him talking about it with Goyle and Crabbe Sr, he wanted to hurt Harry Potter and discredit Arthur Weasley.'

'Arthur Weasley?' Hermione asked.

But Draco was nodding along. 'My uncle was telling me at the start of the year that Arthur Weasley is trying to put a bill forward to protect Muggles against harm from, like, objects that have been tampered with. His daughter hurting muggle-borns would have done a load of damage to him.'

Hermione nodded. 'Then what happened? Dobby?'

Dobby sobbed. 'I tried to save Harry Potter, he vanquished the Dark Lord. I was going to shut the barrier so he couldn't go to Hogwarts but he and the Longbottom boy got there that early I couldn't do it.'

Hermione now noticed Dobby's fingers were crooked, as if they had been broken.

'You tried to save him Dobby, you did well to try. What happened next?' Draco reassured the elf with a pat to the back.

'I tried to put him off school, to get him sent home if I had to. I enchanted a-' The elf cut off with large sobs but Hermione understood what it was.

'The rouge Bludger? That was you wasn't it?' Hermione asked gently.

Dobby screamed with sorrow. 'I hurt Master Draco!' He wailed.

Draco frowned. 'The Bludger that nearly killed me and broke Harry's arm? That was you?' The anger was clear in his voice but so was the restraint. He took a deep breath and continued, 'Everyone was okay in the end Dobby, it's okay.'

The elf looked up at him. 'Master is too generous. Dobby had to smash his hand with a rock.'

Hermione gasped, Dobby had broken his own fingers. She reached forward to inspect the fingers.

'Would you mind if I fixed them?' She asked the elf.

'Dobby deserves to live with the pain.' The elf cried.

'No you don't. Please fix them.' Draco told her.

Hermione excused herself to quickly nip into the potions classroom where she helped herself to some pain potion from the store, before making her way back down to Draco's room.

Draco had insisted Dobby take a seat on his bed, and then had calmed his tears at the suggestion of sitting in his presence.

'Now Dobby is only small so a teaspoons worth should be perfect.' She measured out the potion and Dobby took it gladly.

'Episky.' She took each finger in turn. Dobby sobbed but didn't feel any pain as his fingers snapped straight again.

'Dobby, have you punished yourself for anything else?' Draco asked once his fingers were all straight again.

Dobby nodded. 'I tried to tell Mistress Narcissa what was going on but Master Duke had told me not to. I had to press the fire poker into my hip.'

'You did what?' Hermione gasped.

Dobby was reluctant to reveal himself in the presence of a "woman of high standing" such as Hermione so she retrieved a powerful burn cream from the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey gladly gave her the cream, and gave it to Draco to apply while she waited outside.

'You can come back in now!' Draco called to her. She couldn't help notice how pale his face now looked; the burns must have been bad.

'So it definitely was my father that caused all of this?' Draco asked.

Dobby nodded.

'Dobby, you can't work for my father anymore.' Draco told the elf and walked to his dresser and pulled out an old Slytherin tie from last year.

'Here Dobby, you're free.' Draco told him.

The elf was immediately hysterical, but this time with joy. He took the tie with joy and Hermione smiled and fastened it for him.

'Now Dobby, I hear you are looking for work?' Draco smiled. 'I would like to hire you to be my personal elf, you will have whatever time off and pay you would like.'

Dobby beamed at him and nodded. 'Master Draco is always so kind to Dobby.'

'Dobby, while I am at Hogwarts I want you to look after my mother. While you are at the manor I want you to spy on my father if you can, I give you full permission to lie to him about anything you want and if he is doing anything wrong you are to tell me immediately. You are also forbidden from ever punishing yourself again.' Draco told him.

The elf nodded at his new Master.

'Oh, and if my father ever tries to hurt you, blast him across the room.' Draco smiled down at the elf.

Dobby eventually left to return to the Manor, he seemed happier than Hermione had ever seen him.

Draco then sat down to write to The King:

_Dear Uncle,_

_Brace yourself for upsetting news. Harry Potter has told me that he believes he witnessed my father plant Tom Riddle's Diary on Ginny Weasley at the beginning of this term, meaning he is responsible for the attacks this year._

_All of this has been confirmed by our House Elf, who I have set free and employed myself. _

_Do with this information what you will. He hurt Hermione, he's dead to me from this day._

_Draco_

He didn't let Hermione see that last line but sent the letter anyway.

The reply was swift, arriving at breakfast the next day.

_Dragon,_

_Thank you for sharing this information with me, I have been suspecting his involvement all year. _

_I have sent representatives to each of the affected families to offer a formal royal apology and to pay them for their silence and suffering._

_Your father was brought to me early this morning and has admitted his involvement. I cannot punish him publically without harming the Royal image, unfortunately, so I have ordered him to pay a large fine in the means of a donation to a new Muggle-Born charity Matilda wanted to fund to aid them and their families in their adjustment to our world. _

_I will also be sending him on an extended stay to Wales, as I know he hates it, he will be there until the New Year so will tragically miss the Christmas Ball. _

_I know these punishments may not seem like a lot but I want to assure you that Lucius will be secretly watched now for the rest of his life by trusted security. He will remain on house arrest for the rest of the year._

_I will be visiting with the Grangers this summer, as her close involvement with our family warrants a King's visit to set things right._

_Your uncle, _

_Armand II_

'Well, my mum's going to have a heart attack. I might just not tell her the King's coming over otherwise she'll go mad.' Hermione mused.

'He should be in Azkaban for life.' Draco muttered.

'They know not to trust him now. Your uncle's hands are tied.' Hermione told him.

'I hate him.' Draco told her with a firm voice.

'I hate what he has done.' Hermione told him. 'I think he is a bad man, and now we know to be careful with him.'

Draco nodded; they were walking out of the Great Hall now. 'What time are you meeting Montague?'

'Now.' She replied, gesturing to the older boy waiting for her ahead.

Draco nodded politely, he had decided not to argue with her about her blossoming relationship with anyone ever again, it wasn't fair to expect her to stay single while he was stuck with Pansy.

He gave her a glance. 'That dress is a little short, you don't want him to get the wrong idea.' He teased.

She rolled her eyes and lightly elbowed him in the ribs. 'Maybe I want him to get the wrong idea. I've been a statue for a few months I want to live a little. And your mum got me this dress!' She said, gesturing to the purple dress which she had matched with Daphne's black cardigan and small wedges. She had also borrowed a necklace and earrings from Tracey.

Draco frowned at her. 'I think you've grown a bit since my mum bought you that Granger.' He stated dryly but with a smile so she would know he was still joking.

'Only like an inch.' She gestured to her small stature.

He laughed. 'Yeah, you are tiny.' He mock measured her against him; she came up to his chin.

'No, you're just a freak of nature; I think you might be the tallest person in our year actually.' She informed him.

'Oh so now I'm a freak? Thanks, Hermione I've really missed your brutal honesty.'

She laughed and linked her arm through his as they approached Montague, who smiled and waved but fixed his eyes on their linked arms.

'Hey Hermione, Malfoy.' He bowed his head at the boy, who nodded in return.

'Right, I'll leave you to it. Get me some Jelly Slugs would you? I'll give you the money for them later.' With this, he calmly strode away from the young couple and over to Blaise who was looking at him with pity.

'That was well done, I thought you'd be dueling anyone who dared touch her.' Blaise told him.

The two boys watched with false smiles as the couple left through the main doors to join the other students in Hogsmede.

'No, just because I can't date her doesn't mean she has to sit around not living. I mean, I hate him and I hope he gets hit in the head with a Bludger, but I hope she has fun.' He told the other boy.

'Come on, let's go for a fly, we can get the lads and have a game of Quidditch.' Blaise told him, hoping to distract the boy for an hour or two.

Draco nodded and they left to find Theo.

...

'Where do you want to go first?' Hermione asked her date once they reached the main street in town.

He smiled and pulled her behind the Three Broomsticks. 'I've really missed you.' He told her before capturing her lips.

The kiss, despite the warm weather, felt cold. His lips were chapped and it kind of felt like he was trying to eat her.

She lightly pushed him away and wiped at her mouth.

'That didn't do anything for you did it?' He sighed.

She shook her head slightly. 'No, I'm sorry.'

'Don't be. There's no spark. Happens.' He muttered as he fidgeted with his hands.

'Want to go back to being friends?' She asked.

He nodded. 'Yeah alright. No harm done. I'm gonna go meet up with my mates.'

They parted awkwardly and then Hermione had a small panic in remembering that she wasn't allowed to be in Hogsmede unaccompanied. She needn't have worried; she immediately found Fred and George in Zonko's.

'Thought you were on a date with that big guy?' George asked, fairly surprised to see her.

She shrugged. 'No spark. We've stopped it.'

Fred nodded. 'Maybe you should be kissing someone a bit more skilled.' He teased.

Fred and George had gained something of a reputation this year as ladies men. She had jokingly called them both "man-whores" upon finding out what George had done in the library with a Ravenclaw girl and Fred down the lake with a sixth year Gryffindor.

She rolled his eyes at this, Fred was always teasing her like this, she'd learned to laugh his comments off.

'If you know anyone good be sure to let me know.' She shot back. 'But anyway I'm not allowed to be in Hogsmede on my own so it looks like you're stuck with me.'

George smiled. 'Always welcome with us Granger. We were just going for a Butter Beer; we'll get you one to celebrate your return to the land of the living.'

'Yeah, we love getting stuck on babysitting duty for you. We'll be sure to be a good influence on your young and impressionable mind.' Fred teased.

She rolled her eyes. 'Oh please, we all know who the influence is here and they don't have red hair.'

Fred laughed and slung an arm over her shoulder as they walked to the Three Broomsticks for a pint.

Once they were sat, a suitable amount of Montague bashing ensured in order to cheer up Hermione over her second failed relationship.

'Daphne said he didn't come to see me once while I was petrified. I know we weren't together properly but you would think I warranted at least one bloody visit.' She moaned to the pair.

'What a git.' Fred nodded as he downed his pint.

'I heard he was caught necking a fourth year last month.' George told her.

Hermione nodded. 'Yeah, Daphne's told me that already. Not wasting any more time on him.'

Fred nodded. 'You can do better.'

George nodded. 'Yeah you're a genius compared to Merlin and you're not exactly a minger.' He smiled.

'Oh shove off.' She told the pair and blushed a light pink.

'You're a babe. Own it. What are you now ten?' Fred teased.

'I'm nearly fourteen shut up.' She told them. 'I'm starving, should we get some food?'

They each had a cheeseburger and chips washed down with more drink and spent their afternoon making fun of all the loved up couples in the pub. They finished their day in the sweet shop where she bought the promised Jelly Slugs and some Liquorice wands for herself before they leisurely strolled back to the castle underneath the summer sun.

Before they parted, them to make trouble and her to the library, the twins announced that they had a gift for her.

They pressed some old parchment into her waiting hands.

'Er thanks?' She said.

The boys laughed.

Fred withdrew his wand and pointed it at the parchment. 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.'

Suddenly, the map sprung to life. Thin lines of ink were spreading from the point Fred's wand had touched the parchment. The lines crisscrossed and joined until they formed a clear image.

Words were forming at the top of the map in a curved script in green ink that stood out against the black ink of the map: _"Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs Purveyors of Aids to Magical mischief-makers are proud to present THE MARAUDER'S MAP_.

It was a map of Hogwarts, showing every detail of the castle and grounds including shortcuts and what seemed to look like secret passageways out of the school.

The part that Hermione found truly remarkable was the tiny ink dots in the form of footprints that were moving, each footprint was clearly labeled with a name in the same elegant green script as the title had been written. Hermione could see Dumbledore pacing in his office; he must have had Fawks on his shoulder as there was a small inked in figure of a bird on top of his dot. She glanced to the bottom of the map to see Snape presumably brewing in his private office. Mrs. Norris was lurking the grounds near the Quidditch Pitch and Peeves was in the trophy room, presumably making a mess.

'This is amazing! Did you make this?' It was truly wondrous magic.

George laughed. 'No, we got it from Filch's office first year. Those four blokes: Mooney, Prongs, Padfoot, and Wormtail, they made the map and told us the password.'

'Who are they?' She asked.

'No idea. I'll show you in a minute but if you write on the parchment they will write back.' Fred told her, clearly enjoying the excitement that was radiating from her.

George pointed down onto a spot of the map. 'That passageway will take you straight into Honeydukes cellar if you fancy some sweets. Avoid this one behind the mirror, it's caved in, and Filch knows about these four so don't use them either unless you see he's nowhere near them.'

Hermione nodded as she took in the information. 'Why are you giving me this?'

Fred smiled at her. 'You nearly died 'Mione, we nearly lost you but we didn't. We wanted to give you a welcome back gift but not just any gift.'

George's grin was even bigger. 'We already know it off by heart now; it's time to pass it on.'

Hermione smiled at them both and pulled them both into a tight hug. 'Thank you so much, I love it!'

George batted her off them. 'Yeah don't go crying on us.'

She laughed and looked back down at the map. 'Is that passageway under-'

'The Whomping Willow? Yup. Don't know what idiot put that there.' Fred told her.

'Right.' George pulled his wand out. 'Don't forget to clear it after you've used it. Just tap it with your wand and say "Mischief managed" or anyone will be able to read it.'

Under his wand, the ink faded from the parchment almost instantly, clearly designed to be cleared in a hurry.

'You said you could talk to the makers?' She asked.

Fred nodded. 'Do you have a quill on you?'

She rolled her eyes and reached into her bag. 'Do you know who I am?' She retrieved herself inking quill, Narcissa had sent her a beautiful set of them to celebrate her waking up along with a beautifully kind letter.

She pressed the quill into Fred's hand.

He immediately began writing out a message.

_Noble Marauders, who worked tirelessly to aid a new generation of rule-breakers. It is Fred and George._

His ink remained on the page for a moment before slowly being replaced by four new sets of handwriting as though invisible hands were moving across it.

_Moony presents his compliments to Fred and George for using this map so well. _This was written in the same elegant green script as the title, Hermione suspected he had been chosen as writer for his neat script.

_Mr. Prongs agrees with Mr. Mooney and wishes to hear about their latest adventures. _This handwriting was still neat but not as elegant as Moony's, he wrote in red ink.

_Mr. Padfoot would like to congratulate the pair once more for dumping a vat of slime over Professor Snape. _This handwriting was heavy handed and scruffy, written in purple ink.

'We did that two years ago.' Fred whispered to her.

_Mr. Wormtail bids the twins a good day._ This handwriting was the worst, as though a first year had written it, written in blue ink.

Fred smiled and continued writing once the ink had faded.

_This is farewell Noble men. We are passing on your work to another student in need. Hermione Granger will keep you now. _

The ink faded and was replaced by four new messages of fond farewells and greetings to Miss Granger.

'They'll never tell you who they actually are; we've been trying for years.' George warned her.

'Well, that's that done. Use it well.' Fred winked at her. Both smirking, clearly very satisfied, they left her.

Hermione placed the parchment carefully inside her History of Magic textbook, not wanting to damage the old parchment. As she walked back to her common room, delighted with her new belonging, a sense of dread filled her.

This object in her bad was scarily familiar to Tom Riddle's diary, she knew from that to never trust anything that could think for itself. This map was one of the dangerous objects that Ginny's father had warned his daughter about. But on the other hand, his own son's had been using this map without issue for years...

She eventually came to the decision that she would investigate this map thoroughly before any use of it or before she showed it to her friends. She would probably have to do it next year though while she couldn't use magic over the summer, she would be at least be able to write in it while she was home to investigate in that manner. She returned to her dorm and packed the parchment safely away in her trunk.

...

She and Ginny were sat together at the Gryffindor table; people seemed to be afraid of the youngest Weasley upon the revelation that she had been possessed and attacking Muggle-borns. Hermione, who had told her about eighteen times that she did not blame her in the slightest and that they were still friends, was proving to the rest of the room that the young girl was no threat by laughing with her over the feast.

Neville came in and sat down next to them in a fierce sulk.

'What's up Nev?' Ginny asked, the two had formed a firm friendship in the last few weeks.

'I failed my practical charms test.' He sulked.

Hermione put a comforting hand on his shoulder. 'It's okay, we've still got a few weeks until exams, and I'll help you revise.'

'I don't think a few lessons will cut it.' He put his head in his hands. 'I was nearly a squib, let's just face that I'm going to fail and get kicked out of Hogwarts and I get disowned by my nan and I end up a homeless muggle.' He hit his head on the table.

'Well, that sounds very extreme. Or I could just train you up over summer if you want?' Hermione raised a brow at him.

Neville's head shot up off the table. 'What? You'd work with me over summer? Do you mean it?'

'No I was pulling your leg, of course I mean it you numpty.' She told him as she poured him a glass of orange juice. 'I'll talk to McGonagall and sort something out.'

'But I can't do anything!' He told her.

She shook her head. 'I think it's a confidence thing. Let's just have a look over summer and we'll see where we're at.'

Neville finally agreed to get some Hermione-aid, Hermione stood and walked up to the teacher's table.

'Yes, Miss Granger?' She asked.

'I was hoping to grab a word after dinner if you have time?' She asked.

The teacher shrugged and nodded her permission and Hermione returned to her seat just as the headmaster stood to address the young crowd of hungry students.

'Pipe down everyone, I know we're all keen for our dinner so I'll make this quick. I have an important announcement to make.'

The room fell silent at his words, he usually just summoned the food and they all loaded up on some form of potato.

'It is my pleasure to announce that since exams were cancelled, unless you are an OWL or Newt student, I see no need to keep you here for weeks with no lessons. If you are a: first, second, third, or fourth year you will be going home in the morning for an extended summer holiday!'

Cheers erupted from the younger students in the hall, Hermione was happy she had only skipped two years and not three otherwise she wouldn't be going home with her friends.

...

She had met with the head of Gryffindor to share her ideas for tutoring Neville over the summer holidays. The teacher had agreed as long as Neville's grandmother was supervising and said she would write to the ministry to inform them of underage magic occurring.

Neville was thrilled that he would be getting private tutoring from "a genius" like Hermione, finally, he felt confident he could improve.

She was sat at long last on the train next to Draco and Ginny watching Blaise and Theo play an animated game of Exploding Snap when there was a tap at the window.

'That's a royal owl, must be for you Drake.' Blaise looked back down to his game.

Draco stood up and let the owl in, giving it a friendly stroke of the head. 'Oh, it's Matilda's bird.'

The bird stood obediently still, remarking on the amazing training that royal birds received. The second the letter was off the owl it took off again from the open window as Draco frowned at the name on the envelope.

'It's for you.' He said, confusion evident in his voice. He handed it to Hermione.

'Me? Why would Matilda write to me?' Hermione noted that the letter was indeed addressed to her and tore it open.

_From the Desk of HRH Matilda Malfoy, Princess of Europe._

_Dear Hermione,_

_It has been brought to my attention that you have been made aware of the curse on me. I know I can trust you with this information but I will still politely ask that you keep my secret._

_The Minister tells me congratulations are also due for the completion of your Potions OWL, I have no doubt you will continue to impress the Wizarding World with your intellect. _

_I hope my family can always rely on and trust you as we currently do. _

_I hope you have a lovely summer and look forwards to our next meeting._

_Fondly, _

_MM_

_P.S, forgive the formal stationary, I wrote this on my way to a meeting with the French Ambassador. _

She handed the letter over to Draco who read it before folding it and placing it into his pocket. 'Nothing special.' He announced to their other friends in the carriage, Pansy especially was eying up the letter with jealousy.

The long train ride finally came to an end and their friends had all bid them farewell to greet their parents who had less than a day's notice that their children would be returning several weeks early.

She waved at her parents and turned to say goodbye to Draco.

'I got a letter from my uncle this morning. I'm spending my Birthday at the palace, will you come?' He asked.

She nodded. 'Of course I will, write to me with all the details and I'll see you there!'

They hugged goodbye quickly and she watched as he made his way over to his waiting mother, who she waved at. She also waved at the Weasley's as she passed the family and ignored a glaring Ron as she made her way over to her parents and out into the muggle world for summer.

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************

Okay overwhelming response, one massive story it is, you win. I might break it up into parts but it will be one big story.

As usual please forgive any mistakes I make, for I am but a fool pretending I can write.

Again I will say I do work some dumb hours so sometimes I can update twice a week but sometimes I can't update at all in a week. I'll never leave it for more than ten days though I promise.

If it helps, sometimes you're waiting because I'm writing or planning things yet to come. I've written scenes for every year, a fair bit for fifth and sixth year. There's one moment were someone dies that was one of the first things I wrote.

E x


	36. Summer comes again

Sorry for the feelings of despair the start of this chapter may cause, we've got a little while to go yet until they get together, some more dating around must occur yet. Also, I would really rather they get to grow up a bit and come together as experienced adults/ older teens, I don't want it to turn into a playground romance. This is me breaking the news to you that they'll sleep with other people first.

****************************************

This summer had been nice and cool, the sun was still blaring down on London but it was accompanied by a nice breeze, allowing one to get a tan without overheating.

Since they were getting some winter sun, her family had not gone on a long Holiday this summer, instead electing for a series of weekend breaks around England, her favourite of which had been the Lake District.

As agreed, her lessons with Neville had begun and he was now making great progress.

'I told you, it's a confidence thing.' She told him with a smile as he successfully transformed his pincushion into a hedgehog and watched it scurry happily around the garden before turning it back into a pincushion.

'Your father would have held that spell longer.' His Nan scolded from the side of the garden, where she was tending the flowers.

Hermione frowned at her; his Nan certainly didn't help his confidence. 'His father was a fully trained wizard. He'll get there.' She told the woman sternly.

'Thanks for today Hermione.' Neville told her as he walked her towards the fireplace. 'What are you doing with the rest of your week?'

'It's Draco's birthday so I'm going to the palace for a few days.' She told him.

Neville nodded and smiled. 'Have fun, see you next week.'

They hugged goodbye and exchanged a warm smile before she stepped into the green fire. 'Regia!' She called and dropped the powder.

There was a bright flash and she stepped out into the beautiful marble corridor of the Palace, where her blond friend was waiting for her.

'Happy Birthday!' She declared, wrapping him into a tight hug.

He finally let her go after rubbing small circles into her back. 'Thanks for coming.'

Draco loved his book on Rockets and the journey to the moon. 'Imagine doing a full moon ritual _ON _the moon.' He'd told her with glee as he flicked through the large book.

They had placed the new book in his room and Draco had shown her to hers, she had been put in the same room as last time.

The massive suite greeted her well; the sun was shining in and warming the room. The stained glass windows cast a beautiful pattern on the white carpet. She gently put her bag down onto the couch of pale wood and royal blue fabric and admired the blue Pheonix pattern on the walls.

'You guys really don't like to clash your colours do you?' She joked.

He laughed lightly. 'No, I think the first Armand couldn't be bothered naming all the rooms so he just went off colours.'

'He could conquer the wizarding world but he couldn't name the rooms in his own palace?' She asked.

He smiled brightly at her. 'I think he was a little busy uniting the world under one rule. He had to get something like twenty monarchs to give power to him.'

'I suppose I can let it go then.' She smiled back.

She had dined with the royal family, minus the Duke of Wiltshire who was still secretly banished much to her relief. After nearly dying at his hands only a few weeks ago she didn't think she would quite fancy seeing him.

Matilda had had to leave after Draco's dinner, she had meetings with the French. Hermione couldn't help thinking that the royal family didn't spend that much time in England, they were constantly off putting out fires in other countries or off on tour for months on end. She wondered if this was Draco's future, to be stuck in a never-ending line of duty traipsing around the world from one meeting to a summit to various charity events. She imagined it to be a lonely life, but Matilda seemed okay going around the world with her faithful bodyguard Tom.

It was after dinner when they were finally excused from the company of his mother and uncle, they decided to take a stroll in the grounds and enjoy the evening summer warmth.

Draco sighed as Hermione linked her arm through his; they were walking towards the flock of unicorns currently taking a drink from the lake.

'Your uncle seems very happy with you.' She told him with a smile, the King hadn't stopped beaming at his nephew for the entire dinner.

'Yeah, I killed a vicious killer snake; it's great for the royal image.' He told her.

'He must be very proud.' She told him. 'I know I am.' She pulled him in tighter to her side.

He smiled back down at her; he had somehow grown another inch since they broke up from school. 'Oh please, don't act like I was doing it for the good of wizardkind. I was pissed it hurt you. Purely revenge.'

'I doubt that very much. I know we're best friends but sliding into a secret death pit to fight a death snake seems a bit extreme.'

They had reached the side of the lake; the unicorns were mostly ignoring them. After living at the palace for their entire lives they weren't as timid as other unicorns that would usually shy away from human presence, they lived a life of peaceful indifference.

'Hermione if you think we're just best friends you're insane. I wouldn't have climbed into that chamber for Blaise or Daphne and battled Voldemort and his pet Basilisk because they dared hurt them.' He told her.

She sighed and let go of him and took a seat by the edge of the lake. 'Draco, we can't go through this again.'

'Tough. We're both teenagers now. You're the one, you're it for me.' He was looking at her desperately.

'Draco we can't! I can't be Queen! And you're literally engaged to Pansy remember?' She was trying to keep her voice steady.

'My uncle's working to get rid of that contract you know that.' He told her, he also seemed to be getting very emotional. 'I could always abdicate in favour of-'

'-In favour of what? Our royal children?' She asked, 'we are way too young to be having this conversation.' She tore her eyes from him and fixated her eyes on one of the smaller unicorns.

'Hate to break it to you but you're nearly fourteen. My mum was fourteen when she got married.' He told her, he was still trying to catch her eye.

'I am not getting married at fourteen! Have you lost your mind? We are too young for any of this. In the muggle world, people don't get married till their twenties!'

Draco stood up, he was very frustrated now. 'Well, you're not in the muggle world now! I'm probably going to be married by the time I leave Hogwarts and if we don't act soon it won't be to you!'

'Then it won't be me!' She stood up too, her temper too was lost.

'Don't tell me I'm the only one that feels this way! Don't lie to me now.' He told her.

'Of course I feel the same Draco. But it can't be.' Her voice finally broke.

He finally took his eyes from her to look over the lake. 'I know. I'm sorry.'

'I'm sorry too.' She told him.

They shared a soulful look and wrapped each other in a tight hug.

Eventually, they pulled away. 'Now what?' He asked. 'Kind of outed ourselves to each other, won't it be awkward now?'

She shook her head and linked her arm through his again. 'No, I never feel awkward with you.'

He smiled at her. 'So we're just friends? Forever?'

She nodded then shrugged. 'For now yeah. We can't be anything now so let's just live our lives and be happy for each other.'

Draco nodded. 'Okay, but no double dates. I think I'd curse any lucky bugger that got to date you.'

'Okay, no double dates.' She took her arm from his and held out her hand for him to shake.

He shook it tightly. 'Come on, we need an early night. Big day tomorrow.'

'What's happening tomorrow?' She asked as they walked back towards the beautiful castle.

'Big royal ceremony. The King is investing Tom as Lord of Calais for years of loyal service.' Draco told her. 'Don't worry, my mum's got you something to wear.'

'Tom? Matilda's Tom?' Hermione asked.

Draco nodded. 'Yup. Or as he will be tomorrow; Tom, Lord of Calais.'

Hermione frowned. 'How exactly do titles work in your world? I'm getting that unless you are monarchy you don't inherit it?'

Draco nodded. 'Your world too but yeah, my uncle gives them out to the worthy few. Tom's risked his life for Matilda a few times now and let's face it, they're mad for each other. So my uncles giving him a title.'

They walked up the grand marble staircase.

'So will he have to go and live in France?' Hermione asked.

Draco shook his head. 'No, he'll still be Matilda's guard; he'll probably appoint someone to run the estate for him. It's probably we're he'll live when he retires or something. Unless he marries my cousin, in which case he'll be Prince Consort.'

'You're going a bit far there, they aren't even dating.' She laughed at his hopeful expression. 'You just want to go to a wedding.'

'Sue me there hasn't been a royal wedding since my parents got married, I want to see one.' He told her as they arrived outside their respective bedroom doors.

'I think you'll have to wait a little longer before you get one of those.' She laughed. 'What time do I need to wake up tomorrow then?'

'Someone will come and get you up don't worry' He told her.

Someone did indeed come and get her up. She awoke to Dobby stood over her pulling the thick blue quilt from her.

'Morning Dobby. How are you?' She asked as she sat up and stretched.

'Good morning Miss Hermione, Dobby is very well Miss. Master Draco is treating Dobby very well.' The little elf was still wearing his new tie, Draco had decked the elf out with a new wardrobe it seemed as he was dressed in a very nice suit. It was quite an odd look on the elf but he seemed happy with it.

Hermione swung her legs off the edge of the bed and pulled herself up. 'Do I have time for a shower?' She asked.

Dobby nodded. 'Master Draco told Dobby to get you up early Miss.'

Hermione smiled lightly as Dobby moved to open the curtains and let some light into her room, the soft summer sun illuminating her blue furnishings.

'That was very thoughtful of him. I'm sure you have other duties Dobby, I won't keep you.' She nodded to him and walked into her bathroom. She'd already put all of her shower stuff in there last night. She heard the door open and shut behind her as Dobby left the room.

Her marble shower was hidden behind a thick frosted glass screen full of patterns of playful phoenixes in flight. The shower, which Hermione had to admit was a wonder in itself, had four different jets which each gave out a different substance. The highest one, which rained down overhead was just water, the second was a wonderful fruity scent she couldn't quite place that also ran through her hair. The third jet was much stronger and was placed to blast her back with soothing hot water to ease tight muscles, the final jet was also aimed at her back and gave out a floral scent and coated her body with bubbles.

After ten minutes enjoying a shower quite literally fit for a royal she sighed and stepped out from the water. The shower turned itself off in the absence of a human.

She wrapped her wonderfully fluffy towel tightly around her, thinking it must have some form of warming charm stitched into the fabric, and placed a second towel around her hair to dry it off.

She walked over to the matching marble sink and brushed her teeth, a knock at the door pulled her back out of the quiet simplicity of her morning routine.

Her bedroom was empty when she emerged, though a black garment bag had been gently placed on the end of her bed.

With some difficulty she managed to free the dress inside, the zipper had gotten stuck.

She revealed a red knee-length cold shoulder dress that was intricately embroidered with patterns of running wolves. Obviously, as a magical dress the wolves moved, playing with each other or running around the hem of her dress, she sighed that she would never be able to wear the dress in the muggle world.

A knock on the door to her suite pulled her out of her daydream; she'd finally managed to do the zipper up on her dress.

She left the bedroom barefoot and walked quickly to the main doors.

'Hello dear.' It was Narcissa, who was stood next to a small female elf.

The elf nodded to Hermione and then pushed past her into Hermione's room.

'That's Asla, my personal elf. Are you ready for your hair and makeup?' The duchess asked before walking ahead into Hermione's room. Her long golden dress was trailing behind her, with long golden laced sleeves and a Bardot design, she looked ever image the Duchess she was.

They had Hermione sorted quite quickly, with a natural makeup and classic half-up hairstyle they left her to her own devices with the instruction to wait in her room until someone came for her.

She used her time to read her Potions textbook that Snape had sent her; she would begin her NEWT studies in the subject this year.

The knock on the door was Matilda, who was wearing a long sky blue dress with an intricate lace pattern in the shapes of snowflakes that seemed to be falling down her dress. She was wearing the Silver Queen's crown as usual.

In her hand was a large black velvet box. 'Good morning Hermione, I thought you might want to lend some jewelry.' She pushed past her into the suite and lay the box down on the coffee table before opening it.

'You can't be serious.' Hermione said, eyes widened at the jewels inside.

Matilda smirked. 'Oh yeah, I am. Put them on.'

...

'Wow.' Draco said as Hermione approached him. He was wearing a black suit with his silver crown and usual purple sash bearing his medals and honours.

His eyes lingered on her neck. 'Are you wearing the countess of Agincourt's jewels?'

Indeed she was wearing the centuries-old jewels of the ancient seat of Agincourt. A thick white gold band was wound around her neck with a large ruby sitting at the base of her throat, on her right wrist was a similarly white gold band adorned with rubies, ruby earrings hung from her ears.

She nodded. 'Matilda leant them to me today. Apparently I'm going in with you lot so she said I needed to look the part.'

He nodded appreciatively. 'Well, you certainly look like a princess. Let's go.' She wound her arm through his and he led her down from the royal apartments to join the other waiting royals.

The King was wearing his usual golden crown and a thick purple robe covered his black suit. He would be escorting in Narcissa in the absence of the Duke of Wiltshire.

Tom was there, looking pale and wearing expensive blue robes, he was wearing an empty black sash. His arm was linked through Matilda's.

To her surprise Harry was also there, wearing what looked like freshly bought robes for the occasion.

'What are you doing here Harry?' She asked in surprise.

Harry frowned. 'Nobody told you?'

'No. Don't, it'll be a good surprise.' Draco butted in and Harry fell silent.

'Well, that's not at all suspicious.' Hermione said, but smiled and offered her other arm to Harry. 'An arm for each of my champions.' She smiled at the boys.

The royals ahead all smiled at the trio and then the procession began. They were going to the great hall.

The doors were opened to reveal a large crowd inside.

Hermione couldn't really remember the walk towards the thrones at the end of the grand room when she looked back on it, nor the feel of everyone's eyes on her. She could only remember the surprise that lay at the end of the walk.

Matilda and Narcissa went and stood at either side of the thrones leaving: Tom, Draco, Hermione, and Harry stood before the King on his throne. Draco and Harry had a tight hold on each of her arms.

'Kneel.' The King told them.

Hermione noticed four purple pillows lain out in front of the throne. She had no idea what was going on but took her place knelt on the pillow in between Draco and Harry.

The King had a sword attached to his belt, it was clearly Goblin made, and she recognised it from the Royal collection downstairs.

'Honoured guests, those you see before you are members of the worthy few. Each has served the wizarding world in their own way. For this, we honour them.'

Matilda and Narcissa appeared at the King's side, each holding a pillow laden with medals.

Hermione realised she was being honoured for something.

'Draco Malfoy, Earl of Pemberley. For slaying the mighty Basilisk, we honour your courage with The Order of Queen Blythe.' The King beamed down at his nephew. He took a medal from Narcissa's pillow and attached it to the purple sash Draco wore. He winked at the boy before coming to stand in front of Hermione.

'Hermione Granger. For discovering the monster was a Basilisk, we award your intellect with The Order of Queen Blythe.' She couldn't speak as the King attached a silver medal to her dress carefully.

Hermione felt like a stiff breeze would knock her over, she'd never been so shocked in her life. The Order of Queen Blythe was the highest honour one could receive, rarer than the Order of Merlin and solely bestowed by the King. Armand I had created the honour after the death of his beloved wife to keep her memory alive in awarding the best of the Wizarding World. The last people to be awarded it were James and Lily Potter, which they were given posthumously. Dumbledore had been given this honour for Merlin's sake.

The King smiled down at her before moving onto Harry.

'Harry Potter. For journeying down into the Chamber of secrets in the face of mortal peril and for raising the alarm, we award your bravery with The Order of Queen Blythe.'

The silver medal was pinned to the front of his robes.

'Tom, for services to the royal family in guarding the Princess Matilda and for your honest council and trustworthy nature, I invest you as Lord of Calais.' The King withdrew his sword and tapped Tom lightly on each shoulder before turning to Matilda. From her pillow he took a golden broach and pinned it to Tom's black sash, then turned and took a golden Livery Collar from the pillow and placed it around his neck.

'Now rise, Lord Tom of Calais.' The King spoke in a firm and level voice, clearly, he had done this numerous times before, Hermione made a mental note to look up how often the King handed out titles.

Tom rose from his bended knee and the King clasped him on the shoulder with a warm smile.

Tom moved to stand beside Matilda and Hermione rose alongside Draco and Harry and walked to stand over by Narcissa.

'Honoured guests, these worthy few have been honoured, go forth as witnesses to this. Hail the honoured!' A servant passed the King a glass of champagne and Hermione realised everyone in the hall also held one.

'Hail!' The room chorused back and the King drank the toast to them.

That seemed to be the service over with as the crowd began to chat amongst themselves and the King and Duchess walked away to talk to Dumbledore, who she spotted lingering near the doors.

Harry wandered off to the crowd of Weasley's and Neville waiting for him in the front line. They all took turns hugging and congratulating him.

She turned on Draco and raised an eyebrow. 'Why didn't you tell me?'

He beamed at her. 'Because you'd have complained and made a fuss and said no.'

'Of course I would have! I didn't do anything!' She hissed at him.

'I wouldn't have figured out it was a Basilisk without you. You helped, you were involved. Deal with it, you've been honoured.' He told her.

'You found a piece of paper in my hand that's not helping.' She told him dryly and crossed her arms.

'Hermione finished complaining yet?' Blaise had approached them; he bowed slightly to Draco since it was a royal event.

Hermione rolled her eyes and stormed off to talk to Ginny, who was lingering on the edge of the Weasley crowd, leaving Draco and Blaise alone by the thrones.

'Congrats on the honour bro.' Blaise told him.

Draco didn't reply, his eyes were fixed on an unexpected presence across the room.

'Drake?' Blaise asked before following Draco's line of sight.

Stood across the room, talking with the French Ambassador, was a very Pregnant Eloise Lestrange.

'What in Merlin's name is she doing here?' Blaise asked.

Draco was frowning at his father's mistress. 'I have no idea. She's probably here on my father's behalf, he wanted to come but my uncle forbade it.'

'Doesn't your mum mind she's here? She's not even looked over at her.' Blaise's eyes flicked between to Duchess and the young mistress.

Draco rolled his eyes. 'I doubt it.'

Blaise nodded. 'She never much bothers with your dad's mistresses does she?'

Draco snorted at this. 'Oh please, my mother has risen looking the other way into an art form.' Draco told him dryly. His mother didn't seem to care one bit that the pregnant mistress of her husband was there, and was chatting happily with the King and Dumbledore.

'Pansy will do the same for you one day.' Blaise told him.

'Okay, first of all, I'm not going to marry her. Secondly, I don't plan to take any mistresses. My wife, whoever she may be, won't be bloody dishonoured by me like that.' Draco told him.

'Alright. If you say so. Hermione looks nice doesn't she?' Blaise changed from the uncomfortable topic.

'Draco looked over to her; she was currently laughing with Ginny at something the redhead had said. The embroidered wolves on her dress were playfully batting at each other.

'She always looks nice; oh don't give me that look.' Blaise was grinning at him.

'I didn't say anything.' Blaise said, holding his hands up.

'You were thinking it.' Draco told him with a stern expression.

'You are right though. She does always look nice. Extra pretty today though. She looks good in red.' Blaise mused.

Draco raised an eyebrow. 'Didn't think Hermione was your type?'

Blaise lightly elbowed him in the rib. 'Shut up. Just because I'm not into her type doesn't mean I can't see a work of art when it's put down in front of me.'

Draco rolled his eyes. 'That is a nice dress I'll give you that.'

Ginny was currently admiring the red dress her friend was wearing. 'Do you like the wolves?' She asked, fingering the material lightly as one of the wolves tries to bite at her finger.

Hermione nodded. 'Yeah, it's odd. Wolves are one of my favourite animals, I wonder how Narcissa knew.' She looked down at the other wolves' currently running as a pack around her hem.

'Thought your favourite animal would be something cuter?' Ginny asked.

Hermione shook her head. 'They're pack animals and they mate for life, what's not to like?'

Ginny nodded and turned the conversation to admiring Hermione's new medal pinned to her dress and the expensive jewelry she was wearing.

The rest of the event was fairly quiet, their friends and the other guests had all left after a sit-down lunch of pork and chocolate cake.

She and Draco had wandered down into Regis Terra for a look in the shops but didn't go into the temple due to a wedding currently in progress inside.

They decided that the next day they would floo to Diagon Alley.

.....................

'Where do you want to start?' Hermione asked Draco as they walked down the main street.

'The bank, my uncle wants me to put the jewelry you had on last night back in the royal vault.' Draco lightly patted his pocket.

Hermione nodded. 'I can't believe your family let me wear them!'

Draco nodded. 'Yeah I wouldn't be surprised if it makes the Prophet, we'll have a look after we finish in the bank.'

They walked down the vast marble hall until they arrived at the table of the head Goblin in Gringotts and Draco handed him an ancient-looking key.

'I need to go into vault zero please.' He told the Goblin, who nodded and stood.

They followed the Goblin over to a large metal door that reminded Hermione of a traditional muggle bank vault, behind it sat a carriage on tracks.

He led them over to the carts and Draco helped her climb into the seat.

'Vault zero?' Hermione asked.

Draco nodded. 'Gringotts was built in 1474 to house the ever-growing royal collection; other families added their own vaults as it went.'

Unlike the other carts, this one had seatbelts, Hermione quickly did hers. She was thankful for this as the ride down to the original vault was an almost sheer drop that went down for miles.

The cart finally came to a stop and Draco hurried to stand behind the Goblin and pulled her with him.

Ahead was a massive black dragon, its face and body were covered in scars.

The Goblin produced an instrument that produced a clanging sound and the dragon went and hid across the large platform.

Hermione was horrified. 'The poor thing.'

'Take it up with my uncle.' Draco told her, sparing a pitying look at the captive dragon.

'I will.'

They crossed the platform to arrive at another set of tracks and another waiting cart.

Again they traveled further down, there were several branching tracks that ended in a sheer drop, if the Goblin wasn't in control who knew the correct route they would surely fall to their doom.

At long last, they arrived in front of a massive golden door. Armoured trolls flanked either side of it, they paid no interest to Draco or the Goblin and resumed their bored expression once Draco linked his arm through hers.

The Goblin placed his hand on the vault door and Hermione heard a massive bolt come undone inside.

Draco followed his lead and placed his hand on the other side of the door. The sound of another bolt coming undone echoed through the empty stone tunnel.

Draco stepped back as the door slowly began to open. 'It takes a Goblin and someone of royal blood to open the door.' Draco whispered to her.

'Doesn't your family have another vault?' She asked.

Draco nodded. 'Yeah, this one is just for stuff that belongs to the crown. We have another one near the Lestrange and Black vaults that we use for more common things.'

The door was finally open and Hermione gasped. 'Crowns not short on funds I see.'

The Crown was indeed not short on funds.

Towering piles of golden coins filled an entire wall of the room, along with several actual bars of gold.

Hermione followed Draco further into the vast room, made of white marble and probably bigger than the Great Hall at school.

Draco came to a shelf that held many other jewelry boxes and placed the black velvet box containing the Jewels of Agincourt onto an empty spot.

Hermione's eyes were scanning the rooms, there were more crowns and tiaras and circlets, bracelets and necklaces, random precious jewels ordaining every surface of the room.

'Is that a Fabergé egg?' She gasped.

Draco nodded.

There was also a massive collection of art, some of it moving, some of it still. Her favourite was a large landscape; she recognised the lake at once. It was the site of Hogwarts, but before the castle was built, she could see several people walking around the painting and her eye was caught by an actual Mermaid sitting on the shore, not a Merperson but an actual Mermaid that were now believed to be extinct. In the place of the castle was a massive stone temple, the ancient temple of Atune. She wondered how old the painting was.

She walked past a stand holding several sets of Pearl necklaces, there was a pretty set she lightly fingered that was an incredibly long chain of them, it would probably go around her neck at least twice. There were also pearl bracelets and earrings near them.

There was a gorgeous silver bracelet with a golden stone, the card in front of it informed her that is was: _The Bracelet of Queen Blythe, the Golden Stone blessed by the Blue Dragon will turn Black when the wearer is lied to._

'Wow, Queen Blythe had a lot of cool jewelry.' She mused to Draco, who had come to stand beside her.

Draco shrugged. 'Armand I really loved her, he ordered some new trinket for her made at least twice a year. I think her engagement ring is in here somewhere, over here.'

He led Hermione over to the furthest wall in the massive chamber. On it stood an unmoving portrait of Queen Blythe.

Draco picked up one of the rings from the table and placed it into Hermione's hand.

It was a white gold ring with an emerald cut diamond and halo style with a split shank.

'It's perfect.' Hermione told him, admiring the ring.

Draco nodded before placing the ring back on its stand in front of the late monarch.

'The Goblins have kept working at it for centuries; it's got generations of protective charms and enchantments woven into it.' The head Goblin spoke from behind them, causing them both to jump. They had completely forgotten his presence.

The rest of the visit shopping was fairly quiet, nothing could live up to the wonders Hermione had just seen in the royal vault, though Draco did take a moment to admire the new breed of Nimbus.

They had stopped to get a copy of the Daily Prophet and indeed the ceremony yesterday had made the front page, the second page was dedicated to the new Lord of Calais, the third for The Earl of Pemberley, the fourth for Harry, and the fifth and sixth pages were both dedicated to her and the jewels she had on.

...

She finally arrived back home with word that the King would be coming over that night at eight o'clock that night.

She elected not to panic her parents with news of the visit so quietly tidied and cleaned the house to royal standards telling her parents she was bored, her parents certainly didn't mind their daughter cleaning so didn't complain.

At bang on eight, the doorbell rang.

'Who could that be?' Her dad asked.

Hermione hopped up. 'It's King Armand, surprise!' She told her shocked parents and then turned to open the front door.

Armand was wearing a black muggle suit probably from Savile Row, and a Burberry trench coat; he had pulled up in front of the house in a Burgundy Ferrari 275.

She gave a quick curtsey to the royal and he smiled back at her.

'Nice muggle blend in sir.' She smiled; several of her neighbours had come out onto the street to admire the car and the man driving it.

Armand turned to see the huddle of Muggles around his car. 'Oh, I thought I was picking a normal car.'

Hermione laughed and gestured for him to come inside away from the prying eyes of her nosy neighbours.

'Mr. and Mrs. Granger, thank you for seeing me.' The King spoke upon seeing her parents stood in the living room with shocked expressions.

Her mother attempted a curtsey and her father bowed. 'Your majesty, what brings you by?' Her father asked.

The King glanced at Hermione. 'You didn't tell them?'

Hermione just shrugged. The King sighed.

'Perhaps we should all sit down.' The King gestured to the couch.

'Can I get you a drink, Your Grace?' Hermione asked, Armand waved her away and gestured for her to sit next to him.

'I am here to offer an official royal apology for what happened to Hermione at Hogwarts and to see what I can do to make it better.' Armand pulled out a checkbook.'

'I don't want your money.' Hermione spoke respectfully. 'Really this isn't necessary.'

The King ignored her and scribbled out a cheque he then handed to her parents, whose eyes widened.

'This is so much Sir! We couldn't possibly accept this!' Her mother exclaimed.

'You can and you will.' The King told them.

Her father placed the cheque face down on the coffee table so Hermione couldn't see it. 'Thank you, Sir. I dare say you have fixed the wrong done to my girl.'

'I'm not done.' He then turned to Hermione.

'How can't you be done? I'm imagining that's an outrageous amount of money you've just given my parents.' Hermione gasped.

'I wanted to offer you the Jewels of Agincourt you wore the other day.' The King said.

Her mouth fell open and she spoke without thinking. 'No offense Sir, but have you lost your mind? That necklace is a part of the crown jewels. I can't have crown jewels!'

The King sighed. 'I could give you a title if that helps? We can say it's for your academic achievement. We could make you Baroness of Eldersflower, or the actual Countess of Agincourt?'

Hermione shook her head, she glanced at her parents. Her father was white and her mother's mouth was hanging open.

'I haven't done anything to deserve a title.' She insisted.

'You are the first student to skip two years since Merlin, by the way, he was made an Earl when he did that, and you're the youngest ever to get an Outstanding in any OWL exam. It would show the world that you will be a prominent person to watch.' The King offered.

'But I'm not a prominent person to watch, Sir.'

'Well, the royal house disagrees. I want to give you a title and an estate.'

'Your Grace, I don't want to seem rude, but I don't want a title.' She told him sternly. 'Stop trying to ease a guilty conscious over the actions of your brother, I'm fine and I'm not angry. There's nothing for you to make up to me.' She told him.

The King smiled at her. 'You are a kind person Hermione. I might just make you a countess for that.'

Hermione rolled her eyes. 'You'd have to drag me to the service.' She joked.

'Well, I got you to the last service easily enough.' The King batted back.

'You tricked me, that doesn't count. Please don't make me a countess.'

The King smiled and then stood. 'Then I am finished here. I bid you all a good day.'

Her parents saw the King off to the front door while she turned the cheque the King had gifted them over.

It was for one million pounds.  
  


*****************************************************  
You'll all be very happy to hear that I have planned out every single chapter of third year. We're up to 62 chapters now! (Hence the later than usual update) I've been doing a wee little bit of world-building. It's alright in these early years where I can kind of follow the books but soon it'll go off the rails.

I don't think I'm going to tell you what family Matilda's guard Tom belongs to for a few years, I'm enjoying withholding the info.

Guys go watch Ant and Decs DNA Journey my face hurt from laughing so much.

This is the Jewels Hermione saw:

Ring of Queen Blythe: https://www.jamesallen.com/diamond-rings/emerald-cut-engagement-rings/1.50-carat-halo-engagement-ring-1813686?cur=GBP&km_source=google&km_medium=cpc&km_term=59223121858&km_campaign=384693398&km_keyword=&km_adid=285465101207&km_account=shoppinglower&gclid=Cj0KCQiA2vjuBRCqARIsAJL5a-KRXFijUPs83vgYbEr1WzRbFVCxNJSXxsXRSCVNmUwqejPjZpSrgmUaAmzMEALw_wcB

The Pearls: https://giftpearls.co.uk/a-36-inch-long-string-of-small-and-perfect-aaa-grade-white-pearls-317-p.asp

Armand's car: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrari_275#/media/File:1966_Ferrari_275_GTB_sn_08549,_front_left_(Greenwich_2019).jpg

Spoilers for third year include:

* Secret Tunnel

* A Wolf

* A Dragon

* The Werewolf curse.

* Ancient Temples.

* Keiss is at the top of Scotland.

*Duelling

*Nicholas

* Draco's personal guard

* Xmas Ball

* The marks on their wrists

* "Did you know that here at Hogwarts, we've got a hidden swimming pool"

Take from those what you will.


	37. The Long Summer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY THIS TOOK ME SO LONG, FORGIVE ME.  
I'M GOING AWAY FOR A WEEK BUT AFTER THIS I'LL TRY TO GETTING BACK TO ONE OR TWO UPDATES A WEEK.  
ALSO, TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK, I FEED ON YOUR COMMENTS.

The extra long summer holidays for the younger years had defiantly been well received.

Her lessons with Neville were progressing very well, he was coming along so well.

Draco had spent a fortnight touring Europe with his uncle, apparently slaying a Basilisk meant he was doing wonders for the royal image and was now being dragged out for every photo opportunity. He sent her a new winter dress from France. It was grey and thick with a fluffy inside; she could picture herself wearing it curled up in front of the fire.

Upon his return to England, Draco had floo'd to her house and told her to put on a jacket and boots; he was taking her to Scotland for the day via Portkey, he also told her to pack some pyjamas.

Her parents were both at work for the day, she left them a note in the kitchen that she was with Draco and would be back tomorrow as instructed.

The portkey was a muggle five pound note that Draco retrieved from his wallet.

They touched down in front of a charming country manor built in red brick and four stories high. There were sprawling grounds and Hermione could see the coast in the distance.

'Where are we?' She asked Draco, who was wearing a tweed jacket.

'Keiss House. It's a part of my title estate. It's my home.' He told her.

She raised an eyebrow at him. 'Your home? You never told me you owned a Scottish mansion.'

Draco laughed. 'I own a lot of properties. But this one's special. It was my Grandmother's birth home; it's not a royal residence so no matter what it belongs to me. I've got all the deeds and everything. My uncle thought I might want somewhere to escape to.'

'Hell of a present.' Hermione mused.

'Come on, stables this way. You're going to have to work for your lunch.' He told her, pulling her around the back of the massive house to a large stable.

He took her bag from her shoulder and handed it to a royal servant in the usual purple uniform.

Inside were the massive winged horses she knew Matilda liked to breed.

'They're gorgeous.' She said as she approached one of them.

'That's Gandalf.' He told her.

'You've been reading those muggle books again.' She teased him in a mock stern voice. 'You should read Pride and Prejudice, your titles in it.'

Draco laughed. 'The Bronte sisters were Squibs, they knew about the title. It was used a few centuries ago too.'

Her attention was brought back to the huge grey horse in front of her. It had been saddled. She suddenly understood what Draco intended.

'I can't ride him!' She shrieked. The horse was massive, literally six foot high it towered over her.

Draco raised a hand to stroke the horse. 'Don't worry, Gandalf has a sweet disposition, he won't let you fall and I'm not going to let you ride him alone the first time.'

Draco led the horse outside and then turned back into the stables, emerging with two black riding helmets. He put Hermione's on and adjusted the strap.

'Aw you look so cute.' He teased her before securing his own helmet.

He mounted the massive horse before reaching a hand down to Hermione and pulling her up to sit behind him.

'Hold on tight and don't let go.' He told her.

He began at a slow trot to ease Hermione in but after a few minutes they had worked up to a hard gallop. Hermione realised horse riding provided a vigorous workout, her core muscles were burning, but she ignored the burn in her muscles over the exhilaration she felt as they galloped through the Scottish wilds towards the sea.

'Are you ready?' Draco called back to her.

'For what?' She yelled back over the roar of the wind.

He only smiled and looked ahead and urged the horse to go faster.

Hermione shrieked as the horse spread its massive white feathered wings and took off into the air at great speed, she wrapped her arms tighter around Draco and screamed down his ear. She couldn't hear his laughter over the roar of the wind in her ears but she could feel his chest moving against her arms.

They flew up and over the sea for a few minutes, Hermione was thankful for all the flying lessons Draco had given her in exchange for learning Latin, or she would be absolutely terrified.

Once the shock of the flight wore off, she began to enjoy herself as they swooped along the coastline, the horse never going too far out that they couldn't swim back if they needed to.

When the air began to chill them Draco gently guided the massive Abraxan back down to the shore line.

They touched down lightly before continuing in a gallop for more minutes, Hermione was thoroughly enjoying herself as the wind ripped through her hair, and she felt free.

Draco seemed to be leading the horse towards a large oak tree at the end of the field with a perfect view of the sea.

When they got nearer to the tree, she could make out Dobby setting up a picnic for them.

He had vanished by the time they got there however.

Draco brought the Abraxan to a halt in front of the tree and swung his leg over the side, dropping lightly to the ground. He gently placed his hands on Hermione's waist and lifted her down.

'Did you like that?' He asked, she had turned to stroke the horse's snout fondly.

'It was brilliant, thank you. Can we do it again?' She asked.

He pated the side of the massive horse and it left to graze on the long grass nearby.

'He's not full grown yet.' He told her as they watched Gandalf eating the grass. 'Matilda gave him to me for my tenth birthday.'

Hermione frowned at the massive creature. 'How much bigger will he get?' The beast was already a good six foot.

Draco shrugged. 'Matilda said he was smaller than the others, that's why she gave him to me. All of hers are the size of elephants; we should get another few feet out of him.'

Draco gestured to the blue blanket that had been lain out under the shade of the big oak tree.

Dobby had set out sandwiches and cake and a jug of iced water containing several lemon slices.

She poured a glass of water for herself and for Draco as he hung his head back, his eyes shut, and sighed.

'I love it here. It's so peaceful, I wish I could just stay here forever.' Then he laughed. 'I could run away and run a farm and ride horses.'

She smiled at him. 'Who would have thought it? The Earl of Pemberley is a simple country boy.'

He raised a brow at her. 'I wouldn't say simple. But I do enjoy the country more than life at court.'

She handed him his glass of water which he drank deeply, it was a hot day. Hermione suspected they would both have caught the sun on their day spent riding and flying.

'Well, then you'll have to make sure you escape up here as often as possible.' She told him, taking his empty glass and filling it again as Draco cut her a slice of cake.

Dobby, the wonderful soul he was, had provided them a selection of delicious sandwiches: ham, plain butter, and cheese and onion. She greedily had one of each followed by a slice of carrot cake.

They both lay down on the blanket as the finished plates around them vanished.

They were enjoying the shade and the sea breeze. 'How come you didn't bring anyone else up here?' Her mind thought of how the other boys would love flying on the massive horses.

'They don't know I have it. Nobody but my uncle and I know, and you now of course. My personal guard, she knows too obviously. She's probably hidden in the tree line watching us right now. My own parents don't know I have this estate. They think I'm at the palace.'

This reminded her of something. 'Your uncle gave my parents one million pounds.'

He looked over at her then turned to look back to examine the leaves of the tree. 'Yes, I thought he would do something like that.'

'And he tried to give me a title.'

This caught his attention. He sat up and looked down at her. 'Tried?'

She remained laying down. 'I refused.'

Draco frowned at her. 'You refused? Nobody refuses.'

She looked into his eyes and thought of the least offensive way she could convey her feelings. 'Well, I did. Titles are your thing, not mine. It's not like I need one I'm not marrying the King or anything.'

Draco moved backward as if she had slapped him, his eyes were full of emotion. 'That's not fair.'

Her face softened and she leaned her arm over to him to pull him back to laying down next to him. 'No. It isn't fair.'

They lay in silence for a moment.

'So what title did he offer you?' He finally asked, his eyes were shut and his expression peaceful, but she could see the tension as he clenched his jaw.

'Countess of Agincourt for the necklace I had on, or something of Elderflower?' She tried to remember but the memory was being overshadowed by the fact that she was now rich, or richer than she already was. Her parents were private practice Dentists who owned their business in central London; they were already doing very well for themselves.

'Eldersflower? Wow, that was my great-grandmother's title before she married into the family.' Draco mused.

'Lovely, just what I wanted to hear. Who are all the prominent Agincourt women then?' Hermione asked.

'Er. The first person to hold that title was Queen Blythe, pre-Queen. Then nobody used it for a few centuries until the wife of some Duke got it for her charity work.' He told her.

'Queen Blythe? Wait a minute are you telling me that that jewellery I had on belonged to a Queen? The first Queen?' She was very shocked to learn this, she had thought the jewels had been a few hundred years old, not a millennia.

Draco nodded. 'Yeah, I was surprised they didn't mention that in the Prophet to be honest.'

She snorted. 'Imagine that title. _Mudblood wears Queen's Jewels_.'

Draco hissed. 'Don't call yourself that.'

She rolled her eyes. 'It doesn't have any power on me. I know what I am, and I am not lesser. Didn't you once jokingly refer to yourself as a blood-traitor?'

He smiled at her. 'I am a blood-traitor in some people's eyes. Most of the world loves my uncle and cousin for their inclusive ways, but England is a bit more traditional. It requires something ridiculous like three times the management as the rest of Europe, there's always some plot or other.'

'Plots?' She asked.

Draco nodded. 'Why do you think we all have personal guards? People try to kill us or threaten us all the time. There's been something like nine attempts on my uncle's life since he was crowned.'

'But he's so nice! Who would want to depose him?' She sat up in horror at this news.

'Blood purists. People like my father who believe in all that pure-blood nonsense. I'm going to put a stop to that. I refuse to marry a pureblood, I'll lead by example.'

She smiled at him. 'You'll be a good King.'

He shrugged. 'I might not get to be King yet. I'm still holding out that my kid will really want the throne and I'll abdicate in their favour.'

She thought this was wishful thinking, but didn't tell him this. She knew in her heart that by the time he was sixty he would be on the throne, the blood curse on Matilda would see to that.

She had the good sense to steer the conversation away from his condemned status as King.

'Guess what Ginny was telling me at the Palace?' She asked him with a large grin.

'What did Ginny tell you?' He asked back.

'Our favourite Weasley has been sent to spend the summer with his great-aunt to improve his behaviour.'

Draco burst out laughing. 'Poor Ron, Muriel is a terror.'

Hermione smiled. 'I'm sure he's having a lovely time with her. Ginny told me they spend most days reading or walking the grounds of her house. He's not allowed to leave.'

'It'll just make him madder at you when we go back to school. He's incapable of accepting responsibility for his own actions.' Draco warned her.

'I know but it's good to know the dick is suffering.' She told him. 'So your guard is watching us right now? What would she do if I punched you in the face?'

Draco raised his eyebrow at her. 'She would stun you before you got the chance. She's also close enough to hear our conversation. Please don't stun my friend!' He turned and shouted into the tree line. There was no response.

'Do you need to be guarded here?' Hermione asked.

Draco sighed. 'There's been an incident. A Death Eater has escaped from Azkaban. I think she'll be coming to Hogwarts with me until he is caught.'

'A Death Eater? I haven't heard about that?' Nobody escaped that prison.

'Haven't you been reading the papers?' He asked, shocked she hadn't heard.

She shook her head. 'It's my OWL year? I've been revising all summer. Then I've been writing in the ma- been writing all my summer essays.'

She'd caught herself at the last moment. She had in fact been trying to communicate with the Marauders Map to find out if she could trust it, she was swaying towards yes. The four map makers reminded her of Fred and George, keen to cause trouble but ultimately harmless.

'So who's escaped?' She asked.

'This guy called Sirius Black. After You-Know-Who fell he went out in a rage and killed a load of muggles.' Draco told her solemnly.

'Gods that's terrible. How did he get out?' Hermione asked, she suddenly felt weary of the tree line.

Draco shrugged. 'Nobody knows, he's the first person that's ever managed it. My uncle thinks he must have had inside help. All the guards are under investigation, especially the ones in the higher level cells he was in.'

Hermione nodded. 'Who else is in the higher level cells?'

'The big bad Death Eaters. My aunt for one.' He told her, looking off into the distance.

'Your aunt?' Hermione gasped.

Draco nodded. 'Bellatrix Lestrange. My mum's sister. She's an absolute fucking psycho, Voldemort's right hand woman.'

'I can't imagine someone like that being related to you.' Hermione told him. 'Or your mum for that fact.'

He lowered his voice so his hidden guard wouldn't hear. 'I'm terrified the other Death Eaters will escape too, it took something like six Aurors to take my aunt down and that was only after she took some of them out.'

'I won't let her ever hurt you.' Hermione told him seriously.

Draco smiled at her. 'You're going to take on the maddest Death Eater of all time?'

She nodded. 'I cursed Voldemort in the face when I was twelve; I think I can handle a madwoman.'

'Some people said she's more ruthless than he is. He's almost practical, but she genuinely takes pleasure in hurting people. Haven't you ever wondered why Neville lives with his Grandma?'

She frowned, she'd never asked. 'They're dead right? That's why Neville had his dad's wand in first year?'

'Worse.' He told her.

'What's worse than being dead?' She asked, dreading the answer.

'Bellatrix tortured them for information, but they wouldn't give her any. She drove them to insanity, they live in the hospital, and they don't know who Neville is.'

That did indeed sound worse than death, and Draco was the nephew of the woman that had done it.

'Poor Neville, I had no idea.' Was all she could say.

'Yeah, he doesn't like to talk about it. Most people don't to be honest, they were incredibly popular.' He said. 'My uncle told me all about them, he was thinking of putting his dad on the council after the war.'

'What did they do? His parents?' She asked.

'They were both Aurors, he was on his way to becoming Head of the Auror office apparently.' Draco told her.

'His nan's a bit full on isn't she?' Hermione mused. 'No wonder he's got no confidence, she's always saying he isn't as good as his dad.'

'That's not exactly very nurturing of her is it?' Draco replied.

Hermione nodded. 'I pretty much told her to shut up at our last lesson.'

Draco smiled. 'I'm sure she loved you for that. How is he coming along?'

Hermione smiled. 'He's doing so well! I've already got him started on some third year stuff so he'll be ahead this year.'

'I wish you could tutor me. I never know what's going on in Transfiguration.' He laughed.

'Well, you teach me Latin. Instead of forcing me to go up on a broom we could do your homework together or something?' She offered.

'Nah, I'll manage. I like taking you up flying too much.' He laughed.

She smiled. 'So do I, I'll just help you anyway.'

Gandalf took this opportunity to come back over to the pair, he lowered his long snout and nudged Draco's shoulder.

'I think that means it's time to go back.' Draco smiled at her.

Hermione grinned at the massive horse as Draco pulled her up.

'Shouldn't we clean up?' She asked, looking down at the picnic blanket left on the ground.

'No, Dobby will do it. Don't give me that look, I pay him!' He responded.

The ride back was just as beautiful and exhilarating as the ride out. She held on to Draco as tight as she could and he promised to teach her to ride one day. She secretly hoped he didn't teach her to ride her own horse; she liked wrapping her arms around him and clinging on for dear life.

They had spent the rest of the evening listening to the wizarding wireless and playing cards and billiards, he had clearly let her win both times, before they retired to their separate bedrooms under the watchful eye of Dobby. Draco whispered to her that he was pretty sure his mother had instructed his elf to make sure they didn't share a bedroom.

'We're thirteen! What the hell does she think we're going to do?' She'd laughed.

'I'm a thirteen-year-old boy, I think she's quite on the nail.' Draco told her with a dry face.

She'd laughed it off and batted him playfully on the arm. 'Don't be gross.'

...

Draco had taken her home by Floo the next morning, she had a letter waiting for her when she got home.

_Dear Hermione,_

_Thank you for the birthday card and Broomstick Servicing Kit, it's amazing! I would love to come over one day but the muggles won't let me. They don't like it when I socialise with other wizards, I'm lucky to get to send letters._

_Neville got me a Sneakoscope. Fred, George, and Ginny got me some sweets from Egypt! I'm sure Ginny told you Mr. Weasley won that competition._

She had indeed heard that the majority of the Weasley's were in Egypt; she had received a letter from her red-haired friends a few days ago.

_Did you hear that Ron has been forced to spend summer with his aunt? He's been allowed to go with them on holiday though; apparently he's been quite well behaved with his aunt so we'll have to see how he is in September. Ginny said Percy has been made Head Boy, so prepare for a year of gloating._

_Hagrid got me a typical Hagrid present; it's a book that keeps trying to eat me and my stuff. _

_Hopefully, Neville and his Nan will come and rescue me soon, if I have to spend another fortnight here I'll pitch myself off the roof._

_See you in September. _

_Harry_

Hermione folded the paper with a smile. She knew exactly why Harry was suddenly able to write, Draco had told her last night.

'I told my uncle how they treat him and he sent over a member of the royal guard around before we broke up for summer and he basically threatened them.' He had told her over their game of cards.

Her parents weren't working that day so she went downstairs to the living room, where they were sat watching the News before dinner.

'Hello, Plum.' Her dad greeted her as she sat down next to him.

'Did you have fun with Draco darling?' Her mum asked.

She nodded. 'We did some riding.'

Her dad stiffened next to her. 'Riding?'

She nodded. 'His cousin breeds Abraxan's, they're massive winged horses. We went riding on them on his Scottish estate.'

He relaxed next to her. 'Oh, horse riding. Sounds fun.'

She rolled her eyes, not understanding the misunderstanding her father had nearly made, and focused on the news.

"Black has escaped from prison and is at large in the community. He is known to be armed and if sighted you should call 999.' The newsreader informed them.

'They haven't said where he's escaped from!' Her mother pointed out.

'He's a wizard. He's escaped from Azkaban. Apparently he's as bad as it gets so if you see him I want to you turn around and run the other way.' She told them.

She awoke the next morning to Neville's owl tapping on her window.

_Dear Hermione,_

_So long story short I inflated my aunt and ran away. Some weird magic bus called the Knight Bus came and picked me up. Bloody good thing too there was some massive Black Dog following me. _

_The Minister of Magic and The King were waiting for me at the Leaky, apparently I've got off with it all for some reason and I'm not at Neville's for the rest of the summer._

_Neville said you're coming around tomorrow for a magic lesson?_

_See you then,_

_Harry_

She frowned at the letter and instantly wished she owned an owl so she could write to Draco and tell him, currently she was stuck sending his owl back to him when he wrote to her. As it was Harry's owl always arrived at night.

Harry was indeed at Neville's house, he sat in the corner while she and Neville worked.

He told her all about the event with his aunt.

'It's odd for accidental magic at our age.' Hermione mused.

'I was upset alright?' Harry attempted to defend himself.

She rolled her eyes. 'You need to get better control over yourself before you hurt someone. Try meditation, I read that it helps.'

Harry sighed and nodded.

'When does Draco go on tour with the King?' Neville asked.

'Tomorrow. They'll be gone for a few weeks around Europe. His uncle's capitalising on his Basilisk kill.' Hermione had told them. 'He gets back five days before school starts, I think I'm having him over for dinner my mum's head will probably explode at feeding a prince.' She mused.

Neville frowned. 'You mean Earl?'

She waved him off, hoping he wouldn't notice the panic flash through her eyes. 'It's all the same for her, he's royal that's all that matters.'

Neville laughed at this, Harry had been oblivious to the conversation.

...

The fire sparking to life with brilliant green flame no longer caused her parents to jump, they were used to a friendly face coming through their fireplace now.

Of course, they were incredibly excited to be having the nephew of the King over for dinner. Her mother had consulted her most successful clients for dinner tips until Hermione had stepped in and told her that if she served a greasy cheeseburger and chips or a pizza that he would love her forever, he lived a life of fancy food this was his chance to get down with the commoners.

She'd talked her father out of wearing his best suit, the one he usually wore for weddings, as she had promised Draco a casual night after two weeks on a royal tour of Europe.

Draco had stepped out wearing, for him what was dressed-down, dark jeans and a green shirt. Her father was dressed similarly; he'd just got home from work so he was dressed in pants and a white shirt. Hermione now noticed she was matching her mother; both were wearing jeans and a light blouse.

Draco had gained a slight tan from his time abroad; nothing major though as he had spent most of his time inside for meetings and photo opportunities.

He carried a bouquet of flowers for Jean Granger.

'Mrs. Granger, these are Armathet flowers, they'll change colour every few days as long as they last.' He smiled as he handed her the flowers.

Her mother gushed and went to place the flowers in her nicest vase.

He presented a box of French mint-chocolates to her father.

He then turned to Hermione with two large boxes once her parents were out of the room.

Inside the first was a new black winter boots to keep her toasty in the coming Scottish winter months. The second contained a volume of Latin books, detailing the history of the Gods. She knew it might seem nerdy, but she was genuinely couldn't wait to spend hours translating the books. Draco had smiled and told her this would be a great way to continue the next stage of her Latin lessons.

She had given him a tight hug and a light peck on the cheek to thank him, he'd blushed red.

Her mother had come through on the greasy food score, cheeseburgers and chips had brought a wonderful light of excitement to Draco's eyes.

'This is perfect.' Draco had gleamed between bites of his burger, which he had smothered with mayonnaise.

'Hermione tells us that you have been away with the King?' Her mother spoke, Hermione tried not to laugh that her mum was nervous to speak to a thirteen-year-old.

Draco nodded. 'Yes, we went around Bulgaria, Ireland, Greece, and Denmark. They're all doing well in the Quidditch league at the minute, I got to start one of the matches!' He beamed.

The rest of the night was spent with Draco explaining Quidditch and her father explaining football in return,

Once her parents had left them in front of the television to do the washing up she turned to Draco with a question on her mind. 'Why did the King and the Minister get involved with that Harry thing a few weeks ago?'

He sighed. 'Because of Black escaping prison. I don't really know anything about it, just what I've overheard. He wants Harry apparently.'

She looked over her shoulders to make sure her parents weren't paying them any attention. 'Why does he want Harry?'

'He's a mega Death Eater Hermione, he'll want revenge for his master's defeat. I think the common belief is that he thinks that if Harry is killed that Voldemort will come back.'

She frowned. 'But that's crazy!'

Draco nodded. 'That's not even the worst part.'

'What could be worse?' She asked, dreading the answer.

'In my uncle's bedroom he has a picture of the original Order of the Pheonix, the group that fought the Death Eaters the first time, Black was a member with Harry's parents. He was their friend, their ally, and he betrayed them.'

Hermione gasped. 'Does Harry know this now?'

Draco shook his head and turned his eyes back to the television, trying to keep up with the football game. 'My uncle wanted to tell him the second Black broke out, but Dumbledore said they shouldn't tell him.'

Hermione nodded. 'I think he might be right. It'll just cause more harm, he's suffered enough.'

Draco shrugged. 'I'd want to know is someone betrayed my family.'

Hermione nodded. 'In normal circumstances, yes, but I don't know what good it would do to tell him now. Let's just let them capture him again and have a quiet year at Hogwarts.'

Draco snorted. 'Quiet year at Hogwarts, good one. I reckon there'll be at least one severe attack by the end of the year, someone will probably get mauled in the Forbidden Forest.'

She rolled her eyes at him. 'The only ones dumb enough to go into the forest is our group.'

He nodded. 'Right, no forest for us this year then.'

The rest of the night was spent in front of the television, they had to explain most things on it to Draco.

...

The week before they were to go to Hogwarts the friends all met up for some shopping at Diagon Alley. The girls: Hermione, Daphne, Tracey, Millie, and Ginny, all went to have their robes fitted at Madam Malkin's. Draco had made Ginny's day by ordering her to put whatever she wanted for the day on the Royal account, it was the least they could do. Not to say the Weasley fortune hadn't changed, rumour had it that the King had been very generous in his reparations to that family; apparently they were having some extensive work to their house with some of the money. In the Prophet she had read that they had pretty much ripped their old house down and were having it rebuilt at great expense.

The boys: Draco, Harry, Neville, Blaise, Theo, Crabbe, and Goyle, all went into the Quidditch shop to admire the polished broomsticks, some new broom had come out that they were all keen to study.

They all met up for lunch, again it was Draco's treat, before they all went off on their own. It was just Draco and Hermione left as she pulled him into the pet shop.

'I want an owl.' She told him. She was getting tired of borrowing others; she wanted a family owl to commune with her parents.

There were many beautiful choices of owl but she kept being drawn to the one bird that wasn't an owl.

'Hermione you can't buy a raven!' Draco rolled his eyes at her.

'I just feel like we have a connection.' She told him as she stroked the black head of the animal affectionately.

There wasn't much room in the shop, it was packed full of cages. The door to the shop was propped open to try and dissipate the strong smell of animal urine.

'He's too small.' Draco tried to convince her.

She couldn't explain her feelings, just that she knew they would be a good pair. 'He'll only carry little letters between Hogwarts and home.'

Draco shrugged and turned to admire a massive tortoise with a jewelled shell that was reflecting the light from the window in a dazzling display of glittering light.

She picked the bird out from its noisy cage of ravens; the animal was the only one of its breed not making noise.

The door opened behind her, she didn't turn to see who it was that had come in as they approached the desk, her attention was taken up with the tame raven.

'How old is this rat?' She heard the woman behind the desk ask.

'Dunno.' The voice answered and Hermione and Draco both stiffened at the realisation of who had come into the shop.

'He's missing a toe. Been through the mill, this one has.' The woman noted as she examined the rat.

Draco and Hermione shuffled behind a large cage containing some brilliantly coloured parrots.

The woman and Ron had a bit of back and forth, before Ron purchased a red bottle of rat-tonic.

He had just turned to leave the shop when he spotted the duo in their hiding spot.

'You!' He roared.

Hermione sighed and stood up straight. 'Me.'

'I had to spend my summer with my aunt because of you!' He roared, turning as red as his hair.

Draco emerged from behind the cage. 'You spent the summer with your aunt because of your own actions.'

Ron froze at the realisation that he was outnumbered, but reached into his pocket for his wand.

Before Hermione or Draco could pull their own wands something huge and orange came soaring from the highest cage and landed on Ron's head before jumping to the counter and swiping at his rat.

'NO, CROOKSHANKS, NO!; cried the witch, but Scabbers shot from Ron's hands, landed splay-legged on the floor, and then scampered for the door.

'Scabbers!' Ron shouted, racing out of the shop after him.

Hermione and Draco burst out laughing.

'I want that cat too.' She said after laughing. 'Anyone who jumps on Ron's head has my allegiance.'

She paid twenty golden coins for the two new animals. The cat already had a name, but she called the raven Freddie, after her favourite muggle band Queen.

'Will your parents sign your Hogsmede form?' Draco asked as he carried one of her animal cages through the pub and out into the Muggle-world where her father was waiting for her with the car.

She nodded. 'Well, I've been going already, they're just saying I can go alone now.'

Draco nodded. 'My mum signed mine. Harry was asking if the King could sign his, his muggles wouldn't do it.'

Hermione shrugged. 'He did blow up his aunt, I'd be shocked if they had signed it.'

Draco nodded. They greeted her father, who was very shocked to see both a cat and a raven being put onto his back seat.

'I told him I'd ask, but not to get his hopes up. He could always sneak in.' Draco mused.

Hermione shrugged. 'I don't think that's a good idea. There is a Death Eater out for his blood.'

Draco nodded. 'We'll have to keep an eye on him this year. If he finds out Black was his parent's friend and left them to become a Death Eater all hell will break loose.'

****************************************

I've written the scene where you find out what family Tom (Matilda's guard) belongs to. Just want to say sorry in advance, take from that what you will.

I've also planned out most chapters for 4th year.

No update for over a week I'm going away with my sister.

I'll leave you with a slight spoiler of a chapter title for a year away = THE GOLDEN KNIFE AND THE PROPHET

Guys I have a literature degree and am about to do a masters. I know Austen wrote P&P. Draco making this mistake is something we will come back to.


	38. Hufflepuff

The night before they left for Hogwarts, Hermione had been invited to the Palace along with the rest of their friends so that they could all go to the station together. Harry and Neville were in the leaky cauldron for the night along with the Weasley clan, who were having their house re-built.

It turned out Draco just didn't want to have the long journey to the station in London with just his parents. The ministry were sending special cars to take them all the four hour drive from Regia to Kings Cross.

On the journey, Draco complained at length that the royal family were being given extra-protection while Black was evading the Aurors, hence the ministry provided cars. Apparently these same cars would be taking Harry's group to the station as well, though they were already in London and didn't have the same six am start they'd suffered.

Draco didn't really mind the extra protection, he'd understood the need to keep the royals safe but he was still allowed to grumble that his personal guard would bow be coming to school with him. He hated the idea of walking down the corridors with a body-guard. At least his guard, his cousin, was fun. His mother was stuck being glued to an elderly Auror that wouldn't shut up about protocol. He'd managed to convince his guard that as long as he was in his common room that he would be safe so she would be free to patrol the grounds with the Dementors that his uncle had campaigned against going to the school.

The journey wasn't too bad, they all took turns drawing on Theo's face when he fell asleep, much to his anger when he woke up to Crabbe drawing a penis on his face.

The two groups arrived at the platform at the same time. Mrs. Weasley was leading the column of new robes and trunks; it seemed the Weasley's had spent a lot of their gifted money on their children.

Hermione went to say hello to Fred and George, who were starting their OWL year along with her. Ginny, who had been slightly awkward with Harry since he saved his life went to say hello to Daphne. Harry watched after her with a small grin.

Percy, the newly elected Head Boy had his new shiny badge pinned to the front of his robes. He went straight to Draco and held his hand out as if they had never met.

'Draco, your highness, how nice to see you.' He said seriously.

Raising a brow at his formalness he returned the hand shake. 'Hello, Percy.'

Harry and the others were laughing behind Percy's back.

'My Lord!' Said Fred, elbowing Percy out of the way and bowing deeply in front of Draco, 'simply splendid to see you!'

George booted his twin out of the way and knelt in front of Draco. 'Your eminence! Spiffing to see you, old boy!'

Mrs. Weasley hurried over and wrenched George from the ground. 'That's enough! Draco, dear, how lovely to see you again. I see you've heard about Percy's good news. The second Head Boy in the family.' She gushed.

Draco smiled at the family-woman.

'And last.' Fred muttered under his breath to his brother.

Their mother turned on them. 'Yes, I see they didn't make either of you prefects!'

George smiled politely at her. 'Maybe we'll be take the Charlie-route and be co-Quidditch captains.'

Fred joined in the conversation. 'They didn't make Hermione a Prefect either!'

'Actually I got a letter from Snape about that. I'd be a Prefect in my own proper year group. They can't make a thirteen year old a Prefect.' Hermione quickly answered him.

'You'd only be Prefect for a year before you graduated though.' Draco frowned.

She shrugged. 'Not the end of the world. Being friends with Fred and George teaches you to re-prioritise things.'

As they all climbed onto the train Mr Weasley pulled Harry aside, he climbed onto the train a few moments later wearing a frown.

'What was that about?' Neville asked him.

'Last night I overheard Mr. And Mrs. Weasley arguing about if they should tell me that Black has apparently escaped to kill me.'

There were gasps of shock in the corridor of friends searching for a cabin.

'He just warned me not to go looking for Black.' Harry frowned. 'Why would I go looking for someone who wanted to kill me?'

Draco and Hermione exchanged a look.

'Well he was a top Death Eater wasn't he?' Draco said. 'Maybe he thinks you want revenge?'

Hermione nodded. 'He killed a load of Muggles the day after your parents died, that's how they arrested him.'

'The day after my parents died?' Harry asked.

The hall was deathly silent for a moment.

'They think he might have been involved.' Draco finally said.

Hermione frowned, this was new information to her. Clearly Draco knew more than he had told her, but she didn't want to upset Harry anymore.

'Involved how?' Harry asked.

Draco opened his mouth to answer but Hermione beat him to it. 'Well he was one of the top Death Eaters, he was probably there helping Voldemort.'

Harry nodded. 'Well I hope they catch him soon then, he deserves to rot in a cell.'

Hermione firmly put a hand on Draco's knee so he would know to go along with her speech. 'I'm sure they will.'

'We're going to have to split up.' Daphne sighed. 'There's not a free cabin.'

Hermione nodded. 'Right, you guys go that way, we'll go this way.'

The rest of the Slytherin's turned and walked up towards the head of the train. Harry, Draco, Neville, and Hermione turned and walked down the train until they came to a cabin with only one occupant.

It was a shabby-looking man asleep with his head resting against the window.

'I'm not scared if Black is looking for me.' Harry said quietly as they moved into the cabin. 'Hermione cursed Voldemort in the face and Draco killed a Basilisk, I feel perfectly safe.' He smiled at his friends.

Once they were all sat down Hermione let her cat out from his cage, her raven was currently with the other birds on the train.

'Who do you reckon that is?' Neville asked, he was sat next to the sleeping man.

He was the first adult they had seen on the train, apart from the trolley lady. He was shabby to the extreme; his robes were a patchwork nightmare. He looked to be almost ill despite his young face.

'Professor R.J. Lupin.' Hermione answered, gesturing to his suitcase overhead.

'Must be the new D.A teacher.' Draco mused. 'I wonder if Lockhart is enjoying Azkaban.'

The trolley came and went with the purchase of many sweets and quiet merriment was made. Hermione was sure the teacher was only pretending to sleep so she kept the conversation safe.

'I wonder when the first Hogsmede weekend will be.' She asked.

'I hope it's soon! I can't wait to see Zonko's.' Neville said excitedly.

Harry was silent and Hermione instantly felt guilty for bringing it up.

'Did you speak to The King about my permission form?' Harry asked Draco quietly.

Draco nodded. 'I'm sorry. He couldn't sign it. He did say that the second Black is caught that he will.'

The news that the capture of the Death Eater would mean he could go on the trips to the village perked him up, and he spent the rest of the journey in good spirits with his friends.

That is, good spirits until the train unexpectedly stopped.

The train rattled as the wind roared against the windows, rain hammering down upon the scarlet train. The man in their compartment slept on.

The train was slowing.

'We must be there.' Neville said, trying to make any shapes out in the darkness outside.

The brakes continued to slow the long train.

'We can't be there yet.' Said Hermione, checking her watch. Draco was nodding in agreement with her.

'Why are we stopping?' Draco asked to nobody in particular as he joined Neville's search via the darkened window.

With the noise of the pistons gone, the wind and rain sounded heavier against the train windows. Harry, as the nearest person, got up to look outside the compartment into the corridor. His head was joined by other confused students.

'What do you thinks' going on?' Harry asked, retaking his seat.

Hermione shrugged just as the lamps all went out, leaving them plunged into total darkness.

'Have we broken down?' Neville asked.

'There's something moving out there.' Hermione stated, joining the group at the window.

Realisation dawned on the faces of Neville and Draco. 'Oh no.' They spoke together.

'What is it?' Hermione asked.

'Dementors.' Draco spoke. 'They must be looking for Black.'

'They're coming aboard.' Neville spoke, looking ahead at the front of the train.

The compartment door suddenly opened and someone fell hard over Harry's legs.

'Ouch! Sorry!' It was Ginny, Fred, and George. Ginny had tripped over Harry's legs and he pulled her up by her arm. Hermione couldn't see a thing but she was willing to put money on the fact that both of their faces were probably red.

'Do you know what's going on?' Fred asked.

Hermione's wand suddenly erupted in a bright light, filling the compartment in a warm glow. 'That's better. Good thing Snape taught me that one is everyone okay?' She asked.

There were nods. Ginny and Harry did indeed have a rosy tint to their cheeks as he'd pulled her to sit that close to him that their legs touched, he still had his hand wrapped around her arm. They both saw this in the light and he hastily dropped his hand.

Professor Lupin appeared to have woken up at last at the bright light coming from Hermione's wand. He paused for a moment looking at her illuminated wand. He turned back to the door. 'Everybody stay where you are.' He said in a hoarse voice.

The light from Hermione's wand lit his tired, grey face. His eyes, in contrast, were alert and wary. Hermione's eyes fixed on a large scar that ran across the man's face, clearly the man had known pain and violence. She wondered if he's been harmed in the last war.

The door slid open before Lupin could reach it; however, revealing a black-cloaked figure entered, it towered to the ceiling. Its face was completely covered by its hood. The figure made them all uncomfortable. A gray, slimy, and scabbed hand was protruding from the cloak; Hermione couldn't help comparing it to something that had decayed. It was only visible for a moment before disappearing beneath the cloak.

Draco clutched Hermione's arm tightly and she gripped his hand in return.

The Dementor drew a long, slow, and rattling breath, as though it was trying to suck more than air from their surroundings.

An intense cold surrounded them; the cold seemed to spread deeper within their skin. Harry and Hermione both felt their breath catch in their chests.

Hermione's eyes rolled back into her head. There was a rushing in her ears, she couldn't see, she couldn't feel anything but the intense cold gripping her. Next to her, Draco was also slumping in his seat in a similar state, as was Harry and Ginny across from them.

Harry could hear someone screaming, terrible pleading screams.

_"Not Harry!"_

Draco could hear the voice of his uncle.

_"You will be King."_

His vision suddenly changed and all he could see was Hermione, petrified on a hospital bed. This his vision faded and a new terrifying image arrived, the Basilisk fang in his arm.

Ginny was shaking fiercely.

_"You will open the Chamber of Secrets."_

_"I will open the Chamber of Secrets."_

She heard her own strange voice answer.

Neville, who nobody had noticed fall, was the worst. He was on the floor unconscious and shaking viciously.

_"Tell us what you know!" The vicious voice yelled._

_"I will not!"_

_"Crucio!"_

Neville screamed as his eyes rolled back into his head and he convulsed.

Hermione was staring at an eye, a massive yellow eye. She wanted to scream but she couldn't make a sound.

All she could hear was her own distorted voice yelling: _"Consaucio!"_

She couldn't move, she couldn't breathe. She was almost aware of a burning sensation on her wrist. She was falling through a thick white fog-

Someone was lightly slapping her face. 'Hermione!'

Hermione's eyes shot open, Fred was stood over her. Her eyes instantly went to Draco, who was being revived similarly by George. Once his grey eyes shot open they immediately landed on her.

Ginny was shaking Harry awake, the Professor was standing over a pale but awake Neville.

'Is everyone alright?' Lupin asked the room.

Only silence greeted him, but this was good enough for him, at least everyone was awake now.

The Hogwarts Express was moving once again, the lights had come back on.

Hermione looked towards the door to the compartment. 'Is it gone?' She asked.

The teacher nodded.

'Who screamed?' Harry asked.

'Neville.' George answered.

Harry shook his head. 'No, it was a woman.'

'No women screamed Harry.' The professor answered, Hermione could see a look of understanding and sadness in the man's eyes. He withdrew a bar of chocolate and broke it into several pieces, handing it out to everyone in the compartment.

'Eat. It'll help.' The man told them. 'That was a Dementor of Azkaban, it was looking for Sirius Black, it's gone now.' The man stood up and walked to the door. 'I'm going to go and talk to the driver for a moment.'

Once the teacher was gone Fred and George turned to the others. 'Are you guys okay?'

They all nodded.

'You guys really scared us.' George continued.

'What happened?' Harry asked.

'Well that thing stood there and looked around and then you all sort of fainted, I thought you were all having a fit to be honest, then Neville did have a fit.' Freed answered.

Neville was still very pale, he wasn't involved in the conversation he was staring out of the window, everyone seemed to know to leave him be.

'What happened to the Dementor?' Hermione asked.

'Professor Lupin got rid of it. He shot some light at it and it left.' Fred told her.

Ginny, who was huddled in her corner next to Harry, gave a small sob and Harry put a comforting hand on her leg.

Hermione took a bite from the chocolate in her hand and felt a surprising warmth spread through her. She instantly encouraged her friends to eat their pieces too and was relieved to see more colour return to their faces.

Professor Lupin re-entered the compartment. 'We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes.' He handed Neville an entire bar of chocolate. 'Eat the entire bar please.'

Neville sat quietly looking from the window as he ate his chocolate in silence, Hermione wondered what effect the Dementor must have had on him.

They sat in silence for the rest of the journey and at long last they all arrive at Hogsmede station.

Hermione could hear Hagrid calling for first-years at the other end of the platform. Hermione could see her fellow Slytherin's ahead making their way to the carriages.

Professor Lupin disappeared quickly leaving the rest of them to follow the school along the platform to the rough mud track towards the hundred carriages awaited the students.

Hermione took a moment to pet the side of a Thestral before climbing into the carriage taking the seat between Ginny and Draco. Neville had gone ahead; she could see him sat next to Blaise, who was looking at him with a concerned expression.

They all felt better for the chocolate, but still weak. They endured the journey in silence.

The carriage made its way towards the massive wrought iron gates, each flanked with stone columns bearing a pair of winged boars. Standing guard over each stone creature was another Dementor. Hermione saw Harry shut his eyes until they passed through the gates.

The carriage began to pick up speed on the long drive up to the castle, she could see the first years crossing the Black Lake in the storm off to the side of the cliffs.

At long last, the carriage stopped in front of the castle. Hermione and her friends dashed inside to take shelter from the torrential rain, a quick-drying and warming charm and they made their way into the great hall for the sorting ceremony and feast.

'You guys fainted?' A voice came from behind them. So Ron had heard the news.

Ron elbowed his way past Malfoy to block their path into the Great Hall, his face was gleeful.

'Do piss off Ron.' Draco said in a bored voice.

'So you did all faint?' Ron laughed.

Ginny slowly and silently moved to hide from her brother by standing slightly behind Harry. Her plan backfired.

'Did the scary old Dementor frighten you too, little sister?' He mocked.

Before Harry could open his mouth in outrage, Professor Lupin reappeared.

'Is there a problem?' He asked.

'No Professor.' Ron answered, then with a final gloating smirk he turned and walked into the feast.

'I was really hoping he wouldn't hear about that.' Hermione muttered, she had learned about Dementor's and knew that nobody on the train would have been as effected as they were. She didn't know what Neville had seen but she was willing to bet that Harry had heard the screams of his dying mother, though she wasn't about to tell him that and make him feel worse. She could guess that Draco would have seen the Basilisk trying to kill him and Ginny being possessed by Voldemort. She had no idea how Ron of all people had found out but then she reminded herself that in Hogwarts if something was a secret then the whole school would find out.

'We'll try and avoid him in the corridors.' Draco told her.

'It's alright for you two.' Harry spoke. 'Me and Neville live with the sod.'

'Neville and I.' Hermione corrected without thinking, clearly the Dementor hadn't effected her too much. Neville, was probably already in the castle, he'd caught the carriage ahead of them with Blaise and the other Slytherin's. Hermione wondered what he had seen to provoke such a strong reaction.

'Maybe he'll finally go too far and get himself expelled this year?' Draco said hopefully.

The door into the Great Hall stood open, they would be shut once they were all in pre the arrival of the first years.

'You three!' I want to see you!' It was McGonagall. Stood next to her was her favourite teacher and head of house, Professor Snape.

There were some raindrops on Professor McGonagall's square glasses. Snape was in the process of performing a drying charm on himself, he must have been stood outside ushering students in, he looked like he'd been for a swim fully clothed in the Black Lake.

The two teachers lead them away from the large crowd of students entering the hall; most girls were complaining about their wet hair and ruined makeup. They followed their teachers into Professor McGonagall's office, a small room with a warm and welcoming fire roaring and warming them all sat across from her desk.

She gestured for the group to sit down. She settled herself on the chair behind her desk while Snape merely stood in the corner of the room near the overflowing bookcase.

'Professor Lupin wrote ahead that you were taken ill on the train.' She said.

There was a soft knock on the door and Madam Pomfrey entered the room.

'How is he Poppy?' McGonagall asked.

'A little shaken, to be expected. I've let him go to the feast, apparently, Lupin already gave them all some chocolate. Finally got a decent Professor of the Dark Arts I think.' The Matron replied.

'Are you talking about Neville?' Hermione asked. 'Is he okay?'

'He's fine.' Snape told her, his voice dry.

'You lot won't be the first to collapse.' The Matron had sensed the collective embarrassment of the children. 'Dementor's in a school, what will the Ministry think of next?'

The Matron took each of their pulses. 'They're fine, though I want you all to eat some more chocolate for dessert.'

The three students promised they would do as commanded; it wasn't too hard to promise to eat a slice of chocolate cake. Hermione sensed she would be putting on a few pounds this year "oh dear I saw a Dementor today better pig out on chocolate what a shame" and made a mental note to resume her daily stairs challenge with Daphne first thing in the morning, perhaps she could even join the boys jogging in the morning.

'Okay then, Potter and Granger, you two wait outside we need to talk to Mister Malfoy for a moment.' Snape told her.

The two students went back into the corridor with Pomfrey, who left for the Hospital Wing muttering to herself about stocking up on chocolate.

They only had to wait a few minutes until Draco was emerging with a smile on his face, Hermione could only assume he had just been given his Time-Turner so that he could go to all his extra classes. The look he gave her was one of "I'll show you later" which only confirmed her suspicions.

The group made their way down to the feast together. 'Sir?' She asked Snape, who was walking next to her. 'Why did Neville have to go to the Hospital Wing and none of us did?'

He seemed unimpressed by her question. 'Obviously he was more affected than the rest of you. I expect no more stupid questions this year.' With this, he turned and made his way into the Great Hall.

'That was rather cold.' Draco mused.

'Actually that was rather normal. "Adequate" is a compliment from him most days.' Hermione brushed the comment off, but she had to agree her favourite teacher seemed a little bit off.

The sky of the Great Hall was matching the miserable sky outside, black and cloudy. Hermione wouldn't be shocked if it started trying to mimic the rain too and mentally went over the umbrella charm in her mind. The room was a sea of pointed black hats; all the four tables were lined with students. They had missed the sorting.

Harry nodded to them in farewell and made his way to the Gryffindor table to sit in between Neville and Ginny.

Hermione and Draco made their way over to the Slytherin table to sit opposite Blaise and Daphne.

'Where have you two been? You missed the sorting.' Millie asked from slightly down the table.

'We got hauled in to make sure the scary Dementor didn't kill us off.' Draco said dryly, looking up at the head table to see Dumbledore rising from his seat. Hermione could see a small golden chain resting against his neck as he turned his head.

The room fell silent as Dumbledore, who always gave an impression of great energy despite his clear old age, stood before his golden podium to address the room.

'Welcome!' His voice boomed. 'Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! Before we tuck into our excellent feast I have a few things to say to you all. As you are aware our school is playing host to the Dementor's if Azkaban, they are here on ministry business, they are stationed at every entrance to the school. While they are here I want to make it absolutely clear that nobody is to leave the school without permission, Dementor's are not fooled by disguises or invisibility cloaks.' Dumbledore said that last line while looking directly at Harry.

'A Dementor will not understand excuses; they will not distinguish you from the one they seek. Do not give them a reason to harm you. I am looking to our Prefects to work with our Head Boy and Girl to help to keep our students safe.' Dumbledore

Hermione snorted lightly at the sight of Percy Weasley proudly puffing out his chest to display his Head Boy badge.

'At the end of the room, you will see Tonks.' He gestured to the end of the table, stood in front of the mechanism that displayed house points was a small woman with bubblegum pink hair and black robes. 'Tonks is the private guard of the Earl of Pemberly and until Sirius Black is caught she will be floating around the school to provide further protection to the member of the Royal family. I must warn you not to give her reason to harm you either.'

So this was Draco's cousin. The youngest Royal Guard ever at twenty-two, she'd finished her Auror training in a year and instantly been promoted to be Draco's personal guard. She didn't look very intimidating; with a pale heart-shaped face and dark eyes she was also quite short.

Dumbledore waited for the attention in the room to turn back to him, 'on a happier note I would like to welcome two new teachers into our ranks. First, Professor Lupin is our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.'

There was a scattered applause, those who had been on the train compartment clapped the hardest. Hermione couldn't help think that he looked particularly shabby sat next to Snape in his elegant robes, she also couldn't help notice that Snape looked incredibly put out to be sat next to the man and made a mental note to look into the relationship there. It was common knowledge that Snape wanted the Dark Arts job, he had been teaching Hermione the subject all of last year and had revelled in the opportunity to do so, but his expression was beyond anger.

Once the cheers had faded Dumbledore had continued. 'I am sorry to say that Professor Kettleburn has retired over the summer in order to spend more time with his remaining limbs, therefore I am delighted to say that our very own Hagrid will be taking on this teaching job in addition to his game keeping duties.'

This received a much louder cheer, though Hermione quietly thought to herself that Hagrid had no formal education after his third year, she imagined Dumbledore had the man sit some exams over the summer or at least she hoped he had. IT was no matter to her, she didn't take Care of Magical Creatures.

Next to her Draco was grumbling to Blaise across the table. 'Who else would assign us a biting book?'

'Well, I do think that is everything of import.' Dumbledore said. 'Let's eat!'

The golden plates and goblets before them filled with food and drink. Hermione helped herself to some chips, a jacket potato with cheese and onion, and two sausages. She finished off, as ordered, with a slice of chocolate cake. The feast was always a pleasant experience of laughing with her friends, they all looked enviously at the group of seventh-year boys at the end of the table who were passing around a decanter of Firewhiskey.

Finally Dumbledore gave the order for them all to go to bed, she saw Harry make his way up to congratulate Hagrid on his new appointment.

She and her friends followed the crowd of Slytherin's down into the dungeons.

The main conversation on the way down was that the Hufflepuff's were planning to throw one of their famous parties this Friday, as third years they were now old enough to attend some of it. Fred and George had told her all about these legendary parties hosted by the cuddly Hufflepuff's, which despite being two years above she had been decreed too young to attend. They had a strict set of rules, once you reached third year you were able to attend until ten pm, fourth years until midnight, and then once the two younger years had all left they apparently made merry in extreme. She suspected they were winding her up but Fred and George told her they had orgies once the younger kids were gone, mainly because they were only just entering their fifth year. They assured her though that their brother Charlie had told them all about it. She had firmly told them to stop winding her up.

Once they were through the hidden door into the Slytherin common room, the password was "Armand" to Draco's amusement. Once they were through the doors Draco pulled her into the small kitchen and they waited until all the other students were in their rooms before he smiled and pulled on the chain around his neck.

It was beautiful, was her first thought. It was an hourglass and necklace in one, beautiful circles of gold fitted around the edge. She picked it out of Draco's hand to read the inscription:

"_I mark the hours, every one, Nor have I yet outrun the Sun. My use and value, unto you, Are gauged by what you have to do._"

'How far back can you go?' She asked, handing it back to him, he tucked the long-chain back down the front of his robe.

'Five hours.' He told her. 'So I'll either do a lesson and go back for the next one, or do the day twice.'

'You'll get very tired.' She mused.

He nodded. 'I think I might have to give myself an extra hour every day to have a nap.'

She smiled and turned and opened the cupboard to make them both a hot chocolate.

'Won't you end up aging too much?' She asked, she thought she needed to pick up a book on the magical object.

He shook his head. 'No, you're frozen. Snape explained it to me but I can't really explain it like he did. It's like the tine-turner recognises I'm where I've already been and freezes me. Otherwise, I'd end up years older than everyone by the time I finished Hogwarts.'

She nodded and poured the hot water onto the chocolate powder, added milk, and stirred before handing Draco his cup.

They bid each other a good night and each departed for their respective rooms.

Pansy appeared to have gone straight to sleep but the other girls were still unpacking. Daphne and Millie each were carrying a pack of sanitary towels to their shelves in the bathroom, she'd had letters from each of them over the summer with the happy news that they had gotten their periods, Hermione was happy she wasn't alone in this fact of growing up anymore.

Millie then turned and placed a large stack of fashion magazines on her bedside table as Tracey teased her over the "light reading" that would take her until Christmas to get through.

Following an early night, Hermione rose at six am, shook Daphne awake and began her day. She dressed casually in leggings and a jumper and she and Daphne made their way as fast as they could to the top of the tallest tower, it was always shocking how out of shape they got over summer. They were both ready to die by the time they dragged themselves up to the top floor.

They returned to the common room by seven, just as the other girls were starting to wake up. Hermione took a shower first, followed by Daphne.

Once the girls were all dressed and ready by eight am they met the boys in the common room and made their way to the Great Hall. The boys were all looking tired already; they had resumed their daily fitness routine of jogging around the grounds and general working out this morning. They had set out before Hermione and Daphne had to climb the stairs.

Ron made several swooning acts at Hermione and Draco as they entered. A look further down the Gryffindor table revealed via frosty looks that Harry and Neville had received the same treatment.

'Ignore him.' Daphne said as she glared at the Weasley. She had told her best girl-friend all about the event with the Dementor on the train as they walked back down the stairs that morning.

'I wouldn't worry about it. My uncle's been to Azkaban a few times, he said it's the worst place in the world. He hates Dementor's, apparently he and Dumbledore campaigned against stationing Dementor's at the school.' Draco told the group.

Daphne nodded. 'My mum was telling me that Dementor's are one of the worst creatures on the earth, I reckon half the school will end up collapsing.'

Blaise nudged Draco. 'We've still got the first Quidditch game of the season to look forwards to, Gryffindor versus Slytherin. Should be interesting.'

Draco nodded. 'I think I'm going for chaser this year. I prefer it over Seeker.'

Hermione beamed at him for announcing this plan to go against his father's wishes he play seeker.

'Too scared to play against Potter again?' Tracey teased him.

He playfully elbowed her in retaliation.

Slightly cheered by her friends, Hermione tucked into a breakfast of pancakes with honey, followed by a hearty glass of orange juice.

Soon Snape appeared with class schedules. It was her OWL year so Hermione was prepared for a full class load, her time table didn't disappoint, she was in for a hectic year.

'Oh, we start our new subjects today.' Draco said excitedly.

Blaise leaned over to look at the parchment in Draco's hand. 'They've messed up your timetable Drake! Look, you've got three classes at nine.'

'It's fine.' Draco said, gently folding the parchment and putting it into his planner and into his satchel.

'But you've got like ten classes a day?' Blaise was clearly confused.

'It's fine. I've got a plan sorted with all the teachers.' Draco told him.

At last, Blaise turned back to his morning sausage and Draco winked at Hermione.

'We've got Hagrid after lunch.' Draco said, watching as the man had entered the hall and began speaking to Harry and Neville.

Hermione stood to leave first. 'Right, I've got to go. Double potions.' Was her explanation, one was not late for Professor Snape's lessons.

Draco watched her leave for her first-ever OWL lesson and then stood himself. 'Right, Divination's at the top of the North Tower. It's got to take ten minutes to get there.' In his divination class were Blaise, Theo, Daphne, and Millie. Together they set off up the many flights of stairs.

Daphne, who was used to the stairs, was the only one not out of breath by the time they got to the unfamiliar landing that led to the classroom. Harry appeared behind the group; Ron was following closely followed by several other Gryffindor's.

Thankfully Lavender Brown had been to the classroom before, since none of them had a clue where they were going, their other option for a guide was a mad knight painting that tried to challenge Pavarti to a duel.

At long last they arrived before a plaque. "Madam Sybil. Divination Teacher. Priestess of the temple of Vutris."

A silver ladder was waiting for them, they all climbed one at a time until they were all stood in the most peculiar classroom of all time. There were twenty small, circular tables were crammed inside it, surrounded by chintz armchairs. All of the curtains were shut and it was stiflingly warm. The shelves running around the walls were all overflowing with dusty items: stubs of candles, packs of tattered tarot cards, countless crystal balls, and a massive stack of teacups.

They all took a seat as a tall woman moved into the firelight. 'How nice to see you all in the physical world at last.' The woman spoke. She was very thin and wore massive glasses that magnified her eyes to several times their natural size. She was draped in an old ratty shawl.

'Welcome to Divination.' The woman said as she seated herself in the armchair in front of the fire. 'My name is Madam Sybil, I am a Priestess of Vutris and your Divination teacher.' She sipped from her blue teacup. 'You may not have seen me; I find that descending too often into the hustle and bustle of the main school clouds my inner eye.'

Nobody commented on this pronouncement, Draco couldn't help thinking how different she was from every other priestess he had met.

'I must warn you that if you don't have the sight, there is little I can teach you. The Gods bestow this ability; you can't learn it from a book.' The woman continued. Draco thought that it was a good thing that Hermione never took this class.

She turned to Neville, who was still looking pale from his Dementor encounter yesterday. 'The woman you saw from under the bed? You will have your vengeance on her.'

Neville became suddenly alert at this but Sybil had already moved on.

She warned Pavarti against a red-headed man and told Lavender something she would dread would happen soon before she stopped in front of Draco.

'I'm very sorry.' Was all she said before moving on.

'We will be covering tea leaves this term.' She announced.

One by one, the students had their tea cups filled by Sybil and returned to their seats to drink the tea while turning to page five of "Unfogging the Future" a book Draco had noticed, she herself was the author of.

Once they had finished, Draco and Blaise swapped cups.

'What can you see in mine?' Draco asked.

'A load of gunk?' Blaise offered. Then sighed and looked closer. 'This one looks sort of like a crown, but you're the nephew of the King so no shock that you'll interact closely with the crown.' Blaise looked back to his book and then to the tea cup. 'This one looks sort of like a wonky cross, that's trials and suffering. Oh but you've got a little heart right here. So you're going to suffer but at least you'll have a great love.'

Draco gave him a dry look. 'Cheers, let's look at you. You've got a little heart too, but there's a line through it.' He referred back to his book. 'So you'll have a great love tragically cut short.'

'Can't wait.' Blaise said cheerfully. 'What a load of rubbish.'

Draco couldn't help but agree and suddenly Sybil was analysing Harry's cup loudly.

'The falcon, oh dear. You have a deadly enemy.' She mused.

'Breaking news that.' Blaise muttered to Draco who snorted with laughter and failed to disguise it as a cough.

'This is not a happy cup at all. I see an attack, danger in your path; your great love will be cut short.'

She turned the cup a final time and gasped, then screamed. 'Oh my dear boy. You have the Grim.'

'What's that?' He heard Dean Thomas ask. Draco was among the wizards in the know, hands clapped to their mouths in horror.

'It's an omen of death.' Neville told Harry.

'My boy, you will not live to see your second decade.' The prophetess told him sadly. 'Right, let's leave the lesson there for today.' She said in a sudden chipper voice.

There would be no passing Hermione on the stairs; she had double potions that morning. The group made their way almost in a trance to Transfiguration.

The class was all so quiet that McGonagall finally asked. 'What's gotten into you all?'

Neville shakily raised a hand. 'We've just come from Divination and-'

The professor cut him off. 'Oh, I see. So who is dying young this year?'

Harry raised a hand, McGonagall actually rolled her eyes.

'Don't take it too personally Potter. Madam Sybil has been predicting half of her classes will die for the last five or so years. Not one of them has died yet. Predicting a young and tragic death is just her way of greeting a new class.'

She moved to lean against her desk to address them more casually. 'True seers are very rare. They are chosen by the Gods themselves and even then their predictions aren't always perfect. I have very little patience with the practice. You look in excellent health to me at any rate Potter so if you don't mind I would like to proceed with my lesson.'

The weight was lifted from many shoulders at this. Madam Sybil had predicted many misfortunes in that short class and the news that she wasn't always correct lightened the hearts of many in the room.

Over break Harry told Hermione all about the lesson. 'I think you either have the sight or you don't. The Gods decide and that's that. She's predicted far too many deaths for it to be accurate.' Hermione then shrugged 'The only way for normal people to glimpse the future is a specific ritual to Vutris and trust me when I saw you're not old enough to perform it.'

These words reassured him.

'Have you seen any Grim's?' She asked.

He nodded. 'I saw this massive black dog near my Aunt and Uncle's.'

She waved it off. 'Probably just a stray. I wouldn't dwell on it if I were you.'

Over break Draco had a few students asking him for his Ancient Runes notes, a class he had been sighted in and not yet attended personally. He said to get them from him at lunch. With this he went into the bathroom and pulled out his time-turner, going back to nine am for Ancient Runes and Muggle Studies.

By lunch time Draco was knacered, he ate a quick banana and slice of toast and returned to the common room for a quick nap. He passed Hermione on her way to speak with the Transfiguration teacher; she was walking purposefully with a bit of old parchment in her hand so he didn't disturb her.

Hermione, who had spent the entire summer conversing with the Marauders map, had decided upon something.

She knocked on the office door.

'Come in!' The sharp woman's voice replied.

Hermione entered the room.

'Ah, Miss Granger. What can I do for you?' Hermione was always asking her teachers for book recommendations on particular subjects so this visit wasn't too strange.

'Well Professor, I'm thinking of studying how to become an animagus, and I wondered what books you would recommend on the subject.' She replied.

The woman raised a brow. 'You are far too young to accomplish such complicated magic. I won't help you in an endeavour that will surely lead to your injury.'

Hermione sighed. 'Yeah, I thought you might say that. Sorry to bother you.'

Of course, she was going to attempt this anyway. She went into the library and pulled out the old bit of parchment.

_She won't help me_ She wrote.

It took a moment but the elegant green writing appeared. _I used "Morgan Le Fay: A Guide to advance Transfiguration" It is in the restricted section though._

Hermione raised an eyebrow at using a book written by a know evil person, but by now the four mystery men in the parchment had her trust. Within ten minutes she had a signed permission form from Snape, who happened to be in the library.

'What do you want with a book like that?' He'd asked.

She shrugged. 'Fun?'

She'd tucked the very old book carefully into her bag and made her way to her next class.

On her way to the Ancient Runes class she crossed paths with her friends on their way to Care of Magical creatures outside. Draco and Harry had smiled and nodded to her as the passed by the stone corridor.

Hagrid was waiting for his class of third years outside his hut; he was almost bouncing with excitement. 'C'mon! Get a move on!' He bellowed. 'Great first lesson for you all comin' up!'

For a nasty moment, Draco and Harry thought he was leading them into the forest, and shared an anxious look. They worried for nothing it seemed as Hagrid led them around the edge of the forest to a large paddock.

After instructing them all on how to actually open their vicious biting books Hagrid strode away to fetch whatever creature they would be studying.

Lavender Brown suddenly squealed in excitement.

Hagrid had emerged with several beasts, they were the most peculiar animal Draco had ever seen.

Hagrid introduced the class to the Hippogriffs, large animals that were a cross of a horse and an eagle. Each beast had a thick leather collar around its neck, which bound it to Hagrid via a chain.

'Beautiful, aren' they?' Hagrid asked excitedly. 'Right. First thing you gotta know about Hippogriffs is that they're incredible proud. Never insult one.' He led one of the massive creatures forwards. 'It's always best to let them make the first move, more polite.'

Hagrid demonstrated a deep bow, and the creature returned it.

Harry, bravely or stupidly, volunteered to go first.

He bowed deeply to the beautiful yet off looking creature and waited in suspension for it to bow back, which it finally did. With Hagrid's encouragement, which was rather forceful, Harry walked up to pet the creature that Hagrid told them was named Buckbeak.

Much to the amusement of his friends, Harry shouted in shock as Hagrid suddenly lifted him up and placed him on Buckbeak's back for a ride.

'Do you think he's okay?' Blaise asked him as they scanned the air for any sign of the airborne Hippogriff and student.

Draco nodded. 'Harry's really good on a broom, can't be that different can it?'

After a few minutes Hagrid let out a loud whistle and Buckbeak returned to the ground baring a white-faced Harry, who was a little wobbly on his walk back to his friends.

'How was it?' Blaise asked him.

'I think I'll stick to a broom.' Was his mumbled reply.

Emboldened by the fact Harry had not died gruesomely, the rest of the class approached the paddock.

Neville wasn't having much luck with his at all, it wouldn't bow back so he had taken shelter behind a large tree.

Harry had led Blaise and Draco over to Buckbeak, their bows complete, they were petting him when Draco did something incredibly stupid.

'Not as pretty as a Unicorn though.' He'd pointed out to Blaise, who nodded.

Buckbeak however, didn't like this one bit.

It was all over in a moment, a flash of talons and then Draco was waking up in the hospital wing with Blaise stood over him and a burning pain in his arm.

'What happened?' He asked, his throat was dry.

'You insulted the world's proudest animal and managed to knock yourself out when it attacked you.' Blaise told him matter-of-factly.

'Did it break my arm?' He asked, concentrating on the burning pain.

The Matron nodded. 'It also ripped quite deep into the flesh. Nasty recovery ahead. Shouldn't have started with such a dangerous animal.' She muttered.

'No-no. It was all my fault. Hagrid was really clear that you shouldn't insult them, and I did it anyway like an idiot.' He said.

Blaise nodded. 'Like a complete idiot.'

Draco gave him a dry look. 'Yeah, thanks mate. Hagrid's not in any trouble right?'

The Matron shrugged. 'Your parents will be informed and we'll go from there.'

Draco groaned. If his father got involved then it would bode ill for Hagrid and Buckbeak.

The first thing he had done upon his release from the Hospital Wing was to write to his cousin, telling her that he was injured by his own fault and not to let his father ruin things.

Not having his dominant arm was incredibly frustrating in his first week back, although he did have to admit he enjoyed the way Hermione fused over him.

He'd received the devastating news on Thursday from his mother; his father was on the case and gunning for Hagrid's job and Buckbeak's head, literally.

It was in this down cast mood that he attended his first Hufflepuff party. Their usual concealed entrance had been propped open for the steady trickle of party going students.

'Not very secretive about their common room location are they?' Hermione muttered to Draco, who's arm was still in a sling.

He shrugged. 'Hufflepuff welcomes everyone.'

Blaise suddenly appeared, slinging an arm easily around Hermione's shoulders. 'Plus, they're right next to the kitchens, best party spot in the castle, they won't have to lug the booze far.'

Hermione rolled her eyes. 'Is all you care about getting drunk?'

Blaise nodded. 'Well, I wouldn't mind seeing if Orgies are actually a thing.'

The Hufflepuff common room was entered from the same corridor as the Hogwarts kitchens; the entrance was in the form of a large barrel that had been left open for them to go through.

A sloping, earthy passage inside the barrel led them up to a cosy, round, and low-ceiling room. Though it was cosy, it was also large; there were several doors that were open and leading to further open spaces. Hermione imagined the few shut doors led to people's dormitories.

Honestly, the room reminded her of a bee, decorated entirely in black and yellow and decorated with honey-coloured wood for the tables, chairs, mantle, and doorways.

She preferred the quite elegance of the Slytherin common room but she could see how she could be very happy up here. There were beautiful blooms of rare flowers on most surfaces, which Neville dragged Blaise off to look at. Blaise picked up one of the provided glasses of Fire whiskey as they went.

Hermione and her friends went to the fireplace, each with a small drink in hand, to warm themselves for a moment at the large open fire. Hermione looked up to admire the portrait of who she presumed was Helga Hufflepuff, who was holding a small golden cup.

'That cup is one of the things that went missing from my family vault in the war.' Draco muttered in her ear and Hermione nodded, he'd told her this story before.

Fred and George appeared brandishing a bottle of mysterious alcohol and that was the last thing she remembered of the party.

...

'No-no-no-no!' Blaise stumbled down the corridor. Draco, who hadn't drunk was using his good arm to support him. 'That's when he said "and then the witch goes into the bogs!" or was it the pub?'

Hermione rolled her eyes at Blaise's attempt to retell a Weasley joke.

Daphne and Hermione were walking, not in a perfect straight line, next to each other. They had stopped at the kitchens on their way out of the party where the house elves were handing out portions of chips smothered in mayonnaise.

For most it was their first time being drunk, having only gotten slightly merry at Christmas Balls in the past.

Hermione offered Draco a chip, then fed him one as his arm was full of a very drunk Blaise. 'Sorry you couldn't drink Drake.' She said softly.

He tried to shrug and then winced. 'It's fine, there'll be other parties. But pain potions and alcohol really don't mix. It's cool though I had a good time watching you all get drunk.'

She scoffed. 'I'm not drunk.'

'Mione you are aware that you tried to take your dress off and Fred had to practically pin you down to stop you. Then Fred also got pissed and you both danced on the table together.' Daphne told her.

'Daph, you were sick in the fireplace you can't say shit.' Draco said.

'How is it only ten o'clock?' Millie asked behind them, she was being supported by Goyle.

Tracey and Theo were bringing up the rear, and holding each other up. A fit of giggles erupted every time they stumbled. Crabbe was next to them, still sulking over dropping his chips when he had stumbled on the stairs.

Yes, everyone in their year had been ushered out once it hit ten. She'd briefly argued with a Hufflepuff Prefect that she should be able to stay as she was technically a fifth year; the girl had smiled gently and told her she just wasn't old enough. Fred and George had promised to tell her everything. Though they said it would just be gross orgy stories.

At long last Draco had guided them back to their common room, Blaise instantly threw himself down on the couch and was asleep in moments.

'That'll be you next time.' She teased Draco as she watched him pull a blanket over the drunk boy.

'Yeah, Blaise and you can carry me home.' He'd smiled.

'We can carry each other home.' She smiled at him as she swayed.

He rolled his eyes at her. 'Go to bed before you fall down Granger.'

*******************************************************

Every time I scan through this for errors after I have copied it over from Word, it pulls up a million things because Americans REFUSE TO PUT A U IN ANTHING! They also randomly put a z instead of an s. You odd people.


	39. It goes on

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this has taken a while and it's a bit shorter than usual, I've been a busy bee.

Her fourteenth birthday passed by without incident and some lovely gifts from her friends. This year, the boys had all lumped in together to buy her a volume of Latin teaching books, clearly Draco's idea. The girls had all pitched in to buy her a fashionable designer jumper of emerald green from some French Witch that Millie was obsessed with.

The main issue of this new term was coming from Madam Sybil, who was apparently predicting the death of a new student every class.

'But she is a priestess right?' Hermione asked as she reached for more pancakes.

They were all sat at the Slytherin table this rainy morning, with: Harry, Neville, Fred, and George squeezed onto the bench with them.

Draco nodded. 'Yeah, apparently the Gods always have one "mouthpiece" at a time who they allow to glimpse the future. But she predicts death too much to be right.'

Neville nodded. 'What's the count at now? Harry, Draco, Daphne, Tracey, Theo, Lavender Brown?'

Harry nodded.

'Well, she'll be right eventually ey?' Fred teased.

George poured himself a glass of pumpkin juice. 'Yeah, she predicted we'd die young too.'

'Pretty sure she told Hagrid he'd die violently over breakfast a few years ago.' Fred mused.

Over the table, it was confirmed that the Divination teacher did like to predict tragically young death. Oliver Wood and Cho Chang, who were discussing Quidditch tactics for the upcoming season, had both been told last year that they would die. Lupin later admitted to the boys that the first time he had met her she had shaken his hand, winced, and told him he had four years left to live.

These events massively calmed the boys down and by dinner that night they were confident they would both be leading long, not murdered violently, lives.

That night after dinner, Hermione had left Millie in the library; the girl, as usual, had her nose in some fashion magazine.

She had arranged an eight o'clock appointment with Flitwick.

She made her way to the third-floor Charms corridor and stopped outside of classroom 2E, and knocked.

'Come in!' The voice came.

The Professor was sat behind his desk, Hermione couldn't help smiling fondly when she saw that he had placed a very thick book on said chair so he could reach his desk.

'What can I do for you, Granger? Question about your OWLS? Would you like a cupcake?' The older man asked as she took her seat across the desk.

She shook her head. 'Actually Professor I wanted to talk about you.'

Flitwick raised a bushy brow and then beamed. 'Is this going to be like your Muggle-Born classes? They've gone down very well!'

She smiled and thanked him. 'I was wondering if you might be willing to start a duelling club.'

'Me?' He asked, seemed shocked.

'Well, Sir you were a Duelling Champion. I think it's a good idea. Especially after that farce with Lockhart last year.'

'How do you know I was a Duelling Champion?' He asked, pushing up his glasses.

'I read it, Sir. You won the All-England Wizard Duelling Competition in the seventies.'

Flitwick sighed. 'I'm not sure I like the idea of students attacking each other in the hallways.'

'You could make it very strict. Good behaviour only or you're out. I'll be honest sir, Voldemort has affected both of my years at this school but I've been equipped to handle everything apart from a Basilisk. What you teach us all this year might save a life down the line.'

Flitwick seemed to think for a moment and then nodded. 'I think you're right. Another war might be brewing and people need to be able to defend themselves. Okay, I'll do it. But third years and over only!'

With this, she happily skipped back to her common room. She let out a showy yawn and excused herself from her friends for a shower and an early night.

Naturally though, as was the case most nights now she had her shower and climbed into bed and pulled out the Marauders Map.

She really only paid any attention to the elegant green cursive, the other three sets of handwriting were more happy about breaking the rules, the green ink offered actual advice. She was planning the logistics out now and was most dreading the fact she had to keep a mandrake leaf in her mouth for a sustained length of time.

_You'll need to keep the mandrake leaf in your mouth for an entire month. That's why it took this lot so long it kept coming out in their sleep. Try a simple sticking charm under your tongue each night to keep the leaf in place._

Still refusing to give their names she had taken to calling them by the four different colours they wrote in.

_Thanks Green I'll make a note of that._

The other three colours affectionately called her a nerd while simultaneously applauding her rule-breaking.

...

The next night she had decided to give rule-breaking a rest for the night and was working on her first Charms essay in front of the roaring fire while Daphne tried to explain to the boys in their group why she had been in such a bad mood for the last few days.

'I'm sorry for snapping Blaise it's that time of the month.' She said.

Blaise frowned. 'You get grumpy in the middle of the month?'

'Daph, thirteen-year-old boys aren't instantly going to get this.' Hermione said without looking up from her essay.

Daphne turned back to Blaise with a dry look.

'It's high tide.' She told him.

He frowned. 'But we're not near the sea?'

'I'm closed for maintenance.' Clearly Daphne would keep going until Blaise caught on.

'Closed for maintenance?'

'There's jam in my waffle.'

'You take your waffles with butter though?'

'I'm on the rag.'

'What rag?'

'There's a code red.'

'What? The Wizarding World hasn't had a code red in ten years?'

'For the love of Merlin! She's bleeding out of her vag Blaise!' Goyle piped up, ending what could have been a long-winded conversation.

'Charming way to put that Greg.' Millie said.

Hermione sighed and put her paper down, Blaise had a blush to his cheeks now.

'What's up?' Draco asked.

'I've got an appointment with Snape in ten minutes. I've been dreading it all day.' She told him quietly. Their other friends had begun debating the merits of womanhood. In other words, Daphne and Millie were educating the boys on periods.

'Why would you dread meeting Snape he adores you?' Draco asked.

In the background, she could hear Millie declare: 'For Merlin's sake Theo stop blushing you'll have a wife one day you need to know these things!'

'I'm struggling with the workload. Turns out doing OWLs at fourteen is bloody hard.' She admitted.

'School's barely started Hermione you can't be struggling.' Draco said.

'Well, I am! There's a lot of extra work this year and I'm only human.' She snapped back. 'I've got to go; he'll kill me if I'm late.'

She made her way to the personal study of Snape and knocked.

'Come in!' He called.

She let herself into his study, he was brewing at his workbench.

'What are you making?' She asked as she walked up to him.

'A batch of Wolfsbane, here, stir this for me. Three turns clockwise.'

She took over the stirring as instructed while he momentarily disappeared and soon returned holding a small stack of papers. He placed them down in front of her.

'Two acceptable essays. That's the lowest mark you've ever gotten. What's going on?'

'It's a lot of extra work this year. I'm struggling to keep up. I had to write those both overnight.' She admitted.

Snape sighed and then nodded. 'Well, you are very young I thought you might struggle this year. On the plus side, I have a plan. You got an outstanding in the OWL paper I had you do last year, so if you want you can skip potions lessons this year.'

Her eyebrows shot up. 'I thought you were going to do NEWT work with me?'

He nodded. 'We can meet twice a week to do NEWT work. This way you can use the free period from Potions to keep up with your other school work.'

She smiled. 'That does sound like a good idea to be fair.'

He raised a brow as if to say "of course it was a good idea, I was directly involved."

In better spirits, she returned to her common room and enjoyed the rest of her night with her friends who were all excitedly talking about the upcoming Hufflepuff party. While forcing them to revise with her in the library, Fred and George had confirmed that they were indeed having orgies.

This news had led to much excitement in the younger years.

Draco was very excited about the news as the pair made their way into the Forbidden Forrest; they had made the decision to do a protection ritual. For the first time, they would not be protecting themselves or each other, they would be asking to Gods to protect Buckbeak. They wanted to protect him from the vengeful grasp of Mr. Malfoy.

The ritual was a simple one, blood over a rune and some chanting. It was over in moments without incident. Hermione now considered any rituals they did that didn't end in her fainting in the cold outdoors a success. They had hurried back to the castle at the earliest opportunity upon hearing some alarming howling sounds coming from Hogsmede's direction and both went to bed that night feeling much better knowing that if they couldn't stop Draco's father then maybe the Gods could.


	40. Duel with the Master

Draco had taken the bandages off his arm at the first opportunity. There was a small scar that ran along the back of his arm, Pomfrey had assured him it would fade and gave him a jar of sweet-smelling paste to aid in the further healing of the mark. His arm was still quite stiff but he was still insisting that it was his entire fault - he was continuing his writing campaign to his royal family to try and protect the creature Buckbeak, but his father was an authority in his own right and was pushing for further action against what he was branding "a foul and violent beast" to the courts.

The main issue of the day, surrounding his arm, was that he had been prescribed some rather strong pain potion to get him through the day and they had rather loosened his tongue.

Nobody knew the lasting implications of discussing the latest sighting of Sirius Black over breakfast that day. Hermione and Draco had been joined for breakfast by the usual Gryffindor crowd; Neville had produced the paper alleging that Black had been sighed nearby apparently.

'I'd want revenge if it were me.' Draco had said while pouring himself a glass of orange juice. He then realised what he had said and froze just as Hermione elbowed him in the ribs to shut him up. Both children then looked sheepishly up to Harry who caught both of their eyes in suspicion.

'What do you mean?' Harry asked.

'Nothing. He's basically high. He's been coming out with nonsense for days.' Hermione said quickly. 'You should disregard everything he says.'

Draco nodded. 'Yes, disregard me. Totally high.' For added effect, he took his morning dose of the potion, to be taken each morning with breakfast followed by an evening dose with his evening meal. Hermione, who was brewing these strong potions with Snape as a part of her private studies, was overseeing his dosages.

Harry was frowning at the pair, not believing their nonchalant routine as Draco passed her the pancakes. He knew, a gut instinct was telling him, they were keeping something from him.

He frowned at the pair, his breakfast untouched. The first hint of mistrust had been sown.

She had arrived for her private session with Snape after dinner, after setting up their usual tasks of brewing medicines for the hospital wing and Draco's extra strength pain potion she turned to Snape with excitement in her eyes. He had promised her they would start on something new and exciting and incredibly high level. She'd pieced together what they would be brewing; she had seen him doing it before.

'Wolfsbane,' Snape told her as he gathered the necessary ingredients from his cupboard, 'is very dangerous when incorrectly concocted. Chief ingredient of this potion being?'

'Aconite, a very poisonous substance.' She answered.

He nodded and they made their way over to the lab he had set aside for their private lessons. 'A goblet of Wolfbane must be taken every day of the week preceding the full moon, so we will be brewing it for the next six days too.'

Hermione frowned. 'You've not been infected have you?'

He raised a dark brow at her. 'Why do you ask?'

She shrugged. 'Didn't just pull it out of thin air, I know when the full moons are. Next ones exactly a week away and you've suddenly got me brewing the potion that would allow a werewolf to retain their mind.'

'Well reasoned I suppose. But no, I have not been infected. This potion will be going to a werewolf though so don't make any mistakes.'

She nodded at his serious tone. The pressure was something she was used to, her healing potions had been used by Madam Pomfrey since her first year, although the fact that if she made an error here then a mindless beast would probably go a rampage believing it could transform safely.

'Should you let a fourteen year old brew something so important?' She asked with a frown.

He nodded. 'You're competent.'

'Competent. What high praise.' She replied sarcastically.

'Who invented the potion?' He asked as he set up the flame.

'Something Belby?' She offered.

'Something is a strange name.' He replied, equally sarcastic. 'Who invented the Wolfsbane potion?'

She huffed. 'Erm, Dermo- no that's not it. Dam? Yeah, Damocles Belby.'

Snape nodded.

'Hey doesn't his nephew go to school here?' She asked as he flipped open a NEWT textbook to the relevant page.

'Idle chitchat isn't a part of your education. But yes, his nephew does attend this school, he's a fourth year. Unfortunately, he inherited none of his uncle's talent.' Snape said without looking up.

The brewing began, it was incredibly complicated.

'Very charitable of you to brew this for someone.' She mused as she stirred.

'Your point?' He asked, neither of them were looking up from the cauldron.

'Very expensive ingredients these.' She said.

'Stop being clever and ask your question.' He said firmly.

'Who is it for?'

'I'm not allowed to tell you. Make your own deductions.' Snape told her leaving her to huff.

Once the faint blue smoke was rising from the cauldron Snape dismissed her while he poured it into a goblet.

She yawned and made her way back to her common room, everyone had gone to bed. Blaise was asleep on the couch; she gently shook his shoulder and sent him to sleep in his own bed before retiring to her own room.

The other girls, barring Tracey, were all asleep.

'Hermione?' Tracey whispered.

'Yeah, it's me.' Hermione went into the bathroom to change into her pyjamas as quickly and quietly as possible.

Tracey was going through Daphne's copy of Witch Weekly, Hermione spied her on the advice column.

'You alright?' Hermione came to sit at the end of the girl's bed.

Tracey nodded. 'Pansy got her period while you were out.'

'Oh?' Hermione wasn't really interested. The attraction of girly conversations about how far they'd gone with boys and if they had their periods yet had faded once she'd gotten her period and Montague had felt her up. Also, she conversed with Fred and George a lot who weren't exactly quiet about their antics with girls.

'I'm the last one.' Tracey said in a fed up voice.

Hermione scoffed. 'You're only thirteen. Some girls don't get it till later. I still can't believe the school doesn't have any form of sex education you're all woefully undereducated on the subject.'

'I'm upset I'm the only girl in our group who hasn't had her period and you're telling me I'm uneducated. Cheers.' Tracey replied in a dry tone.

Hermione smiled. 'Sorry. I'm sure it won't be much longer Trace. You're really not missing out on much, it kind of sucks.'

Tracey rolled her eyes and pulled her quilts over herself as Hermione stood; she picked up one of Millie's fashion magazines from the floor and placed it on the end of her bed before she climbed into her own.

The next day, the conversation was finally taken away from the whereabouts of Sirius Black, at Hogwarts anyway. There had been a group of six year Hufflepuff boys suspended for a week after being found with Pixie dust. The drug delivered a euphoric high and faded from the system after a few hours without a trace. Recreational use was common enough but addiction and prolonged use of the substance was always deadly.

Snape had apparently come across the group of four boys on his way back to his rooms. Hermione couldn't imagine a worse fate than being caught with drugs by Snape. She could picture him dragging the boys before Dumbledore. The school didn't tolerate drugs, suspension or exclusion for repeat offenders.

The drug was powdered and snorted like the muggle drug cocaine, yet it's results differed massively. Although, if one was looking for a stronger high it could be taken in pill form. The main fact that it was produced by pixies being one difference. The high blocked all the users' pain and negative feelings leaving only the happy feelings. Occasional use wasn't meant to be too bad but those seeking to leave their problems behind became addicted and their minds begin to rot. Eventually, they render themselves insane or die.

Hermione couldn't see the point in trying it but she knew people did it. She knew for a fact that Fred and George had tried it once or twice, according to them it "heightened the experience of the bedroom" and said they would tell her more when she was older.

The main talk of the day was that Dumbledore had alerted the authorities and there would be a search of personal property. In other words, they were going to search their common rooms and dormitories. Several older students had quickly fled the Great Hall, no doubt to dispose of or hide their stash.

Fred and George had seemed unconcerned. 'We buy from this seventh year prefect, apparently, he hides his stash in the prefect's bathroom, doubt they'll search in there.'

Hermione had rolled her eyes and made her way to her favourite room, the library.

Her "personal project" was coming along very well thanks to the help she had received from the green ink on the marauders map.

It had progressed to a more practical stage. A very practical stage. She was to keep a leaf from a Mandrake plant in her mouth for one month. She had decided that month was now.

Leaf trimmed while Sprout had her back turned in the greenhouse, she was ready.

_Make sure you note the time. It has to be one month exactly._ The elegant green ink appeared.

She did as instructed. It was the end of October, 8pm on a Tuesday. She had to go exactly a month. With a sigh she placed the leaf onto the roof of her mouth and winced at the taste before using a sticking charm to keep it in place. The countdown had begun.

...

'Have you noticed Drake keeps disappearing into the loo's? I keep thinking of a way to get him to go and see Pomfrey, he's clearly got some king of UTI.' Blaise said to Hermione as they walked into breakfast.

Obviously, Draco had only told her about his time turner. He was constantly disappearing into the nearest toilet in order to turn back time; it was only a matter of time before his friends thought something was wrong.

She couldn't help laugh as Blaise's theory, although she couldn't fault his logic.

'I'll have a word.' She told him. She was trying to do minimal speaking with a leaf in her mouth; people would think she had developed a lisp overnight.

She made a mental note though to kick Draco in the skins and tell him to be a little less obvious around people.

Breakfast was a quiet and somber affair for the four friends that had journeyed down into the pits in first year to get the Philosopher's stone; the front page news was that Lady Flamel had passed in her sleep.

'I can't help feeling responsible.' Hermione said.

Draco frowned at her. 'Why do you sound weird?'

She just winked at him, the message was read loud and clear, I'll tell you later.

Both of them proceeded to inhale their morning food, Draco necked his pain potion and the two rushed from the room. None of their friends said anything about the two of them rushing to leave the Great Hall together, literally pulling each other out.

'Do you think it's finally happened?' Theo whispered to Daphne.

Daphne shook her head and poured herself a glass of strong tea. 'She'd have told me, we're like sisters, the second something happens she'll tell me and I'll let you know.'

'Five bucks says they're married in sixth year.' Blaise said over the table.

'Oh, I'll take that action.' Neville said, he was joining them from the Gryffindor table. 'Ten Galleons says they get married seventh year, although Hermione will have finished by then.'

'Nah, she'll do like five masters.' Daphne said. 'She'll still be here. You lot don't know Hermione at all, do you? She's not wasting time getting married when there's education to be had! Ten Galleons they get married the second they graduate.'

The three gamblers shook hands on it and the deal was struck. Ten Galleons to whoever had the closest bet.

Meanwhile, slightly outside the Great Hall, Hermione was telling Draco all about what she was attempting.

'Let me get this straight, you are trying to turn into an animal on the word of a person you do not know that is talking to you in a map. Doesn't that seem a little Tom Riddle's diary to you?' He asked. 'Are you thick?'

'No, I am not. I've been writing all summer, it's safe. I performed all sorts of tests on it when I got back to school and there's the fact Fred and George were using it for years without issue.' She told him sternly.

He sighed. 'Fine, I trust your judgment. If anyone asks I'll give them some excuse as to why you sound so ridiculous. I still think you're being an idiot so it won't be a nice lie. Might say you've poisoned yourself with a bad potion and your throats swollen.'

She rolled her eyes and then kicked him in the shins.

'Ouch!' He hopped in place and gripped his bruising shin.

'Speaking of idiots. Blaise is the second person to ask me why you keep disappearing into the loo's. Try and travel through time with a bit more brain, would you?' She scolded him.

He rolled his eyes. 'Yes Ma'am. Are you looking forwards to the meeting tonight?' He asked.

After dinner that night, the Great Hall would be emptied and the first duelling club would meet under Flitwick's instruction.

That evening, dinner was gobbled down greedily by all old enough to attend the first meeting that night. The younger years all ate a little slowly; envious that they were barred from attending.

The talk of the Hall was one of amusement. Draco had laughed as he shared the story. Lady Sybil had finally lost it; she had predicted her own imminent death apparently.

'Well, that's new.' Hermione had said as she ate her salad.

Draco nodded. 'Apparently she's getting murdered next year. She seemed to take it very well.'

The Great Hall was eventually cleared so that it could be set up, half of the school excitedly waited outside in a long queue.

At long last the doors swung open. All four tables had been removed; the long black stage from last year's disastrous Lockhart lesson had been placed in the middle of the long hall. There were several large cushions placed around the perimeter of the room, clearly there would be some stunning practice going on.

Flitwick was standing in the middle of the stage; despite his small stature he always commanded the attention of a room.

'Welcome to this first meeting.' He said, his voice echoed around the silence of the room. None of the students were engaging in chatter in his presence, they were all too keen to get started.

'I will be splitting you into groups via your year. I'm not having a seventh year duelling a child thank you very much. You will duel someone of equal ability.'

Flitwick had them all separate into the required age groups; she went to stand near Fred, George, and Lee. The three boys had all hit their growth spurts now and towered over her, but so did most people in her classes now; she was a fourteen year old amongst sixteen year olds.

Flitwick started with the seventh years on some more advanced magic and set them off before working his way down the year groups. Hermione paired up with Fred and they worked on jinxes and counter jinxes.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see Draco and Blaise stunning each other onto the cushions.

The club was great fun while being educational, Flitwick had roped in Snape and McGonagall to walk around offering instruction to all the pairs.

Flitwick eventually walked his way back up to the stage.

'Now, I thought we could end our sessions with some form of competition rankings. Instant knockout. You will now duel your partner and the winner will remain standing while the loser goes and sits on the couch.

This caused an excited chatter, all the seventh years were anxious to put on their curse-breaker applications that they were the top ranked dueller of the school.

Hermione had Fred's wand out of his hands before he could even open his mouth. The next round she had George's wand too; after two rounds of knockout there were only thirty or so students left.

Two more rounds and there were 8 students left. It was: Hermione who was yet to have a real challenge, five seventh years, and two sixth years. The magic became more complicated, a simple disarming could be warded against now.

Hermione disarmed her opponent, a seventh year Ravenclaw prefect, by blasting them with a jet of icy water and in the shock of it managed to disarm him. He took it in good humour; coming in the top ten was good enough for him.

The sixth years had been eliminated, leaving only Hermione and three seventh years.

Hermione was placed against a seventh year boy who clearly underestimated her due to her age; this was shown when he tried a simple "Expelliarmus" on her. As a result, she taught him a lesson by putting him on his arse and throwing his wand across the room much to his frustration as he went off in a huff to sit down.

In the end, Hermione was facing off against the Head Girl, who had won her fight.

The fact that there were over a hundred people watching their duel was slightly putting the pressure on for both of them, but Hermione knew Snape was watching and would scold her for loosing especially after their private lessons last year.

The seventh year shot a purple beam of light at Hermione which she easily deflected. Hermione went on the defensive, blocking spell after spell while the crowd around them cheered them on.

Eventually Hermione decided she had enough practice of shielding charms and went on the offensive, the fight didn't last much longer after that. When the wand of the head girl soared out of her hand and she was blasted onto her back Hermione was declared the winner.

The room erupted in applause for her victory and she mockingly curtseyed to the room in good humour. She spotted her friends to see Blaise handing over five Galleons to Draco, who she knew would never bet against her.

'Excellent work Miss Granger! Now, let's see how long you can hold out against a Duelling Champion.' The entire room gasped as Flitwick climbed the stage.

Hermione and the man shared a respectful bow, and then the duel began with Hermione.

Flitwick was fast, Hermione had never moved her wand so quickly to keep up with someone before, and she could see how he had become a champion.

She resorted to conjuring to keep him busy while she tried to disarm her. A flock of sharp beaked birds dove at him, a snake lunged, all while she tried to disarm him. He waved off her attacks while offering a commentary to the room.

'An excellent idea! See how she tries to draw my attention elsewhere. Normally a duel is to fight until first blood but you're students so a simple disarming will do. Which is why she isn't bothering with any slicing charms.' He said as he waved off her attacks.

Both of them were sweating after a few minutes when Flitwick managed to get the wand out of her hand.

Apparently they had put on an impressive display and the room applauded and cheered as he handed her wand back.

'I win.' He said with a smile.

'Do you?' She replied with a cunning smile.

It was then Flitwick felt something wet on his cheek. She had allowed him to disarm her so that she had time to get a slicing charm off, she had cut his cheek.

The room fell silent in shock until Flitwick let out a booming laugh.

'Aha! Very clever Miss Granger!' He said, wiping the blood from his face. She'd got a small cut to his right cheek.

He gestured for silence, as cheers had broken out again. 'Excellent stuff everyone! I hope you've all learned something today. We will meet next week too and continue our little competition to see if anyone can unseat Miss Granger.'

The doors to the hall opened and everyone left in an excited chatter. Everyone except from Hermione, whom Flitwick had held back with a hand.

'That was excellent work Granger.' He mused.

'Thank you Sir.' She beamed.

'You have extra potions classes with Professor Snape on Monday and Wednesday correct?' He asked.

She nodded.

'Well, I was wondering if you would be interested in some extra tuition with me on a Friday night?'

She had to stop herself from jumping with excitement. 'That would be amazing Sir!'

The plan was struck. She was now a busy, very busy, girl. She saw Snape on Monday and Wednesday, she was still tutoring Neville on a Tuesday (she was proud to see he had disarmed Harry in the first round). Her weekends were filled with Latin and flying with Draco. This meant she really only had Thursdays free, she found she would be spending that entire evening in the Library doing OWL work or revision.

The image of Neville cheerfully disarming Harry came into her mind with a frown. Neville was a highly competent wizard, he should have won his next fight too but Snape came and stood behind him and put him off. There was no doubt in her mind that Neville feared the teacher. Nobody picked on her friends, even her mentor.

This led to her bringing up the subject angrily in their next meeting.

'You're a bully who claims to hate bullies!' She scolded as they brewed.

'I'm the teacher here not you, you can't tell me off.' He replied coldly.

'Well, I am. I don't know what your problem with Neville is but you seriously need to lay off him before you do some permanent damage.' She said firmly. 'Students shouldn't fear their teachers.'

'I find a healthy dose of fear to be a good thing.' He said.

'Well, you're an idiot then. It's always better to be loved than feared. Look at how revered Dumbledore is, people love him.' She said.

He looked up from the cauldron. 'They also fear him.'

This was not the last time they had this conversation. The topic of Neville was brought up again a few days later after Draco had told her about a certain Defence against the Dark Arts lesson.

'A boggart!' She told him in disdain. 'You are his greatest fear! Doesn't that make you feel bad?' She asked him.

'I'm angrier about the fact I apparently appeared in drag in front of an entire class of third years.' He replied dryly.

'Well it's no less than you deserve!' She said angrily. 'Stop bullying him! Pick on someone your own size next time!'

She had left that night after extracting a promise that he would lay off the boy.

Draco was sat in front of the fire alone when she returned that night, it was incredibly late. He was that absorbed looking into the fire that he didn't notice her come in or walk towards him.

'What's up with you?' She asked.

'I'm just thinking about that Boggart lesson.' He told her absently.

She nodded. 'Harry told me you refused to do it.'

He nodded. 'I told Lupin it would turn into a Basilisk and I didn't want to cause a panic.' He said, still not looking up from the fire.

'And what would it have really been?' She asked.

He didn't reply. She didn't need one. She knew he didn't want a room full of his peers to see a Boggart turn into his father.

He frowned. 'You did Boggarts once, what did yours turn into?'

She just raised a brow; he didn't need a reply either.

The memory was distinct. Snape had been catching her up to join the third years. Out of the cupboard he had found stepped Voldemort with a grisly cut on his face. Dark magic had caused the wound. Dark magic that had come from her.

Draco didn't need to know that what she had done in the clearing in first year had terrified her, but he also knew the one thing she wouldn't say, the one thing that really scared her. She had enjoyed the darkness.

********************

Gosh 40 chapters already. How time flies. Thanks for coming along on this monstrosity of a story with me and putting up with my terrible writing.

You can expect many more chapters, legitimately hundreds more. This will go eighth year and beyond.


	41. An unfortunate discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is my longest chapter so far! 12k!

Hermione was speaking with the map daily, the leaf in her mouth was driving her crazy but reassurance from the green calligraphy offered her constant guidance and reassurance. There was something bothering her though, she knew that handwriting from somewhere else but couldn't place where from.

She had torn through books that provided extracts of letter to see if it was some famed wizard Animagus but to her disdain she found nothing.

She found nothing, until she received the feedback for her latest Defence against the Dark Arts lesson.

It was written in the usual red ink of the Professor but the loop on the L was unmistakable. Professor Lupin was the owner of the Green Ink at one point. He was the one designated as "Moony". That name also answered another question for her.

_You are Remus Lupin, aren't you? _She wrote on the map.

The reply was instant.

Ah! You've figured it out! I am Remus Lupin!

_I am James Potter!_

_I am Peter Petigrew!_

_I am Sirus Black!_

The different colours of Ink replied. Clearly the only way to have them reveal their names was to figure at least one of the identities out for yourself.

She instantly threw the map away from herself. Sirius Black? She had been taking advice from Sirius Black? She took a moment to calm herself, she realised that this map must have been made when they were at school; it made long before Black was turned to the Dark Side.

_You do realise that Sirius Black is a mass murderer who betrayed James Potter to his death and is currently on the run from Azkaban._ She had written, as she was curious to see how they would react.

That is impossible! Lupin had replied in his green ink.

Sirius is like my brother, he would rather die than betray me! James Potter had written.

_I doubt Black would do that. _Petigrew had replied.

Potter is right. I would never in a million years join the dark side.

Hermione frowned at the map. They could be wrong of course, they had grown up since they made this map, and things may have changed. But she couldn't help feel that the words had been truthful. Was it possible Black was innocent? He was certainly acting guilty, breaking out of prison and becoming a fugitive of the law, but with this new information she couldn't help wondering if there was something more to his breakout. He had been in his cell for fourteen years, why escape now of all times?

Her attention was pulled from the map as it was time to go. Millie had a fashion magazine tucked under her arm as they walked to the Quidditch grounds. It was time for tryouts. Draco, Theo, and Blaise were all going for the role of chaser and the girls were all going to cheer them on.

There was a rather high turnout for the position of chaser, the most commonly applied for role. The role of seeker was quickly given to a fifth year boy. The positions of beaters filled, one of those spots was Montague's, they shared a friendly wave as he left the pitch.

The captain was their keeper and so left the role of Chaser. Some quick flying drills had narrowed the numbers down to her three boys and some higher year boys. No girls had applied for the team this year.

A quick mock game had decided the team. All three of her friends had been chosen, they were a perfect unit together. That night there was much merriment in the Slytherin common room, Blaise had snuck off to the kitchens and returned with some Butterbeer and chocolate for the group. Harry and Neville were celebrating in their own common rooms as Harry had once again been selected as Seeker and Neville as a chaser.

The merriment continued onto the next night, Hufflepuff were having another of their legendary parties.

'How do the teachers let you do this?' She had asked the seventh year prefect of Hufflepuff over a fire whiskey.

The boy had smiled. 'We say it's a religious rite for Vutris. You know what goes on after midnight; all of this is a religious festival. They can't discriminate.'

She nodded. 'Clever, I'll give you that.'

He laughed. 'Before we start we say a small chant for the Gods and that's that.'

'Before you start? Oh.' She had realised the answer to her question as she had said it. He meant before they started jumping each other.

That night Hermione had gotten incredibly drunk, the worst out of her friends by a lot. It got to the point that at ten she couldn't walk back to her own common room.

Draco, his arm still stiff, couldn't carry her. Fred had volunteered.

The rest of their friends joined the queue to the kitchen where the house elves were handing out greasy takeaway food to all the drunk kids.

Draco and Fred, who was carrying a snoozing Hermione, made their way to the dungeons.

'This is nice of you? Giving up your party time to carry her?' Draco said with a raised brow.

'I'm going back. The good stuff doesn't start until midnight; I'll have plenty of time.' Fred replied with a wink.

Fred had left her on the couch and returned to the party while Draco pulled a blanket over the girl and waited for the rest of their friends to return.

...

It was two weeks after she had placed the leaf in her mouth, November, when Eloise Lestrange went into labour.

Draco had received a letter from his mother.

_Dragon,_

_It is a boy. They have called him Nicholas. Be careful._

_Mum_

He had handed the letter to Hermione and then stalked off to his bedroom. She had read the letter and then tossed it into the fire, following after him.

He was laying on his bed staring at the wall. She lay down next to him on his double bed and he rolled onto his back, staring at the canopy of his bed.

'Why must you be careful?' She asked.

He raised one arm and used it to prop his up, the other he raised to Hermione and she came to rest on his chest, he wrapped the arm around her.

'My mother and I, and Matilda, we all think that if my father had another son he might try to displace me as heir with views more similar to his own.'

Hermione gasped. 'He can't do that! Nicholas isn't legitimate! He has no claim!'

Draco sighed. 'It's easy to get someone legitimised. There have been two Kings who were technically illegitimate, I think.'

'Draco, the people love you. You killed a vicious killer snake and they love you. Your father may try but it wouldn't take.' She reassured him.

He shrugged, the movement bouncing her head.

'When will they announce his birth?' She asked.

'A few days. A few more days of normalcy.' He said. 'I still can't believe he isn't disrespecting my mother like this. I bet he gives the little sod a title!'

She stroked a reassuring finger over the mark on his wrist, the mark the shared. The action made him shiver as they both felt the magic in the air. His arm around her had come up to play with her hair without thinking.

'How much longer have you got to keep that stupid leaf in your mouth?' He then asked.

She sighed. 'Two more weeks. It tastes awful.'

Two weeks flew by quickly with the announcement of a Royal Birth.

_Duke of Wiltshire and Mistress Lestrange welcome first child!_ The headlines had read.

'First child? Is it me or are they implying they will have a whole brood?' Neville had raised a brow.

The picture on the cover had been from the birthing feast, a wizarding tradition apparently, to take place ten days after the birth when the child was formally introduced into the Wizarding world. The particular picture was of Narissa, who had to toast the couple and their baby boy.

According to Matilda, Naricissa had appeared, lifted her Goblet to the new child, and left again for her rooms.

Matilda had left after five minutes and the King had left soon after, though none of this had been reported.

Finally, at the end of a hectic November she was able to take the leaf from her mouth. She, to be honest, was more thrilled that she hadn't choked on it in her sleep.

She took the now soaked Mandrake leaf and placed it in a small crystal phial she had order from Diagon Alley specially, and placed it on her windowsill so that it could bathe in the moonlight. She sent a silent prayer of thanks to any God listening that it wasn't cloudy, if it was she would have to start again. She understood how this could possibly take years; there were a lot of things that could go wrong that she had no control over. She was offering blood daily to Atune that everything went okay with the weather to the point that Daphne had very gently asked her if she was self harming, upon which she had told her what she was attempting to do.

Into this phial she added one of her hairs, and a silver teaspoon of dew that had been a pain in the ass to collect. Again she was thankful for the timing, the full moon was required.

She'd had to go into the woods, deep into the woods. She had actually gone to the clearing where she had faced off against Voldemort, she was thankful this time she hadn't had a panic attack. She had cordoned off a small area and returned seven days later to collect the dew that was untouched by sunlight and human feet for a whole week.

Finally she added the chrysalis of a death's-head hawk moth, poor little moth, into the phial and left it to stew.

All of the girls knew not to touch the phial but she warded it against Pansy anyway, one day she heard a shriek and a crash from the Kitchenette and entered to find Pansy, with still slightly smoking hair, laying on her back in the middle of the room.

'Don't touch my shit.' She told her before exciting the room again.

She was having herself a nice big glass of water before she left for Hogsmede. It was the first time her friends were allowed to go and: she, Fred, George, and Lee had promised them all the grand tour.

Harry was still sulking that he wasn't able to go and all his friends promised to bring something back for him. Then she had to tolerate Draco groaning that his personal guard, his cousin Tonks, was walking slightly behind them.

'At least she gives you as much space as she can.' Hermione had whispered to him as they linked arms for the long walk to town.

'Can't we take the carriages there? My feet hurt already!' Daphne complained, she had linked Hermione's other arm.

Hermione shook her head. 'Next time you can, but for your first time you should do the long walk, you get the best views of the castle.'

It was fairly late in the year for the first Hogsmede visit; Hermione suspected they had lessened the number of visits to the village what with the Dementor's lurking around.

They had passed the cloaked guards on their way out of the castle, everyone shivered as they walked by them.

The snow was yet to come at the end of November, but here in the north of Scotland it was sure to arrive soon. One could almost taste the oncoming cold in the air. The large group of students were all well wrapped against the cold. Hermione had forgotten her scarf and Draco, with a sigh had taken his off and given it to her without complaint.

All of her friends, mostly being pure-bloods, had all come to Hogsmede when they were little, but it had been that long they couldn't really remember their way around. Fred and George, with the most experience, were leading the group with Lee bringing up the rear with a fifth year girl he'd been chatting up since the last Hufflepuff party.

At long last, and vowing to get the faster carriages back, they arrived at the little villages of cottages and cobblestone streets.

'Couldn't wear heels here could you?' Daphne joked as she nearly went over on her ankle at one particularly bumpy path.

'Since when do you wear heels?' Theo had joked, slinging an arm over her shoulder.

She glared at the boy. 'My mum says I can start choosing all my own clothes next year.'

There were agreeing nods from all the girls. This was another wizarding custom for girls that Hermione didn't quite get. Girls couldn't select their own wardrobe until they were fourth years, to put it simple until they were fourteen. Apparently the belief was that they needed to dress conservatively as to not distract the boys, Hermione had several opinions on that. Millie was especially pleased to begin building her own wardrobe, fashion crazed as she was.

They took the same path as Hermione's first trip. They began in Dervish and Bangs, the boys were all interested in the equipment and Draco purchased a Sneakoscope.

They followed this up with Dogweed and Deathcap, where Hermione purchased herself some fancy mice tails for brewing. She also delivered an order list on Snape's behalf; she of course glimpsed it and confirmed all the ingredients for Wolfsbane were being ordered again.

They paused for a Butterbeer at the Hog's Head before resuming shopping. They went into the music shop where Draco very sneakily bought Hermione and Daphne matching music boxes made of marble, which played a beautiful song. Both items would live on their dressers for years to come, the lullaby often filling the room when they would get ready for important events and balls. Hermione, actually kept her music box for the rest of her life.

Draco then treated the large group to lunch in the Three Broomsticks, everyone had greasy burgers and chips which made Draco's day. He still held an aversion to the fancy foods often forced on him.

After they were all pleasantly warmed and filled with food they ventured back out into the bracing cold air.

She bought herself a new book of advanced transfiguration purely because it had a chapter about becoming an animagus. Daphne had bought a romance novel, a known tragedy apparently. _The Witch of Cornwall _was about a witch forced to marry a man she didn't love, so she killed herself to be free. Hermione wondered aloud how such a book could be classed as a romance. The boys had carried their now heavy bags as they left Tomes and Scrolls.

Millie had been keen to go into Gladrags Wizardwear even if she wasn't really meant to buy her own clothes for another year, despite this rule; she bought herself a new dress saying her mum wouldn't care.

The boys all bought themselves some nice thick Chasers gloves, and Draco bought Harry some new seekers gloves so he wouldn't miss out.

Daphne had excitedly entered the hair salon, full of older students who had booked in by letter. Professor McGonnagal was in the back of the room, her hair bound tightly to get its usual elegant curl, she waved at the group. The hair salon, Hermione had never learned on her journey with boys, also acted as a spa. She and Daphne both booked in for the next trip to have their nails done but also to have a couples massage.

'You and Daph going on a hot date?' Blaise had teased good naturedly. 'And here I thought you and me were meant to be Daph.'

'Friends can go for couples massages.' Daphne replied in a dry voice.

Pansy, thankfully, had caught a nasty cold and was ordered to remain at the castle by Pomfrey or she might have made some nasty comment about Daphne's sexuality and what she was beginning to suspect Blaise's sexuality too. To last until then Hermione bought herself some nice smelling hair potion, an extra strength frieze-ease. Daphne had bought herself some flowery smelling conditioner. Millie had bought some bath salts and Tracey had bought some bath bombs that would leave the user sparkling for up to two days.

Daphne then went into the post office to send a letter to her mum; Draco used the royal bird to post his usual correspondence to his cousin, the magnificent eagle with black ribbon around its claw took off to the fascination of the spectators in the shop. He would usually use his own owl but he still hadn't returned from writing to his mother. Fred and George wrote to their brother Charlie in Romania.

Next was Honeydukes where the usual favourite sweets were bought. They all chipped in to buy Harry a selection box, knowing it would perk him up a bit.

With Draco with her, she couldn't merely admire an item without him buying it for her. The first time she had come she had admired a self-stirring cauldron, which Draco had just purchased for her. He also bought a new Pewter cauldron for Neville as he had managed to melt his.

Her collection of quills were massive already, so she didn't buy anything from Scivenshaft's. She talked Fred and George out of buying cheating quills, expensive items that would write the correct answer for them, warning them that OWL exams had protections against such items.

All the boys bought something from Zonko's. Hermione rolled her eyes but she secretly enjoyed the burst of pranks that would happen in the days following a Hogsmede visit, as long as it was done in good humour.

It was dark by the time they were waiting for the carriage back to the school, their coin purses considerable lightened and arms laden with new treats.

'Sup losers.' Ron approached the group.

Fred groaned. 'Ronnykins can't you just shove off?'

'I will in a minute. I've got a bone to pick with you Granger.' He turned to look at her.

Draco had his wand out in his hand.

'You usually do.' Hermione replied dryly. 'What have I done this time?'

'Your fugly cat has attacked my rat. Again!' He complained.

Hermione sighed. 'He's a cat! It's what cats do they chase rats. Keep a closer eye on your pet or one of the owls will carry him off.'

'Bitch.' He said, pulling his wand on her.

Hermione was smiling though. 'Are you sure you want to do that?'

He brandished his wand, ready to curse when his wand flew out of his hand and straight into the hand of Professor Snape.

The colour drained from Ron's face.

'With me Weasley.' Came Snape's very unimpressed voice.

Snape gestured for him to follow him and the two disappeared for the long walk back to school.

'Gosh, walking two miles back to the school with Snape after trying to attack his favourite student.' Blaise muttered.

'I'm sure they'll have a lovely trip.' Draco said to the chuckles of his friends.

The carriage arrived pulled by the strange creature.

Hermione, now used to the sight of Thestrals went to stroke its long face, Neville joined her.

'Why can you both see them?' Millie asked, staring as her two friends stroked at seemingly thin air.

'My granddad.' Neville replied.

'First year. Quirrel. I held his hand while he died.' Hermione said quietly.

'You comforted a Death Eater?' Theo asked with a raised brow.

Hermione shrugged and they all climbed onto the carriage.

She sat at the edge and Draco took his seat on the other side.

'I never asked, why did you do that?' He asked quietly.

Their other friends were busy chatting amongst themselves.

'He was a Death Eater what made you do it?' He asked.

'I didn't really think. It was just- the poor sod had Voldemort stuck to the back of his head for a year he'd suffered enough. Nobody should die alone.' She mumbled.

He smiled down at her; he was quite a bit taller than her now. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in, nobody on their carriage gave this much attention, Draco was only ever "touchy-feely" with Hermione.

'You've got to be the nicest person I've ever met.' He whispered to her.

'I'm really not.' She said with a serious tone to her voice.

'Yes, you are. Take my word for it. You do what you have to do; it doesn't make you a bad person. Dark magic is dark because it draws people in; you aren't bad for feeling something common.' He reassured her.

She shrugged and looked off into the distance as the carriage pulled away from the village.

Once they returned to the school they made their way to the Great Hall where everyone was having a late tea. Hermione and Draco went to sit with Harry and Neville at the Gryffindor table where Harry was happily picking from the selection box they had all bought him.

'What did you get up to today then?' Hermione asked as she sat down.

He shrugged. 'Nothing much, I had tea with Lupin in his office. Snape came in with this weird Goblet though.'

That caught Hermione's attention. 'Goblet?'

Harry nodded. 'Yeah it was steaming.'

'And Lupin drank it?' She asked.

Harry nodded. 'I can't believe it. Looked like a goblet of poison to me.'

She shook her head. 'It wasn't.'

Harry looked up from his jacket potato, 'how do you know?'

Hermione held her plate to Draco and he loaded some sausages and mash onto it for her. 'Because I helped him brew it.'

'What is it?' Harry asked.

'What did Lupin say it was?' She asked back.

Draco had taken Neville up in a conversation about Quidditch.

'Tonic.' Harry replied, he had stopped eating to look up at Hermione.

Hermione cut into her sausage. 'Then that's what it is.'

Hermione continued eating while Harry frowned at her; the seeds of mistrust were continuing to stew.

After dinner the news came that Snape had banned Ron from all trips to the village for the rest of the year. She and Draco had a good laugh about it on the way back to the common room.

'So what was really in that Goblet?' Draco asked once they were alone; he had pulled her into his room and drawn the curtains around his bed. They sat facing each other.

'Wolfsbane.' Was the answer she gave.

Draco did a double take. 'I'm sorry, did you just say Wolfsbane?' He asked.

She nodded.

Draco let out a shaky breath. 'Okay, didn't see that one coming. Is it safe? Is he safe?'

She nodded. 'As long as he takes that potion he's harmless.'

Draco nodded. 'Will you stay?'

She shook her head. 'We're getting older Draco. We can't keep doing this. How often am I sleeping in here now?'

He nodded with a sad look in his eye. 'About three times a week.'

'Someone will see me eventually. Hell, I had to hide under your bed this morning when Blaise came out of the shower! By the way, not a sight I want to see again, does he ever use a towel?'

Draco laughed and then put his head in his hands for a moment before bringing his head up to meet her eyes. 'Okay, no more sleepovers.'

She came to sit on her knees and gently placed a hand on either side of his head. Very slowly and gently lay a light kiss to his forehead.

'See you tomorrow.' She muttered, climbing out of his bed to come face to face with Blaise who was again sans towel.

'Bloody hell Granger!' He shouted, diving behind his bed.

Draco emerged from his bed too, cheeks pink, 'go, I'll deal with him.'

She nodded and left up the boy's staircase as stealthily as she could.

'You two are a bit young to be doing that aren't you?' Blaise asked, quickly pulling up his boxers.

Draco gave him a dry look. 'We were just talking you pervert. Don't tell anyone she was down here, I won't have her reputation ruined because we wanted a private conversation.'

Blaise held up a hand to stop Draco's rant. 'Give me a bit of faith would you? Besides nobody at this school has much of a reputation for being pure after they go to a Hufflepuff party.' He joked.

'That's a religious service, it doesn't count and you know it.' Draco said. 'And for the Gods sake stop walking around here butt naked!' With this he disappeared behind the curtains of his bed.

The girl he had fancied for years had just kissed him on the forehead; he was off to do what any thirteen year old boy would do in this situation.

...

The next day, the feast was glorious as usual. Unnaturally grand. It was only a normal day, the first of December. 

Dumbledore took the stand. 'On this day we feast for the Gods. Not many know the true roots of this tradition, there are some readings that say on this day that Vutris gave the first witches and wizards their power.'

Hermione frowned at Draco, this was new. The pair absently rubbed at the matching marks on their wrists. Nobody but Harry saw them do this, and he frowned.

Dumbledore continued. 'We toast the Gods.' Dumbledore raised his glass of wine and the other students in the room blindly followed.

Dumbledore dismissed them all for the evening.

'He's never done that before.' Daphne muttered to her as they walked back to the common room.

Hermione shrugged. 'Who knows what goes on in that man's head?'

No sooner had they arrived at the common room Snape appeared.

'You will all change into you pyjamas and follow me to the Great Hall. There has been a break in.' He said quickly. 'Now!'

Everyone quickly ran to their rooms. Hermione approached Snape, 'What's happened?'

He looked up to make sure everyone had gone. 'Sirius Black has attacked the Gryffindor guardian trying to get in. Go and change into your pyjamas, I want you in the hall with everyone else.'

She nodded. The other girls were debating which pyjamas to wear that others would see.

'That doesn't matter.' Hermione said. 'Pick something warm and comfortable. We're in for a long night. Get to it!' She ordered. Very quickly she pulled on some thick winter pyjamas, long pants and a long sleeved top and put some black bed socks on for extra measure.

Once she had gotten changed she quickly herded the other girls back into the common room. She pulled her hair into a plight as she went, battle ready just in case. Her wand was concealed up her sleeve; she made sure the other girls were carrying theirs too.

Everyone was assembled in a matter of minutes in the common room.

'You will all follow me in an orderly fashion. Prefects, I want you follow the column at the rear with your wands out. Granger, I want you up front with me. Malfoy, you will follow separately with your guard.' He bellowed his orders.

Hermione nodded goodbye to her friends and made her way to the front of the crowed with Snape, wand in hand.

'Anything moves, you stun it.' Snape muttered to her and she nodded.

He opened the concealed door then looked back. 'If anyone wonders off I will personally see to it that you are expelled!'

'This is the tensest walk of my life.' She muttered as they lead the way through the dark corridors.

'What about that time you and Clearwater were walking round avoiding a Basilisk?' He asked back. He was scanning the view for any threats, as was she.

'No. We had the mirror. Worse thing that could happen we'd get Petrified. Now I could die.' She said back.

'I doubt Black could take us both.' He said back quietly, neither of them wanted to alarm the students as they lead them up the stairs.

'I'm not even sure he's guilty to be honest.' She mumbled.

'Of course he's guilty. It's his fault Lily is dead and if he's dumb enough to attack us in the hallway then I'm going to kill him.' Snape said.

They made the rest of the walk in silence. They both nearly stunned Flitwick as the Ravenclaws joined their procession.

Logistics were discussed briefly. Hermione and Snape lead the now extra long column of students, the twelve prefects walked along the sides and Flitwick brought up the rear.

They made it to the Great Hall without incident to find the Hufflepuff's and Gryffindor's already there.

All the teachers flocked to Dumbledore. He ignored them to banish the four long tables, another flourish of his wand and hundreds of purple sleeping bags appeared on the floor.

Dumbledore quickly muttered orders to his teachers who all quickly left in pairs, the ghosts were also put to work scouring the castle.

'Granger?' Dumbledore called her over.

'Yes headmaster?' She asked.

'You and I are to remain here to protect the students. The teachers are all going to come back in through the main door, anything moves through the side entrances and you stun it. Understand?'

She nodded.

The doors to the Great Hall burst open and in strode Draco and Tonks. He'd had his own private escort.

'Tonks? Join the search. I'll protect him.' Dumbledore ordered.

Tonks, with her bubblegum pink hair, nodded and departed the hall.

'Don't let Potter out of your sight, but try not to act panicked.' Dumbledore murmured to her.

She nodded and went over to her group of friends who had all captured a safe corner of the hall.

'What did Dumbledore want with you?' Neville asked.

'He wants me in between Draco and Harry for the night is all.' With this she sat down on an unclaimed sleeping bag and gestured for Harry and Draco to settle in the ones next to her.

'Lily.' She muttered to herself after several hours. Nearly everyone was asleep; Dumbledore had relaxed after Professors had begun to return with zero sightings reported.

'What did you say?' Draco asked, rubbing the sleep from his eye. He had stayed up with her.

She shook her head. 'Just something Snape said. Never mind me.'

'Snape said Lily?' Draco asked.

She nodded. 'Yeah, he said "he's the reason Lily died" exactly that.'

Draco frowned at her. 'We know that already though, what's wrong?'

Harry was sleeping with his back to her.

'It's just. He's the reason James Potter died too, but he only said Lily.' She frowned into the distance deep in thought. 'Do you think he knew her?'

Draco nodded. 'They were in the same year right?'

She nodded, then he chucked lightly.

'What's so funny?' She asked.

He shook his head, 'so much for no more sleepovers right?'

She joined in his smile. 'Let's face it; we were never going to stick to that. Your beds just comfier than mine.'

The doors opened as the last Professor returned from searching the grounds, it was Lupin and Tonks. Soon after, Draco and Hermione fell asleep. Unknown to them both, Harry lay with his back to them eyes wide open. The final threads of trust had been cut, they knew something important and they weren't telling him. They were also sleeping together apparently.

The next day they were all sent back to their common rooms, Neville complained at length to them about the new guardian to the Gryffindor common room. It was some loon called Sir Cadogan, apparently he spent all his time challenging students to duel and coming up with ridiculous passwords. Neville groaned and told her that he had resorted to writing all of the passwords down on a list.

Hermione filled a bowl with milk and placed it under her seat at breakfast for her beloved cat, who apparently spent most of his time chasing Ron's pet rat and tripping people over. They had only been together for a few months but she couldn't imagine her life without the orange fur ball that often could be found curled up in front of the fire of the Slytherin common room or at the end of her bed or the bed of her friends. Crabbe had shrieked one morning when he had been woken up by Crookshanks sat on his face.

As it was the start of December now, the Quidditch season was getting a later start than usual. All four teams were full of determination, the entire tournament had been cancelled last year due to the attacks and they were all keen to hold the title of champion.

The weather had turned downright icy and Draco, Blaise, and Theo returned to the common room three days a week shivering and soaking wet. Apparently Harry and Neville were faring worse; Oliver Wood was pushing them to breaking point. Hermione rolled her eyes at the boys dedication to sport, but apparently no amount of rain or cold could tarnish their vision of hoisting the silver Quidditch Cup into the air. Although, Fred and George had apparently snapped at their older brother Percy. The Head Boy of Hogwarts had been nagging the to put on a good show as he'd put a wager on the game, they'd snapped that just for him they would throw the game if he didn't shut up.

The talk of the school, apart from Quidditch, was still on Sirius Black's break in. Nobody was quite sure how he'd managed to get in. The Demetor's were all looming closer to the grounds as a result now. Everyone could sense Harry's growing frustration following this event, teachers were finding any excuse to walk along corridors with him and Percy Weasley would not leave him alone.

Neville had told Hermione, as for an unknown reason to her Harry was avoiding her, that McGonagall had said he couldn't train at night for Quidditch without a teacher present.

It was the day of the first match, Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff. Draco's arm wasn't fully recovered yet so there had been a rescheduling, Slytherin would play Gryffindor next week and Hufflepuff versus Ravenclaw the week after.

There had been some grumbles that Draco was dragging his arm out to get out of playing in foul weather. Hermione had stuck one Gryffindor sixth year to his chair in the Great Hall when she'd heard him saying this. Apparently McGonagall had left the boy there while she did some grading and let him go lost pat curfew.

The truth was that, while Draco's arm was stiff still, he was keen to play. Flint, the Captain and Keeper of the Slytherin team, was the one insisting on the change.

The day of the match however, Draco was happy they weren't playing that day. Strong winds and heavy winds had battered the school all day to the point there had been talk of cancelling and rescheduling the match. But the powers above, Dumbledore, had decided it would go on. There was a distant rumble of thunder as the groups made their way outside.

Hermione was amused to see her friends dressed in so many layers, she was dressed for the cold but had produced a simple warming charm and water repellent charm over herself. She did pop to the kitchen though to get flasks of hot tea for each of her friends along with a nice flask of hot chocolate for her and Draco to share. She'd had the elves, who were finally coming around to their pay and days off, label each flask. Daphne took her tea with Honey, Millie and Tracey both took it no milk and two sugars. Blaise took his milk and one sugar. Theo had his milky with two sugars. Crabbe and Goyle had declared tea to be "hot leaf water and too British" and drank Coffee despite Hermione telling them that they were, in fact, British.

They walked past the Hufflepuff team on their way out. Millie and Tracey giggled at the sight of Cedric Diggory, their Seeker and Captain.

'He's not that good looking!' Draco laughed at the girls.

'Yeah he is.' Blaise said, looking after the retreating forms of the serious-looking Hufflepuff team.

Daphne shrugged. 'I suppose he's got that strong silent type kinda vibe.'

Hermione smiled at her blond best friend 'Not your type though is he?'

Daphne smiled and winked back at the girl.

Draco looked to Hermione. 'Do you think he's good looking?' He was very clearly trying and failing not to frown.

She shrugged. 'He's tall.'

She walked on and worked very hard not to laugh when she heard Draco mutter, 'I'm tall.'

She turned back to give him a cheeky smile and saw Blaise sling his arm around his friends shoulder.

'At least she's wearing the dress you got her from France.' Blaise consoled him.

She was indeed wearing the grey dress Draco had gotten her from France. She'd paired it with a thick black cardigan she'd borrowed from Daphne and her thickest pair of tights and her grey ankle boots. She wasn't a fool in this abysmal weather and she had on her thick winter coat on along with her Slytherin scarf and had Millie French-braid her hair so it wouldn't whip around in the wind.

The talk on the way down to the pitch was on the awful Defence Against the Dark Arts class they had that morning, Hermione's class had also been substituted by Snape but she of course knew the reason why. Her lesson had been a good and productive one; Snape took their OWLs very seriously and continued in the set out lesson plan.

She was slightly horrified to learn that Snape had set the third years an impromptu essay on Werewolves. Clearly he was hoping someone would figure it out. Of all the obnoxious things he could do that could possibly endanger every person in this castle this was insane, she would be having a stern word with her mentor the next time she saw him.

Nobody had bothered with umbrellas today, far too windy for a brolly. Everyone apart from: Hermione, the seventh years, and the professors. People who knew the necessary stasis charms to stop a brolly turning inside out or being whipped out of their hands. Hermione carried a thick blanket and a small stack of umbrellas for her friends. She would be huddled under one with Draco and Daphne. Everyone was clutching the thermoses Hermione had gathered for them gratefully.

Quidditch was never cancelled for something as trifling as a thunderstorm, such was the popularity of the game that the entire school had turned out to watch the match. They were surrounded by people running to the pitch in their rain coats, holding their hoods in place against the strong wind. Hermione spotted Harry about to enter the locker rooms and waved at him, he did not wave back.

The two teams, red and yellow, stumbled onto the field, all clutching their brooms for fear of losing them in the wind. Hermione and her friends cheered, but the gale was so strong that she couldn't even hear Draco cheering who was sat next to her.

'How are Harry and Diggory supposed to see the Snitch in this?' She shouted into Draco's ear.

He shrugged at her. He said something in reply but she didn't hear it, it sounded something like "a long time" to her. Hermione settled in for a long game.

The two Captains walked to each other and shook hands. The two teams mounted their brooms and all kicked off hard against the mud, they all rose into the wind.

Five minutes passed with nothing happen. The chasers could barley pass the ball to each other in this storm never mind throw it through a guarded hoop. Hermione could barely see a thing, she pitied the poor Seekers.

The storm didn't abate; it was getting darker now, which certainly didn't help. Hermione saw Harry crash into Diggory and then George, apparently none of them could tell what was going on in the storm.

With a flash of lightning came a time-out, Hermione stood.

'Where are you going?' Draco shouted to her.

She held up a finger to say "I'll be back in a moment" to him.

She quickly hurried to the two teams.

'What are you doing Granger?' Wood shouted to her.

'Not much of a match at the minute is it?' She shouted to him.

She went around one by one to everyone on both teams, and cast a quick charm to repel water over their entire bodies. Wood and Diggory both wrapped her into a joint hug, they may not be able to control their brooms properly but at least they could see and stay reasonably dry. Wood looked as though he could kiss her.

She quickly made her way back to her vacant seat and Draco, seeing what she had done, offered her a high five. The rest of the game went much better, both teams could now see through the storm, and continued with a new determination.

Hermione began to wonder when Dumbledore would see fit to call off the match, a bolt of lightning hit ground near the stadium. If one of those hit a team member she could only imagine the horror Dumbledore would face when the board of Governors descended. She worried most for the keepers, floating next to their massive metal hoops; she kept her wand out with cushioning charms at the ready on the tip of her tongue. The chasers were now managing to score points, Gryffindor were now fifty points up.

Hermione frowned and Draco noticed.

'What's wrong?' Draco shouted to her.

She nodded at the form of Harry. He was frowning into the distance when suddenly his broom dropped a few feet. Very odd behaviour.

'Maybe he's seen the Snitch?' Draco offered.

She shook her head, 'he must be freezing up there, if he saw the Snitch he'd go for it. He's seen something else.'

Diggory began pelting up the field and Harry snapped out of his trance to chase after him.

A familiar cold settled over Hermione and her friends, she and Draco shared a look. 'Oh no.' Hermione muttered.

Her eyes shot to the teachers, who were all standing and brandishing wands in a panic.

At least one hundred Dementors had entered the field, Dumbledore and McGonagall were rapidly producing a silvery mist from their wands which seemed to be chasing the creatures away.

Hermione was frozen, the great yellow eye of the Basilisk was all she could see and she clutched her head and cried out in despair. She felt Draco's arm around her shoulder.

'It's not real Hermione,' She heard Draco say in her ear.

She looked up to him, tears streaming down her face, to look around the stadium. They were having a similar effect on all the students; she could see groups of friends clutching each other in fear.

She looked up just in time to see Harry fall from his broom and Dumbledore shoot his wand out to catch the now unconscious boy.

Dumbledore cast his wand over his own throat and then his voice could be heard over the storm. 'Everyone will return to their dorms immediately!'

The order was followed as everyone evacuated the stands, Hermione could see the retreating black forms in the distance.

Dumbledore waved his wand and Harry's form was moved onto a stretcher.

Hermione ran down to the side of her unconscious friend. He was deathly pale but he was mumbling.

'Kill me instead.'

She looked at Dumbledore in horror. 'He's not seeing what I think he's seeing is he?'

Dumbledore looked equally disturbed but nodded in confirmation.

She fell back to her friends.

Once they were back inside Hermione was fuming. 'Dementors at a Quidditch game!'

Daphne was still crying, Hermione had no idea what her friend saw when she got too close to a Dementor, she pulled her in for a tight hug.

Blaise was wiping at his eyes still, Hermione turned to him. 'Blaise, get everyone back to the common room.' She ordered.

Blaise nodded and begun herding his friends back to Slytherin. Draco remained by her side.

'And what are we doing?' He asked her.

She smiled. 'We're going to the hospital wing to see Harry.'

On the way there they bumped into the Weasley twins who were carrying a bundle of twigs.

The group of them walked past Diggory who appeared to be arguing with Madam Hooch. 'But it wasn't fair!' They heard him shout.

'What's that about?' Hermione asked the twins.

They both seemed thoroughly put out.

'He didn't realise Harry had fallen and caught the Snitch.' Fred told her miserably.

Hermione groaned. 'He'll be upset enough when he wakes up!'

George gestured to the bundle in his arms. 'He'll feel worse once he sees this.'

Draco gasped. 'That's not what I think it is?'

George nodded. 'That bloody tree mangled it.'

The rest of the Gryffindor team were stood around Harry's bed as he appeared to be coming to.

'-didn't even break his glasses.' Katie Bell said.

Angelina Johnson was nodded. 'Scariest... the scariest thing.' She sniffled. Fred and George went to stand either side of her. Fred gave her right arm a reassuring rub.

Harry's eyes snapped open.

'Harry!' said Fred from beneath his layers of mud coating him. 'How're you feeling? You fell about a hundred feet.'

His eyes rapidly looked around.

'The Dementor's are gone Harry.' Hermione told him gently.

Harry only frowned at her before looking away. Hermione exchanged a curious look with Draco; Harry had been off with them ever since the Black break in. Hermione hoped he'd get over whatever was bothering him soon or the upcoming Christmas ball would probably be really awkward.

'What happened with the match? Are they going to a replay?' He asked his team.

They all exchanged an awkward look.

'We lost?' He asked.

'Diggory got the Snitch.' George informed him. 'We just saw him arguing for a rematch, he didn't realise you'd fallen.'

'But they won fair and square.' Fred continued. 'Even Wood admits they won.'

Harry looked around. 'Where is he?'

'Still in the showers; he's probably trying to drown him.' George informed him.

Harry put his face in his hands, his eyes looked a little red rimmed after he found out his beloved broom had been destroyed. His team tried to console him until Pomfrey kicked them all out.

'Miss Granger, you too.' The nurse said.

She nodded. Happy that Harry wasn't dead she led Draco back down to the dungeons.

'Why do they affect him so much?' Draco asked as they walked.

'I think he's seeing his mum getting murdered. When I ran to Dumbledore I heard Harry mumbling "kill me instead". If you heard your mum getting murdered you'd probably faint too.' She told him.

'Have I ever told you how much I hate Dementor's?' Draco said.

'Make yourself useful then, get onto your uncle and get them removed.' She said firmly.

He nodded. 'What do you think I've been doing all year?'

The next day Harry was released from the Hospital wing, Hermione found him sulking near the entrance to the Great Hall.

'They effect you badly I'll give you that. Why don't you get onto Lupin to teach you how to repel them?' She asked as he walked past him.

He only glared at her in response. 'I saw a Grim before they came.'

Hermione frowned. 'Those are very rare.'

'Well I saw one again!' He snapped back.

'Again?' She asked.

'Yeah I saw one before I came to school.' He told her.

'Don't you think you're seeing it because you're looking for it?' She said. 'I wouldn't linger on it if I were you.'

His only response was to glare so she made her way into the Great Hall for dinner.

'What are your plans for your evening?' Ginny asked Hermione, she had joined her at the Slytherin table.

'Potions with Snape.' She said, she quickly downed the last of her soup. 'Speaking of which I best set off.'

She'd gotten used the icy Dungeons over the years, perhaps it was the presence of the Dementor's, she shuddered in the cold. Maybe it was the anticipation of her oncoming confrontation with Snape.

She thundered into the potions classroom. 'You set an essay on Werewolves?' She demanded.

He set down the essay he was currently marking. 'And?'

'Are you insane?' Was all she could say.

His cheeks flushed, 'don't you dare presume to instruct me on how I might teach a class!'

'You're trying to oust Professor Lupin as a Werewolf! What the hell is wrong with you?' She asked.

'How dare you talk to me this way you brat! Detention!' He roared.

'You are a grown ass man! Act like it! Lupin isn't a bad man and neither are you; you two could even be friends if you knock off your anti-werewolf rubbish.' She told him firmly.

He rolled his eyes; he'd completely forgotten to behave as a teacher. 'Any other demands?'

She paused. 'Yes actually. When we get back from the Christmas holidays I want you to teach me the Dementor repelling charm.'

'It's called a Patronus.' He told her, his face dry.

'When shall I come for detention?' She asked.

He rolled his eyes. 'Don't. Just go, get out of my sight.'

The next day was the last Hogsmede visit of the term. Hermione, trying to get back into his good books and also attempting to cheer him up over the loss of his beloved broom, had told him about one of the secret passageways that she had discovered from the map. She had told herself that as long as she was with him at all times and he had his invisibility cloak on that he would be safe enough for one visit.

This decision had been spurned on partly by the Marauders map. The four boys immortalised on parchment had argued against her for days that there was no way on heaven or earth that Sirius Black would ever betray James Potter, apparently they were like brothers. The map had told her many stories about the boys, how Black had been kicked out at sixteen and gone to live with the Potter clan. There was just no way could he cause that man's death. Hermione, as a result, was seriously beginning to doubt just how guilty Black was.

Potter had gone through the secret tunnel and emerged to meet the group in Honeydukes. He'd thanked Hermione many times; he seemed to have forgiven her momentarily for whatever she had unknowingly done to him.

'You don't like Sour Wands?' Draco had stated as Harry made his purchases.

He stuffed his several bags of sweets into his bag, 'not for me.'

Hermione couldn't help grinning. 'Aren't those Ginny's favourite sweet?'

Harry blushed so red it reached the tips of his ears.

'I just thought -she can't come for another year - so I was just...' He trailed off.

Draco and Hermione shared a knowing smile.

'I think it's nice, you'll make her day.' Hermione said kindly, before moving the subject along.

Harry had placed his cloak on every time they had excited a shop; Hermione had decreed him safe enough in public but she'd rather not bump into any teachers while she was helping to smuggle Harry out of school.

She'd mended things, or hoped she had anyway, with her mentor by purchasing a pair of fancy mice for potion making and ordering them to be delivered to Snape.

'You never buy me presents? Should I be jealous?' Draco had teased her.

'I buy you presents!' She had shot back.

Harry had a grand old time for the first part of the visit, to the extent that Hermione had decided that one she had used the map correctly to aid her Annimagus transformation that she would give it to Harry since it was made by his father and he should keep it. Potter's mood was also heightened by the fact that Hufflepuff had been destroyed in their next match.

Until that day, she made the decision to watch all of the secret tunnels into the castle to ensure Black, innocent or not, was not using them to sneak into the castle. She felt she was safe not watching the one very oddly placed under the Whomping Willow, Black would get smashed by the angry tree if he tried to get in that way.

The buzz of Christmas had hit the village; none of the shops were as festive as Flitwick's charms classroom, as he had decorated with actual fairies. Plans of Christmas were set; Harry was going to Neville's as usual. Draco was having a big group of friends over for a long weekend that Hermione would unfortunately miss since she would be in Mexico with her parents. This Hogsmede visit was being used by all to do their Christmas shopping.

Hermione had bought her parents some Toothflossing Stringmints from Honeydukes, the dentist in them both adored sweets that were actually good for ones teeth.

Fred and George abandoned the group to stock up at Zonko's. Hermione and Daphne briefly dipped out for their massages and general pampering for a glorious hour and then Daphne went to meet the other girls in the dress shop while Hermione went on to the Three Broomsticks Pub to meet with: Draco, Harry, and Neville. Draco had promised to have a nice hot mug of Butterbeer waiting for her and he was nothing less than a man of her word.

'I ordered you the jacket potato with cheese and onion and some chips.' He smiled at her as she sat down, she gave his hand a thank-you squeeze and settled into conversation about Harry's daring escape from Hogwarts.

'How was the tunnel?' She asked.

'Haven't you ever used it?' He asked with a frown.

Draco laughed. 'That would be against the rules Potter.' This comment earned him a swift elbow to the ribs from Hermione.

'I've never needed to.' Hermione told him with a shrug.

'It was cold and damp. I had to wriggle through this little hole head-first, only a small person could fit through it mind you, I dread to think how I'll use it when I'm older.' He muttered.

'You won't need to. They'll catch Black soon and The King will give permission for you to go on these trips.' Neville told him.

Their conversation was briefly interrupted by the arrival of the food; Draco had naturally ordered the unhealthiest item on the menu. Harry and Neville were sharing a large platter of chicken wings with an assortment of dips, apparently the red one would change flavour for every dip.

'Did you and Daph like your massages?' Neville asked.

Draco coughed on his cheesy chips.

'It was fabulous, we're going again for the next visit. Soon as it's announced we'll owl and book it. Might get my hair cut too.' She mused.

'You're not cutting it all off are you?' Draco asked.

She shook her head. 'Nah that wouldn't suit me. Daph could probably pull it off though.'

'Is it true they use different oil for different body parts?' Neville asked, biting into a wing.

This leered the topic into a graphic description of her massage that managed to pique the interest of Draco and Harry, who both shifted in their seats.

'So she started with my legs, she was rubbing in this glorious lavender scented oil with this deep circular movement...' She told them about how she had worked her way up her body with exciting oils, she told them this conversationally while eating her potato and didn't notice how excited Draco and Harry were getting, Neville seemed more interested in his wings.

The door to the pub banged open, hitting gainst hte notice board that bore the message "BY ORDER OF THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC: cCustomers are reminded that until further notice, dementors will be patrolling the streets of Hogsmede after sundown. This measure has been put in place for the safety of Hogsmede residents and will be lifted upon the recapture of Sirius Black. It is therefore advisable that you complete your shopping well before nightfall. MERRY CHRISTMAS!"

Madam Rosmerta filled up Draco's goblet of pumpkin juice and curtseyed, she loved serving a royal, but this action was ignored by the group of four as the Minister of Magic had just walked in with some Hogwarts staff, they held the door open for someone else though.

It couldn't have been worse: McGonagall, Flitwick, Hagrid, the Minister for Magic, and the bloody King.

Draco stood to greet his uncle, as did Hermione, while Neville pushed Harry under the table and threw his invisibility cloak over him.

Draco bowed quickly to his uncle before giving him an even quicker hug, 'what are you doing in Hogsmede?'

The King, dressed for the cold in a thick black cloak and dragon-hide gloves, raised a brow at his nephew. 'I'm with the Minister for the day.'

Draco looked behind his uncle to see the Minister bowing lightly to Draco, who nodded in return.

The King looked beyond his blood to notice Hermione. He beamed at her. 'Ah! Miss Granger! I should have known? Are you two on a little date?'

Draco blushed red. 'Uncle!'

Armand looked to their table to see Neville, who waved to his monarch. Hermione suspected he was trying to shield Harry's invisible form with his own body, it was unusual for Neville not to bow to the King.

'Don't be ridiculous your Grace.' Hermione laughed the King's comment away. 'Boys are super gross.' She said, pretending to shudder.

The King laughed at her comment, though he clearly didn't believe a word of it.

'Any news?' Draco asked his uncle, a desperate attempt to change topic. 'How's my little brother?' He asked in an annoyed tone, he clearly couldn't help himself.

Armand paused. 'Settling in I suppose. Your father has set them up in the cottage on the grounds of Malfoy Manor for the time being. Your mother has just agreed to be the honoured guest at the Paris fashion show this summer, so she'll have a few months away which is something I suppose.'

'Your Grace?' The Minister asked behind him.

Armand sighed. 'Can't even have a minute.' He muttered and then louder. 'I'll be right with you Fudge!'

The King raised a hand to playfully muse at Draco's hair, leaving it sticking up at odd angles.

'I'll give you all some privacy.' Hermione offered. She whipped out her wand and moved a large tree to stand between the two tables, and the King nodded in appreciation before disappearing to join the others.

Rosmerta fretted taking the Kings drinks order, if she loved serving an Earl she was bloody over the moon to be serving the King.

'A small gillywater?' Rosemerta's voice shook.

'Mine.' Came McGonagall's voice.

Hermione had the sense at this opportunity to cast a very simple charm.

'What was that?' Draco asked her.

'If they listen to us they'll think we're chatting, I want them to talk freely I think they might say something good.' She told him.

He smiled. 'That's kind of illegal, playing tricks to listen in on the Kings conversation.'

She shrugged. 'You complaining?'

He shook his head.

'And the large white wine spritzer, your Grace?' Rosmerta squeaked.

Draco rolled his eyes. 'Uncle loves his wine.' He muttered to Hermione.

They invited Rosmerta to join them and she gladly took up the opportunity to sit with the King, no doubt all of her regulars would be hearing of this encounter.

'What brings you both here then?' Hagrid asked the two most senior men in the country.

They saw Fudge looking around, clearly checking for eves droppers, content there were none he answered. 'Sirius Black of course!'

'I reckon you've heard what happened at the school recently?' The King added.

'I did hear a rumour, your Grace.' Rosmerta admitted.

'Do you believe Black is still in the area?' McGonagall's voice asked.

'I'm sure of it.' The Minister answered shortly.

'The Dementors have searched the whole village twice!' Madam Rosmerta snapped back at the Minister.

'Now, now, Rosmerta.' The King spoke up. 'They're even worse up my end. The Ministry is insisting on having them stationed at all entrances to the palace and the nearby village. They're constant. I've never seen so much chocolate bought in my life, I'll have put a stone on if they're not gone soon.'

'Your safety is of paramount importance Sire.' The Minister waved him off; it appeared the King had complained about this fact before today. 'They're in a fury against Dumbledore, he won't let them in the grounds.'

'Nor would I. And it's technically my school.' The King answered.

Hermione raised a brow at Draco at that comment but he waved her off with a quick, 'I'll tell you later.'

'How are we supposed to teach with those things floating around?' McGonagall said sharply.

Flitwick squeaked an agreement.

'Must I argue with all of you? It is to protect you from something much worse!' Fudge argued.

'That's your opinion. I tell you now Fudge if he's not caught by the end of the school year I'm sending them back to Azkaban where they belong.' The King said firmly to cheers from the Professors.

'You can't do that!' Fudge declared and then gasped.

There was silence at the table for a moment.

'Excuse me?' The Kind replied in a cold voice.

'Sorry Sir. I only think of the safety of your people.' The Minister said frantically.

'And I don't do that?' The King asked. His voice was that calm it was actually frightening. Then he sighed. 'I'm going up to the castle, I promised Dumbledore I'd pop in. Come and meet me when you're done here Minister.'

The King fare-welled everyone at the table, came over and messed up Draco's hair again, and left with his personal guard trailing after him. He acknowledged Tonks, Draco's guard, from her position at the bar.

The chatter at the table instantly turned back to Black.

'I still have trouble believing it.' Said Rosmerta. 'Of all people, Black was the last person I ever thought capable of going to the Dark Side.'

Hermione nodded; apparently young Black was of the same opinion.

'I remember when he was a boy at Hogwarts.' Rosmerta continued. 'If you'd told me then what he would become I'd have thought you drunk.'

'You don't know the half of it Rosmerta.' Answered Fudge. 'The worst he did isn't common knowledge.'

'Worse than murdering all those people?' Rosmerta gasped.

'You remember who his best friend was at Hogwarts?' McGonagall murmured.

Hermione and Draco shared a panicked glare, Harry could hear this conversation and she didn't like where it was going.

'Of course!' Rosmerta said with a small laugh, as though remembering some fond and distant memory. 'Stuck together those two were. Quite the double act, Black and Potter!'

She felt Harry stiffen under the table. All she could think was "shit".

'Gods they used to make me laugh. Exceptionally bright those two and their little gang I suppose. I never knew such a pair of troublemakers.' Rosmerta said.

Hagrid laughed. 'I reckon Fred and George Weasley might beat them for the top spot!'

Rosmerta laughed. 'Not even close! One time they discuised themselves as elderly women to get in on a hen do. It wasn't even a Hogsmede weekend I have no idea how they got in the village. Next thing I know, morning comes and the Groom comes to pick his future wife up to find her in bed with both of them still wearing their wigs!'

The teachers all laughed.

'When on earth was that?' McGonagall gasped through laughter.

'In their fifth or sixth year. Before Potter started dating Lily Evans, I remember when they would come in on dates during their last year.' Rosmerta trailed off.

Flitwick nodded. 'The two lads were inseparable.'

'Potter trusted Black beyond anyone else!' The Minister declared. 'Black was even his best man when James married Lily.'

McGonagall appeared to have gotten emotional, her voice was shaking. 'Then they named him Harry's Godfather. The boy has no idea of course, you can imagine how the knowledge would haunt him.'

'Because he turned Death Eater?' Rosmerta asked.

'Worse. The Potters found out You-Know-Who was after them, one of Dumbledore's spies found out. They went into hiding with a Fidelius charm. The location was known only to the secret keeper, it's a tricky bit of magic, but they're hidden as long as the secret keeper keeps it well - a secret.'

'Oh Gods.' Rosmerta groaned, seeing where this was going.

'They made Black their secret keeper.' Flitwick told the barmaid.

'Of course they did.' Professor McGonagall seethed. 'James told Dumbledore that Black would die before he betrayed him. Black was meant to be going into hiding himself soon anyway. Even Lily thought it couldn't go wrong I remember the last letter I ever got from her, I still have it actually, she was saying how she finally felt safe knowing Black would look after them.'

'But Dumbledore was still worried.' Fudge continued, emotion appeared to have overwhelmed McGonagall and they could hear her crying quietly. 'He suspected someone close to the Potters had turned and was keeping You-Know-Who informed of their movements. Three times they escaped by a fraction of a second, do you remember Potter got splinched that time getting Lily and Harry out? Nearly lost an arm. Anyway, Dumbledore offered to be their secret keeper himself but James insisted on using Black.'

'It was barely a week later they died.' McGonagall sobbed. 'So young, twenty-one is no age.'

There were sad murmurs of agreement.

'Black was ready to come out as You-Know-Who's lieutenant, the Potter's death was his moment. But then he fell and Black lost everything.' Flitwick told them.

Fudge spoke up again. 'This left Black in a very difficult position.'

'Filthy turncoat!' Hagrid roared, he'd apparently had one too many mulled wines.

The others at the table shushed him.

'I met him! After the attack! I was the last ter see him before he killed all them people! I went into James and Lily's house after they were killed! I had to move their bodies onto the bed I couldn't leave em on the floor!' Hagrid sobbed.

Hermione wiped a tear from her eye.

'I had to get Harry outta the ruins, poor thing he was so tiny, with a great bloody gash on his head! An' Sirius Black turned up on that flyin' motorbike, never occurred to me what he was doin' there I thought he'd just heard the news. Let me tell you he played the devastated friend well enough. I COMFORTED THE BLOODY TRAITOR!'

Nobody was trying to shush Hagrid's rant anymore.

'He wanted me to give him Harry! But I had orders from Dumbledore which I told him, he argued for a bit but gave in and even gave me his bike! "I won't need it anymore" he'd said! But what if I’d given Harry to him, eh? I bet he’d’ve pitched him off the bike halfway out ter sea. His bes’ friends’ son! But when a wizard goes over ter the Dark Side, there’s nothin’ and no one that matters to em anymore.' Hagrid wailed.

'But he didn't get away with it did he?' Rosmerta added. 'The Ministry caught up with him the very next day!'

Fudge groaned. 'If only. Pettigrew beat us there. He was one of their little gang, maddened by grief I expect he went after Black.'

'He was never in their league talent-wise.' McGonagall said sadly. 'I was often rather sharp with the poor boy; you can imagine how I regret that now.'

She was then consoled.

'Pettigrew died a hero’s death. Eyewitnesses, Muggles of course, told us how Pettigrew cornered Black. They say he was sobbing, "Lily and James, Sirius! How could you?" And then he went for his wand. Well, of course, Black was quicker. Blew Pettigrew to smithereens.' The Minister trailed off. 'I was Junior Minister in the Department of Magical Catastrophes at the time, and I was one of the first on the scene after Black murdered all those people. I will never forget it. I still dream about it sometimes. A crater in the middle of the street, so deep it had cracked the sewer below. Bodies everywhere. Muggles screaming. And Black standing there laughing, with what was left of Pettigrew in front of him. A heap of bloodstained robes and a few, a few fragments .'

There was the sound of tears being shed and noses being blown.

'Black was taken away by about twenty Aurors and Pettigrew got the Order of Merlin and an honorary Duchy from the King, a real comfort to his mother, she was able to spend the last years of her life comfortably.' The Minister finished his tale.

'Is it true he's mad?' Rosmerta asked.

'I don't think so.' Fudge answered slowly. 'I met him on my last inspection of Azkaban. Most the people in there have been driven map by I was shocked by how normal Black was, he just looked bored. He even asked for my newspaper, very casual, said he missed doing the crossword. And he was one of the most heavily guarded people in there, besides Bellatrix Lestrange and let me tell you she's gone mad.'

'Why do you think he's broken out?' Rosmerta asked.

'I reckon he's trying to rejoin You-Know-Who.' The Minister answered. 'I dread to think how quickly he'd rise again with his most loyal supporter.'

The teachers finished up their drinks and made to leave.

'You best think of a good apology for the King.' Flitwick scolded the Minister as they left. 'I can't believe you spoke to him like that.'

Once they were gone Harry pulled his cloak off but remained sat under the table, staring blankly ahead.

Hermione cast a quick Muffliato, she didn't want anyone to hear the unpleasant conversation they were about to have.

'Harry?' The faces of his three friends appeared under the table.

'Harry I wouldn't trust that account too much.' Hermione began softly. 'I've been reading into it and Black was never even given a trial. He may not be the guilty man.'

Harry's head shot to hers, anger in his eyes. 'You knew didn't you?' His voice was steady.

She let out a shaky breath and then nodded.

'How dare you not tell me this?' He said coldly.

'I'm sorry Harry; I didn't want to cause you any unnecessary pain.' She said, her eyes were watering slightly.

It was then Harry snapped. 'I HEARD YOU BOTH IN THE GREAT HALL THE OTHER NIGHT! I WASN'T ASLEEP!' He roared, jumping to his feet.

'Oh.' Draco said.

'OH? THAT'S ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY? YOU KNEW WHAT BLACK DID AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME!'

Then he turned to Neville. 'Did you know they're sleeping together?'

Neville's mouth hung open.

'I beg your pardon? I'm thirteen I'm not sleeping with anyone.' Draco said.

'He heard the sleepover comment.' Hermione groaned to him.

'Turns out you're nothing but a lying whore Hermione.' Harry said. 'Ron was right about you all along!'

Draco leapt to his feet. 'Don't you dare speak to her like that!'

Harry pulled out his wand and pointed it at Draco, Tonks leapt up from her bar stool but Draco waved her away.

''You would defend her wouldn't you? Like your opinion matters for anything your dads a Death Eater and you'll probably follow right in his footsteps!' Harry had, apparently, lost the plot a bit in his anger.

He'd said exactly the wrong thing to Draco however; he pulled out his wand and pointed it at Harry's chest. Tonks was now edging towards the table.

Hermione summoned the wands of both boys into her hand. 'Peace boys, Harry we are your friends I promise we're only looking out for you. Perhaps we should have told you, I'm sorry.'

'Mate.' Neville said calmly, gently touching Harry's arm. 'Why don't we go outside and get some air?'

'Did you know?' He asked Neville.

'No.'

With this reassurance that not all of his friends had been keeping secrets from him, he allowed Neville to lead him out. Hermione had handed Neville Harry's wand as they walked out. Neville placed a sympathetic hand on Hermione's shoulder as he walked by her.

When they were gone Hermione and Draco made the decision to walk back to school.

'Well that couldn't have gone worse.' She said.

'I can't believe he spoke to you like that, the little shit. Next time I see him I'm-'

Hermione cut him off. '-going to do nothing. He's upset. He's just found out that his parents were basically killed by their best friend and we knew and didn't tell him. Imagine if I kept something like that from you? We should have told him.'

They walked by the owlry on their way back, Hermione using her beloved raven Freddie to send a letter to her parents. She affectionately rubbed at his beak before sending him off.

'Most girls want a pretty owl.' Draco chucked at her.

'I don't know, I just feel like-' Hermione trailed off looking at the retreating form of her companion. 'I've always liked ravens.' She settled on happily.

He rolled his eyes. 'Come on, let's get you back to the common room, you must be freezing.'

She did then take the opportunity to press her cold hands into his neck making him screech and recoil.

It was on their way back into the castle that they saw Ginny with red-rimmed eyes.

'I was just coming to see you!' She said through sniffles.

'What's happened?' Hermione asked, placing an arm around the upset Weasley. Draco looked at her with a concerned expression.

'I bumped into Harry and Neville when they came back to school, we took Harry down to Hagrid's to cheer him up but-' The young girl trailed off as tears overtook her.

'Is Hagrid okay?' Hermione's mind instantly jumped to the worst. What if Hagrid had some kind of heart attack and they had found his body?

'It's Buckbeak!' Ginny wailed.

Hermione let out a breath of relief but then her stomach pinched as a new dread took over her.

'He's going to be put on trial in April! They're going for the death penalty.' She sobbed.


	42. Christmas - part one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a little one for you  
It's a bloody good thing I email myself this story every time I finish writing any chapters or planning, my laptop kind of lot the will to live so I had to get a new one.

Harry had calmed down his anger towards Hermione and Draco, and had apologised awkwardly for how he spoke to them. Their friendship was still shaky and without any form of trust; but it appeared Ginny had talked him round. 

'Why did nobody ever tell me? Dumbledore, Hagrid, Mr Weasley, Fudge! The lot of them! Nobody ever told me!' He had asked her.

'Same reason Draco and Hermione didn't tell you I imagine, what good would it do? All it's done has upset you.' Ginny had told him.

'I needed to know!' He had told her angrily.

'Don't shout at me! I'm not the one keeping secrets.' She told him firmly.

He'd put his head in his hands. 'Sorry. I'm sorry.'

She'd placed a gentle hand on his back. 'It's okay, you're upset. I think that Hermione was probably going to break it to you gently at the right time, look how upset you are when it was sprung on you.'

He'd been clutching a photo-album Hagrid had assembled for him in his first year, pictures of his parents. The book was open to their wedding day, stood next to his parents was Sirius Black. 'Do you think he was already working for Voldemort when they got married?'

Ginny shook her head. 'Who knows? You said Hermione wasn't sure if he was guilty or not?'

Harry nodded. 'I can't see how he could be innocent. There were witnesses when he blasted apart that street.'

Ginny had nodded and hugged him and listened to him rant until his anger was gone and all that remained was a deep sadness that made him feel hollow.

'I want him dead.' Harry had finally told her. 'Black, I want him dead. It's his fault - it's his entire fault.'

Ginny hadn't said anything to this, she was only twelve after all - what does one say to a vengeful boy plotting murder?

The trains had taken them all back to London, Hermione would be leaving for Mexico the next morning for seven glorious days of sun. Harry hadn't spoken to them for the entire trip home but he had tolerated their presence, he was going home with Neville. Draco still hadn’t forgiven Harry for what he had said to both of them

'See you all at the Ball!' Hermione had said cheerfully as they stepped off the train. 'See you Christmas day.' She had muttered to Draco, low enough that the others (others meaning Pansy) couldn't hear.

The King had made them millionaire's, they flew first-class. The ten hours it took to cross the ocean passed easily. She had taken a book called "Stories of the Gods" to pass the time, of course she had placed a muggle sleeve over the large book so everyone thought she was reading some normal book. Although she did see her dad read a few lines over her shoulder.

_"And then the noble lady did cut upon her right palm, holding it to the right palm of the deceased. She did beg the honoured Gods to exchange her life for the man she loved. Atune, being a loving God, agreed to the exchange and the man awoke once again. The noble lady did die a day later, the Gods uphold the balance above all else." _

'Why couldn't they both just live?' Her dad had asked.

'Life for a life.' Hermione told him without looking up. 'The Gods are all about balance.'

Her dad had frowned. 'That's not a very nice story.'

'It's not a story dad. This is a history book, this happened.' She told him.

Her dad had laughed aloud, 'Honey, you can make things fly and teleport, but there's no such thing as God.'

Hermione had rolled her eyes. 'Aperate, not teleport, that's Star Trek. And there are Gods, three of them.'

Her father had turned back to his own book, still not believing her.

They had a truly wonderful holiday. Seven glorious days in a five-star hotel, sunbathing in twenty-eight degrees Celsius heat, much better weather than England. Hermione and her mother had quickly browned within the first day; her father had unfortunately burnt red. He had sighed and blamed his so called "ginger genes" despite the fact he had very dark hair.

'Ah yes poppet, but my mother had red hair before she went grey!' Was his usual defence when she pointed it out.

They had done the usual muggle activities: Chichen Itza, Tulum, and an adventure park where Hermione particularly enjoyed the water rafting through an actual cave.

They had spent their other four days basking in the sun before sadly returning home. Hermione, much to her mother's delight, had sprouted a large number of "adorable" freckles across her nose and cheeks.

Her father had bought a new camera especially for the trip, she and her mother had spent the entire week laughing and telling him to get the camera out of their faces. Nether-the-less, he had come away with a nice collection of family pictures he was happy with, and said he was going to make it into a wonderful photo-album for them.

She had admittedly slept the entire journey home. Tomorrow she would be going to the palace, to Draco.

Christmas morning she had opened presents with her parents before rushing to take her shower. In a few hours she would be among royalty, she scrubbed her skin and took care to clean under her nails.

She pulled on her dressing gown and then turned to check on the condition of her Animagus potion, she'd had a hell of a time getting it through customs into Mexico, she'd eventually realised that the magic trace probably wouldn't know it was her on the other side of the world and confounded the poor man searching her bag so he thought it was a bottle of shampoo.

The mixture was well cared for; she kept it in a quiet, dark place. An old perfume box lined with bubble wrap was keeping it safe. It also meant she could transport it around without disturbing the potion as long as she didn't open the box and let sunlight touch her potion. All she had to do now was settle in for a long wait for an electrical storm; it couldn't be brief flash of lightning, she needed a full on run for your lives level storm. This was the part that took the longest in her belief, some idiots didn't use a sticking charm for the leaf in mouth month and it took them months to get it right. She was prepared to wait over a year for this storm, she wished she could apperate, she'd simply pop over to the nearest storm, but Snape had refused to teach her until she was actually of age to get her licence, something she intended on taking up with the king.

She pulled her wand out and placed it over her heart, 'amato, animo, animato, animagus.' She muttered. She was thankful that this didn't count as magic; she wasn't casting a spell just muttering an incantation. She cringed when she felt a second heartbeat, a faster one than hers; it made her feel slightly lightheaded. Then she rejoiced, that meant she was doing everything correctly.

A tapping on her window alerted her to the presence of Hedwig.

'Hello dear.' She said, opening the window to let the bird in. The snowy owl went straight to the cage where her beloved raven Freddie sat eating a strip of raw chicken.

Hermione worked around the owl taking a drink to untie the small letter around its leg.

_Hermione! _The letter began.  
_Someone sent me a Firebolt for my Birthday how amazing is that!_  
_See you at the ball tomorrow!_  
_Harry_

She groaned just as Hedwig took flight again.

'Oh Harry, how can you not think that's suspicious. Oh and we're just fixing things up.' She shut her eyes.

Sighing she pulled out a spare bit of parchment.

_Professor McGonagall_   
_Harry's mysteriously received a Firebolt for Christmas and I think it's mighty suspicious. I think Sirius Black may have sent it to him. Please could you find out more. I hope you're having a merry Christmas._   
_Granger_

She sighed.

'Freddie, my good pal. Would you mind a quick trip up to Scotland? I'll be at Regia when you get back.'

The raven playfully nipped at her fingers as she bound the scroll to his leg but dutifully set off.

Her parents were also getting ready; they were going to a party at their friend's house while Hermione was gone; The Smiths son was away in the army and they usually hosted a little gathering on Christmas day.

Draco arrived in a brilliant flurry of green fire right on time; he was baring a case of champagne for her parents.

'Thank you for letting me steal Hermione away from you.' He handed the case to her father. 'My uncle sent you this.'

Her father thanked him for the gift.

Robert Granger pulled the bottle out and analysed it. '1415 Lady of Agincourt?'

Draco smiled. 'Yeah my uncle ordered an extra crate for you when he was placing the order for the ball. You probably shouldn't drink it around other muggles, it's well - you'll see.'

Draco had picked up her bags and stepped back through the fire.

'Have fun poppet.' Her mother hugged her goodbye.

Her father, still holding up a magnificent bottle of bubbly in glee, wrapped one arm around her and lightly kissed the top of her head in farewell. 'Be good for the King.'

She took a deep breath and stepped through the flames to emerge in the, now familiar but always stunning, marble palace of Regia.

It was quiet, much quieter than usual. Hermione supposed all the non-essential staff were with their families for Christmas. Hermione and Draco passed by The Kings faithful right -hand man Banes, who nodded to them as he hurried past them with a long parchment checking things off as he went.

Hermione, with her little legs, had to jog to keep up with Draco. ‘What’s the rush?’

‘Oh, we’re going to the temple soon. Got to make the grand arrival and that. We’re a bit strapped for time.’ He told her as he led her to her rooms, she had been given the same rooms as usual across from Draco’s family.

Narcissa and Matilda were waiting inside with a team of house-elves.

‘Hermione, dear! Merry Christmas!’ The Duchess was dressed in fine long golden robes, as was Matilda. Matilda was wearing her usual crown and Narcissa was in her Duchess coronet. Apparently going to church for them required full royal regalia.

‘Draco go and get ready; we’re leaving in ten minutes.’ Matilda told her cousin before shooing him from the room.

‘Let’s get you ready dear.’ Narcissa told her, guiding her to sit on the couch as a house elf approached with a make-up box.

‘Can I not go like this?’ She asked.

Matilda shook her head. ‘What do muggles call it? Sunday best? But you’re a royal guest so it’s on a royal scale.’

Hermione sighed. ‘I don’t think I brought anything good enough for royal scale.’

Narcissa laughed. ‘Don’t worry, I’ve seen to your wardrobe for your visit.’

The house elves made quick work on her face, a natural glow look with detailed eyeshadow and eyeliner made her eyes stand out further. Another elf was working on trying her hair into a low chignon and wove a golden ribbon into the neat updo.

‘Now, only the royal family can wear gold to this.’ Matilda told her as she pulled out a long garment bag. ‘My dad said that since you’re an official guest the ribbon in the hair would be fine but I still want you to stand out with us so-’

Matilda pulled out the long black dress from the bag. 


	43. Christmas - Part two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm losing the will to live with this new laptop. Every time I copy and paste this over from word it takes out every new line and I then have to in and put all the paragraphs and new lines back in and it keeps shifting my screen and I CAN'T EVEN MOVE THE BOODY BOX THAT THE TEXTS IN SO I'M JUST GUESSING WHERE I AM. Does anyone know how to fix this??? If not, you're just getting massive blocks of text from now on because doing this made me lose the will to live.

The floor length black gown was elegant in the extreme. Matilda admired Hermione in it.

‘I’m going to make my dad have an old-timey ball theme, I think. You’d look amazing in a hoop skirt.’ The Princess mused.

The Princess was taken from the room by her private guard Tom. ‘The coaches are here, my lady.’ He had told her.

With the absence of Lucius, Hermione would have his spot.

In the front carriage would be the King, Princess and Duchess. Narcissa had left Hermione to her own devices for a moment.

She used the moment waiting for Draco to take the special box from her bag that contained her animagus potion and move it to the safety of her wardrobe, where no light would dare penetrate the box.

Draco arrived with a polite knock on her door. He was wearing a black suit with a golden tie and pocket square, he wore a black cloak with golden stars and had a white cloak over his arm, clearly intended for Hermione.

‘You look beautiful.’ He told her with a smile and she mockingly spun on the spot for him.

He held up the cloak and placed it around her shoulders and did up the ribbon to fasten it. His hands had an unnoticeable tremor as he did the ribbon into a bow while Hermione watched his eyes.

Once he was done, she coughed and stepped back, ‘thanks.’

He offered her his arm. ‘Let’s go, they’re waiting on us.’

There was a second empty carriage behind the royals. ‘Usually that for my parents and me.’

He pushed her towards the empty coach, not giving her time to admire the two Abraxan’s pulling the coach.

The King looked back at her from his conversation with his daughter and sister-in-law to offer her a smile and a wave, which she returned.

The carriages pulled off from the palace and led them down the roads of the nearby town towards the temple. Some crowds had gathered to wave them as they passed, and dissaperated once the coaches had passed. Draco had told her they were going to get their seats in the temple.

‘Do they not think it’s odd I’m in this carriage.’ Hermione had asked once the temple came into view and the crowds had disappeared.

He shook his head. ‘No, you’re the Kings guest. Did you not see the Prophet this morning?’ 

She shook her head.

‘I’ll show you later. It basically said that for your help last year with the Basilisk the King has made you his personal guest over Christmas.’ Draco told her.

She laughed. ‘What help? I was laying unconscious in bed.’

Draco rolled his eyes. ‘I’m not hashing this out with you again. I wouldn’t have figured out what animal it was without you, you deserved the award and you deserve this.’

‘Let’s agree to disagree huh?’ She lightly punched him in the arm.

There was a large crowd in front of the beautiful temple as the carriages came to a stop. Everyone bowed and curtseyed as the King and Princess as they climbed down from the carriage. The King looked spiffing in his golden suit and black tie; the exact opposite of what Draco was wearing. The King was aging well, his blond hair was turning to gray and wrinkles were beginning to set in around his eyes.

The High Priestess was waiting for the King and dropped to her knees in front of him.

‘Your Grace.’ She welcomed him to the temple.

He offered a hand to help her back up from the cold floor.

The Priestess was wearing a long silver gown, Hermione and Draco saw her arms and gasped. She was absolutely covered in marks just like the ones on their wrists. She saw them both starring and frowned, as one they lifted their wrists and realisation dawned on her face, remembering the letter exchanged. She winked at them both as she led the King inside, the wink conveyed the message “we’ll talk later” to them both.

Hermione and Draco exchanged a hopeful glance, the priestess was covered in markings similar to the ones on their wrist, absolutely covered. Answers lay ahead.

The church was already quite full, for a religion on its way-out Hermione was impressed with the turnout.

‘Oh yeah, there’s been a massive resurgence.’ Draco told her. ‘No idea why.’

‘Well, it’s all true and the rituals work, so that’s probably got something to do with it.’

Draco offered her his arm once again, and they went into the temple.

The giant statue of Vutris had been decorated with several floral arrangements for the special occasion. The crowds from outside the church lined the back of the church, the benches were already full of people dressed in their best.

The royal family, plus Hermione, made their way to the very end of the aisle to where an empty pew was waiting for them.

The Priestess did go on a bit, Hermione could see how Draco found this to be boring, but finding out more about the Gods and creation myths which she wasn’t sure were myths was fascinating for her.

'You see? It's not a service, it's anaesthetic.' Draco complained to her.

‘Shh, I think it's cool.'

After about an hour, the service ended with several of the more devoted followers disappearing upstairs to make use of the rooms up there. Hermione had glanced around and unfortunately spotted Rita Skeeter and her quick quotes quill in the corner, her eyes were fixed on Hermione with an excited glint.

‘We’ll walk back to the castle uncle.’ Draco told his uncle who was making his way back to the carriages.

‘Alright. But make sure you’re back in an hour so you have time to get ready for dinner.’

Draco nodded and the King and other members of the royal family bid them farewell.

‘Your Highness.’ The Priestess indicated for the pair to follow her behind a curtain, revealing an office – library combination.

‘From your letters I’ve been able to read up on your marks. They’re incredibly rare, matching marks like that. You can’t get rid of them but the good thing is that only someone touched by a God can see them, that’s why you can suddenly see my marks.’ She told them, showing them an extract from a large tome.

‘You have so many.’ Hermione remarked, examining the woman.

There was a ten-pointed star in the middle of her forehead that her eyes kept drifting to. Draco was examining the same mark to the extent she noticed.

‘I got this one when I was sworn in ass High Priestess.’ She raised a finger to lightly brush over it. ‘I’m the only one in the world with it. The rest of my marks are shared by the other priests and priestesses in the temples around the world.’

The Priestess handed the tome over to the young pair, ‘you can borrow this whenever you want Sir.’ She told Draco. ‘Just write and I’ll get it sent to you as long as it comes back to the temple within three days.’

‘I can take it out of the temple?’ He asked shocked.

She raised a brow. ‘Well sir, your family do own the temple and everything in it.’

The walk back in her long gown was slightly tricky, Draco clearly hadn’t considered that. He eventually got frustrated with her slow pace, cast a weightless charm on her for which she told him off ‘oh please this is a magical town they’re hardly going to know it was me are they?’, and picked her up for the rest of the walk home.

‘People better not see this.’ She muttered to him as she slung her arm around his neck.

Draco in response jumped up and down until she squealed at him to stop at once. He did heed her words though and left the pathway to walk home through the trees instead.

‘Are you sure you know the way back through these trees?’ She asked.

He gave her a blank look. ‘I grew up playing hide and seek in these woods Granger. I could find my way back blindfolded, and I actually had to once my charming cousin stuck the blindfold to me when I was six because I wouldn’t leave her and Tom alone.’

She laughed. ‘How long did that take you?’

‘I fell into the stream. My uncle and to send out a search party. Eventually a dryad of the forest found me. He made Matilda go and sit in the same stream for two hours as punishment’ He told her.

‘A tree spirit found you?’

He nodded.

She smiled. ‘Tell me more stories.’ She rested her head on the crook on his neck and he tightened his arms around her back and legs, she didn’t weigh anything at the moment but he still didn’t want to risk dropping her.

Draco told her all about life as a child in the palace, apparently there used to be a maze on sight until he and Matilda had gotten lost in it for hours, the magic on the maze prevented anyone finding them using magical means and so a team of eight Aurors had been dispatched into the maze to find the two sobbing children. The King had promptly burnt it once they were rescued.

‘It’s funny.’ Draco mused.

‘What’s that?’ She asked.

‘I always wanted a little sibling,’ He told her. ‘Now I’ve got one.’

She smiled gently up at him. ‘Not quite the way you expected?’

He snorted. ‘No. I kind of have to hate him on my mother’s behalf, don’t I?’

She nodded. ‘He is still your brother though, it’s okay to love him.’

‘Well, the mistress and my new brother will be at the ball tomorrow, you can get the measure of them.’ He told her.

‘Are we nearly back?’ She asked. ‘I’m getting pins and needles in my leg.’

‘Yes, must be terribly difficult being carried.’ Draco shot back sarcastically. She playfully batted his arm. ‘It’s your fault anyway, we should have just had the carriage wait for us.’   
‘I wanted you to myself for a bit sue me.’ He told her.

‘Dude I’m staying with you for the next two days!’ She laughed.

‘Yeah but we won’t be alone, will we? Can’t exactly slip off under the watchful eye of my mother, can we?’

‘Hey where’s your guard?’ She asked.

‘Tonks? With her parents, my uncle gave her the day off.’ Draco told her.

‘Is that safe?’ Hermione gasped, looking around the surrounding trees for any sign of madmen.

‘Of course, I’m with you.’ Draco told her.

‘I’m not that good Drake.’ She told him, but she did pull her wand out of the small sleeve of her cape and rested it over her stomach just in case.

‘Granger, you cursed Voldemort in the face. I think you can handle anything. You’re sort of brilliant you know.’

She rolled her eyes at him, although she couldn’t help think that he was sort of brilliant too.

The castle loomed back into view through the thinning tree line. Drack very lightly kissed her forehead and gently placed her back down.

‘Returned in under an hour as promised.’ He smiled at her.

She pulled her cloak tighter to fight off the chill that had come as the sun had set. ‘Do you think it’ll snow tonight?’ She asked as they walked inside.

He shook his head. ‘Nah, not this year. Oh, great my mother’s spotted us.’

The Duchess of Wiltshire was making her way outside, she had changed into a knee length version of the golden dress she had worn to the temple.

‘There you are! I was about to send out a search party.’ She said.

Draco frowned at her. ‘Mum, we’ve been less than an hour.’

She took both of their hands and led them upstairs. ‘Hermione dear your hair will do for dinner; I’ve laid out your dinner dress on your bed love off you go.’

Hermione hurried up to her rooms where, similarly to Narcissa, a knee length version of her current dress was waiting for her. She slipped her long dress off and left it over the back of the chair in front of her vanity and slid on the shorter dress, Narcissa had placed some large silver hoops next to the dress which she quickly put on. She couldn’t go down until someone, hopefully a house elf or a woman came to her rescue, the dress was done up with buttons from the lower back to her shoulder blades. A knock on the door caught her attention.

‘My mother sent me to get you.’ Draco smiled at her; he had kept the suit pants on but had changed into a simple white shirt.

She sighed. ‘I think your mum is playing matchmaker.’ She told him.

He raised a brow at her. ‘Why?’

She turned around to reveal her bare back, the dress had a built-in bra meaning her back was entirely bare of anything. ‘Will you do me up?’

Draco did as ordered and quickly fastened the buttons on her dress, he lightly stroked back down her back once he had finished. ‘You’re done.’ He told her and she turned around.

His cheeks had a slightly pink tinge to them as she thanked him. Arm in arm, they made their way into one of the smaller dining rooms.

The King sat at the head of the table, his mother was to his right and Matilda sat at the other end of the table. Two spaces had been set up for them on the left side of the table.

The three adults in the room couldn’t contain their grins.

‘What kept you?’ Matilda asked playfully.

Draco shot her a scathing look.

Hermione went to sit down while Draco went to kiss his mother’s cheek, Hermione would swear before witnesses that he pinched her.

‘The dresses are beautiful Narcissa, thank you.’ Hermione told her once Draco had come to sit next to her.

Narcissa smiled to the girl. ‘You’re very welcome darling.’

The King barked out a laugh. ‘I assume my dear sister has provided you a small wardrobe for a two-day trip?’

Hermione blushed and nodded, her wardrobe she noticed was very well stocked.

‘Hermione, what is your cause this year?’ The King asked her over his roast potatoes. They were having a traditional Christmas dinner.

Draco groaned next to her, ‘don’t get her started uncle!’

Hermione lightly pinched the Earl next to her.

‘Werewolves and Dragon’s, sir.’ She told him firmly.

‘Dragons?’ He repeated back to her.

She nodded. ‘The ones in the bank. It’s a bit barbaric isn’t it?’

She angled her case perfectly to the King about the poor dragons used to guard high-priority vaults.

‘What would you suggest we use instead?’ The King asked, not in anger but genuine curiosity.

‘Leprechauns, Sir. Their entire race is struggling for work. They’d make excellent guards, anyone there that shouldn’t be and they can trap them with their rainbows.’ She told him.

The King nodded. ‘That’s a good idea actually. I’ll put it to the council.’

Hermione beamed. ‘And werewolves?’ She asked.

‘They’re dangerous Hermione.’ The King said gently.

Hermione shook her head. ‘I completely disagree if you don’t mind me saying. I think you should be making the Wolfsbane potion more readily available. Most of them can’t afford it, there should be some kind of scheme.’

The King nodded. ‘They would have to admit to being werewolves, I doubt anyone would agree to out themselves.’

‘I think people should be given the option to remain in control Sir. If you were infected, wouldn’t you want the option?’ She asked.

‘How would you fund it Hermione? If it is so expensive?’ Matilda asked.

‘Well, I’ve been thinking. You could sell tickets for the Christmas ball. Not a lot, One Galleon per person ought to do it. You get like four hundred people coming each year, right? Or you could just ask for donations as a part of your Christmas speech for a different cause each year?’

The King nodded. ‘I’ll think about it.’ He told her just as their plates were cleared away.

After dinner the royals exchanged presents. Hermione, due to rules, was only ever able to buy a present for Draco and had bought him a muggle book on space exploration which he was currently say in the corner devouring.

Draco had gifted her a rare volume on the history of Hogwarts written by the early headmasters of the school, she squealed in delight and gave him a tight hug in thanks. Her gift from Narcissa was all the new clothes in her wardrobe that were hers to keep. The King and Matilda (she suspected Matilda had done the selecting) had bought her a new winter cloak and matching boots.

Presents were interrupted by Tracey’s owl.

‘Concord?’ She asked as the sleek owl swooped down into the living room where Draco, Matilda, and Hermione were say playing cards.

The letter on its leg was addressed to her.

‘I still don’t understand why she called him that.’ Draco told her.

‘Because he’s so fast.’ Hermione told him, not looking up as she unfastened the letter.

_HERMIONE GRANGER. _  
_LOOK AT THE EVENING ADDITION OF THE PROPHET AT ONCE AND THEN TELL ME WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON._  
_TRACEY. _

Hermione frowned. ‘Has the evening Prophet arrived yet?’ She asked.

Matilda looked at her watch. ‘It’s got to fly up from London, should be here any second.’

Any second didn’t have to wait as Banes, the King’s faithful man, emerged from the fire clutching several copies of the paper.

‘Sir, you need to see this.’ He said in his cold voice. The King and Narcissa were sat at the couches enjoying a glass of brandy each.

As he walked by he handed a copy of the paper to Matilda, who gasped and quickly tossed the paper to Draco and Hermione.

‘Oh no.’


	44. Christmas - part three

‘Well that’s a bit of a change of tone from the morning edition.’ The King finally spoke.

Indeed, the morning edition that Draco had shown her after dinner sung her praises and spoke of her as a royal guest. Currently Hermione was open-mouthed in shock at what was in front of her. There were two images, the first was of her and Draco snuggled for warmth in the coach on the way to the temple. The second and larger image was of Draco carrying her into the woods. 

FUTURE COUNTESS?  
YOUNG LOVE  
PRE-MARITAL RELATIONS?  
WHAT DID HE CARRY HER INTO THE WOODS FOR?  
IMMINENT ANNOUNCEMENT EXPECTED  
INNAPROPRIATE RELATIONS?

Were the main phrases that leapt out at her.

Hermione, in fury, looked down to see who had written such an article. The entire thing didn’t once mention her as anything other than Draco’s future wife and a good bit of arm candy, it was of course written by Rita Skeeter. 

‘She’s suggesting I’m some slag!’ Hermione muttered to Draco in anger, low enough that the adults couldn’t hear her language.

‘Exactly why did you carry Miss Granger into the woods Draco?’ The King asked in a stern voice.

‘I couldn’t walk back in my dress and shoes sir. We went through the woods so nobody would see us and get the wrong idea.’ Hermione instantly came to Draco’s defence, not standing for this implication of impropriety.

The King nodded.

‘We can put out that she went over on her ankle.’ Matilda said. ‘That should shut them up.’

The King nodded and looked to his man. ‘Banes, see to it. I want it in the morning edition.’

‘We’ll put a bandage around her ankle tomorrow night to sell it.’ Narcissa mused.

Matilda nodded. ‘We’ve got a long dress for you Hermione. Make sure you lift the skirts a few times just to show off the bandage when you know people will see. But do so subtly.’ 

Hermione nodded at her new orders and Banes disappeared through the fire again.

‘Maybe you two should distance yourselves at the ball tomorrow. Dance with other people and be seen doing so.’ The King told them.

‘I don’t dance.’ Draco told the King.

‘You dance with Hermione, dance with your other friends.’ Narcissa told him firmly.

‘But-’ Draco began.

‘This article is saying you are acting inappropriately with Hermione, her reputation could be damaged.’ Matilda told him gently.

‘It also at the same time makes out she’ll be your wife. If you don’t wish for me to announce your engagement tomorrow then you will do as you are told.’ The King said.

‘We’ll make sure we dance and socialise with others.’ Hermione assured the King while Draco pouted next to her.

Draco eventually excused them and escorted her back to her quarters.

‘Have I ever told you how much I have that Skeeter bint?’ Draco told her.

She laughed. ‘It’s alright. I dance with our other friends anyway, Pansy will expect you to dance with her and I’m sure you can manage a lap around the dance floor with Tracey, Millie, and Daph?’   
He rolled his eyes. ‘I only dance when I have to.’

‘You always dance with me.’ Hermione reminded him gently.

‘I only dance when I want to then, and I don’t want to dance with anyone else.’ He stated finally.

‘But you will. Just join the group dances then if you’re so keen on being stubborn, do the Italian Momfrina and the Ladies Joy.’ She told him.

‘Fine.’ He pouted. ‘Goodnight Granger, Merry Christmas.’ He went for a hug, but then thought better and turned to retreat into his own room alone.

Hermione showered, relishing in the delightful floral scent of the magical bathroom before she climbed into bed in some new and fluffy pyjamas that Narcissa had provided as a part of the new wardrobe. Once settled, she lit the oil lamp on her bedside table and pulled out the new book Draco had gifted her.

_Discovery – An early account of Hogwarts by its early Headmasters. 1000-1450_

She excitedly flipped through the book for several hours, thankful for the Latin that Draco had taught her, the book was written in it. She had pulled out a pen and parchment was translating as she went.

_I was summoned once the noble Ravenclaw fell ill due to the curses resulting in the infamous duel. Before they left me in power, wrote the first headmaster of the school, each founder told me of a secret room they had each created-on site. _

Hermione looked up from her notes to make sure she had translated properly, she had thought Ravenclaw had just gotten sick and died but apparently there was some famous duel? The details, Hermione grumbled, had clearly been lost to history and she wished the author had been more specific. The duel could hardly be “infamous” if she had never heard of it.

_They would not tell me where these rooms were located, only saying that the worthy would locate them. I searched for many years but I never found any of them, I was worthy of running the school but alas not of unlocking her secrets._

Hermione finished the chapter on the first Headmaster before she oved on to the second, she had to guess it was early hours by now by she had a niggling suspicion that she would not stop until she either passed out or finished her translation.

_Those secret chambers alluded me as they did my predecessor. Hermione sighed. Until one Friday evening I was strolling the dungeons and I found a labyrinth of tunnels containing a vast number of rooms. I can only assume that these rooms were the creation of Hufflepuff due to the secrets I discovered in the tunnels. I left them untouched, as a memorial to the great lady who passed not ten years ago. _

Hermione knew she would not rest until she found these apparently lavish tunnels under the school, this was an amazing piece of knowledge in her hand and she wondered why these secrets held within weren’t more common knowledge, surely there were other copies of this book?

_Upon my appointment as fifth headmaster of this school I heard tales of secret rooms created by each founder from those who had supposedly found them, though I doubt I shall ever have that honour myself, I write in this journal in the hope it may aide a future descendant to discover them. _  
_The knowledge that Slytherin created a chamber that housed a monster is infamous now, I have no desire to find this room and it is certain that after three centuries since his passing that the beast is surely deceased. _  
_Numerous reports from respected fellows have led me to believe that Ravenclaw created her room on the seventh-floor to service the needs of any who find it. _  
_The Noble Gryffindor, to whose house I belonged, created a duelling arena, Hermione couldn’t help roll her eyes at the obviousness of it, located somewhere on the fourth floor. _  
_Previous headmasters have noted on the labyrinth that Hufflepuff created holds it entrance in the dungeon, I have spent many years searching but alas this wonder is not made for me. Previous Headmasters have written on the wonders that lay in the vast network of tunnels, a library of rare books now made rarer in age, lounges of safety, wardrobe of medieval clothes worn by the four founders themselves, even a swimming pool. These secret tunnels are rumoured to lead out beyond the village nearby, running under the black lake, even after extensive searches of the grounds and forest no entrance has been located. _

Hermione, yawning as the sun began to rise from a night of no sleep, placed her fully translated book down and pulled out the marauders map. Realising that the trace wouldn’t go off if she performed magic in a known magical location, she muttered the spell to activate it.

There was nothing on the seventh floor, or fourth floor to indicate a secret room. She spent even longer scanning the dungeon corridors for the entrance to what sounded like a wonder in itself of Hufflepuff’s making. There was nothing there. Sighing, she placed the map down, if the four boys didn’t know about these rooms then they wouldn’t appear on the map. It was only a sum of their knowledge after all.

There was a note from the headmaster on his deathbed in 1450: _One word keeps appearing in reference to these secret rooms as a form of fail-safe, if only I had been fortunate enough to discover their entrances, this word is “Ostium”._

The Latin word for entrance? Hermione rolled her eyes, not overly helpful. How could an entrance be a fail-safe? She wondered.

As the sun continued to rise, she completed the usual ritual chanting: ‘Amato Animo Animato Animagus,’ over the small box that contained her potion. She prayed for a thunderstorm soon, and that she did not have to wait years for it, she had grown used to the second heartbeat now that came with the chanting, it was faster and wilder than her own and she wondered what animal she would become.

Boxing day morning in the palace looked slightly like a battle-ground with numerous staff running around preparing for the day. Hermione had been put in one dress for luncheon with Narcissa and Draco, The King and Princess were busy receiving ambassadors and the like all day to the extent that none of them saw the royals in the day.

She and Draco were given an hour in which they explored the grounds, or rather Draco gave her the tour. Narcissa had indeed prepared a small wardrobe for Hermione, she was decked out in a new scarf, gloves, shoes, and warm outfit.

He showed her the sight of the infamous maze, apparently it kept trying to grow back.

‘Armand planted it.’ Draco told her. ‘Old Armand, not my uncle Armand.’

‘Why don’t you just let it grow back?’ She asked, she had never noticed the light scorch marks on the ground, she would wager the grass was usually coloured to hide this.

‘It’s dangerous I suppose. For little kids, it changed constantly.’ Draco told her.

‘You could just ward the entrance with an age line.’ Hermione frowned.

Draco frowned. ‘Take it up with the royal gardener.’

She jokingly punched him in the ribs. ‘Do you know who else has black invitations this year?’

‘Ah yes, let me list off all forty guests invited.’ He replied sarcastically.

‘You know what I mean! Anyone interesting?’ She asked.

He shrugged. ‘Well Potter’s got a black invite, if you consider him interesting.’

Hermione elbowed him again.

‘Fine! Fine! I think there’s some Quidditch player going, everyone with a Black Invite gets a feature in the Prophet we’ll have a look.’ He told her.

That morning’s paper had indeed issued the promised correction straight from the King’s mouth.

_King’s guest injured, Earl comes to the rescue_

The article had gone on about how she had gone over on her ankle, something there was apparently witnesses to. Hermione wondered if they had been paid off. It went on to say how Draco had carried her all the way back to the castle through the woods so that she wouldn’t get embarrassed about being injured. It painted them as dear friends, the antithesis of last nights article painting them as young lovers engaging in promiscuous activity in the woods with an imminent engagement in the cards. The King had given an approving nod apparently as he ate breakfast on the go that morning.

Hermione was taken upstairs early by the elves who were to get her ready. They waited patiently outside while she took a moment to shower. She excited the marble bathroom wearing a fluffy white dressing gown that Narcissa had given her, wet hair dripping onto the floor.

She was set down at the vanity as the main elf assigned to her, Verity, worked on drying her hair. Another elf was painting her toes silver and once she had finished that she took out a white bandage and wrapped it tightly around her left ankle, as per earlier arrangement she was pretending to be in ankle recovery tonight.

Once her hair was dry Verity placed it into a beautiful half-up-half-down style that would keep it out of her face while still hanging down her back. She was considering getting a hair-cut the next time she went into Hogsmede, her hair was longer than her barely-there breasts, she enjoyed pretending to be a mermaid in the bath no matter how old she got now.

A natural, as always, makeup was applied before she was ushered to stand.

Verity appeared with a new garment dress; Hermione took a deep breath when she saw what lay inside.

It was a silver halter V-neck backless dress that would reach the floor on her. The silver sequins on the dress seemed to shimmer like stars, it seemed magic was woven into the very fabric. She was given the same jewels as last time, the Agincourt necklace and accompanying bracelet and earrings. The red of the rubies stood out against the silver of her outfit.

  
‘Doesn’t it make sense to have all of my hair up if I’m wearing a backless dress?’ She asked.

The elf seemed to agree as she was ushered back into the chair and her hair changed for something Verity called a “Mohawk braid” that came to rest in a bun on the back of her head. A bolder eyeliner was added. She looked stunning, bold and powerful. She looked like a goddess in short, although she thought it might be considered blasphemy to think such a thing.

It had started to rain quite heavily outside; Hermione was confident there would be no outdoor activities planned for this night which she was immensely pleased over as she had not been provided a cloak.

She, at fourteen, wasn’t sure this dress was entirely age appropriate. But the Duchess selected her wardrobe so she couldn’t really argue on the subject of propriety if a royal duchess had practically dressed her.

The dress had no built-in bra and she wasn’t allowed to wear one with it. She was completely bare under the dress apart from her white underwear. For the first time she had been decreed old enough to wear a very small heel instead of flats. She pulled her wand from her bedside table and cast cushioning charms on the strappy silver shoe before she allowed the elf to fasten them on her.

Draco came to collect her and let out a breath when he saw her. ‘Bloody hell Granger.’

He was wearing a typical black suit although she did notice his pocket square was silver instead of white.

‘You look incredible.’ He gasped when she twirled on the spot for him, revealing her naked back.

‘Are you sure it’s okay? Not too revealing is it?’ She fretted.

Draco shook his head. ‘Nah, Matilda’s got a similar kinda deal on.’

Hermione let out a relieved breath. ‘Let’s go.’

The feast was six courses of indulgence, she was sat in between Matilda and the Italian Minister for Magic. Draco was all the way up at the other end of the table in between Harry and Dumbledore. It was okay not to be sat with her friends, she enjoyed the conversation with Matilda. She had been introduced to the man on the other side of Matilda, some Quidditch player named Victor who played Seeker for Bulgaria, he was very nice and Hermione promised him a dance later which left him in good spirits for the rest of the meal.

‘I get a meal wit’ a Princess and a beautiful genius.’ He had said happily through his thick accent.

‘My friends have told me all about you.’ Granger told Krum. ‘Bulgaria is set to make it into the Quidditch Word Cup Finals?’

Krum nodded in delight. ‘Ya!’

Matilda, it turned out, as an avid Quidditch fan. She spent dessert listening to the Princess and the Seeker having an animated conversation about the game.

Once dinner was over the forty guests moved into the ballroom, joining the other guests. Harry, who looked rather dashing in his new suit, escorted her in. Hermione instantly rushed over to Daphne, who was wearing a long pink dress.

‘Gosh you look splendid! I love your hair!’ Daphne squealed.

Her other friends greeted her. Blaise seemed preoccupied looking into the distance.

Hermione followed her gaze. ‘Is that?’ She asked.

Blaise nodded. ‘Eloise Lestrange holding one Nicholas Malfoy. Haven’t you seen her before?’

‘She was very pregnant at the time.’ She mumbled, there was a decent sized crowd of mostly women surrounding the young mother, who was cradling a new-born in her arms. 

‘Let’s go have a look.’ Pansy, who was wearing a very – incredibly short – silver dress. She had an empty glass of champagne, Daphne leaned over and told Hermione in hushed tones that it was her third glass in half an hour.

Pansy led the way over to the mistress.

‘Lady Lestrange!’ Pansy greeted her as if she were an old friend even though Hermione knew for a fact they had never been formally introduced.

‘How has she lost all of her baby weight in a month?’ Hermione muttered to Daphne who shrugged.

Nicholas Malfoy was wrapped in a fine blue silk, was adorable. He was nearly identical to Draco and the King, although he had his mother’s delicate chin. At a month old, Draco had told her that hundreds of expectant mothers were trying to engage their unborn daughters to the illegitimate royal.

Hermione thanked whatever God may be listening that Lucius Malfoy was not allowed to attend. She absolutely hated the man but she had to admit, the man bred good-looking children.  
There were actual fairies flying around the ceiling of the room, imitating stars being on the loose in the ballroom, there had been two large Christmas trees placed on either side of the thrones decorated elegantly with tinsel, lights, baubles, and crimson bows.

The usual purple robed servants were making the rounds handing out glasses of bubbly ready for the Kings toast.

The royal family entered. The King escorted his sister-in-law, Matilda was escorting in some unknown ambassador that Hermione thought may have been Australian, Draco was escorting in some ambassador’s daughter. It was a sweet image really, the young girl had ivory skin and raven hair and looked to be about eleven, this was probably her first ball. The young girl was clearly infatuated with Draco, who seemed terribly embarrassed by how keen the girl was.

The King settled on his throne and began his speech. ‘My dear friends, this Christmas I call for us all to be united as we strive to continue the peace.’

The Kings eyes briefly flicked to Hermione and he smiled.

‘I have been asked this year to sponsor a charitable cause.’ He stood from his throne. All eyes were on him now this wasn’t his usual line. ‘Tonight, I am asking each family to donate, any amount they should choose, to make Wolfsbane readily available to Werewolves.’

The room erupted in chatter at this.

‘This was brought to me by one of this worlds brightest lights, wouldn’t you want access to the potion if you were infected?’ His voice carried, silencing the room. ‘I am asking your families to donate to the designated people at the door, they accept cash or coin, I believe that this shall be a new tradition for us, my friends. Each year I shall now take applications for a new charitable cause and the Christmas ball shall be used to fund it.’

This announcement was met by cheers.

‘Why doesn’t the King just fund it himself?’ Pansy sneered next to her. ‘I’m not giving any of my money to grubby little wolves.’

Hermione glared at her. ‘If the King funded every charity going, he’d have no money, and you'd best hope that if you get infected people will be kinder than you.’

Pansy rolled her eyes. ‘It wouldn’t be much different for you I suppose, your bloods already rotten isn’t it?’

‘Merry Christmas to you too, dear.’ Hermione smiled back at the girl just in time to raise her glass to the Kings toast.

  
The ball was opened by the royals, the crowd forming a circle around them.

‘Mabel?’ Hermione asked the girl next to her. ‘You’re Mabel, aren’t you?’

Mabel had dropped out of her fifth year at fifteen a year ago to marry a rich Frenchman twenty years her senior on her parents orders. Hermione was very shocked, but also not at all surprised, to see the girl heavily pregnant. She must have been taken with child a few weeks after marriage, clearly her older husband was very pleased in his young wife and had lavished her in his attentions.

The girl had very pale skin despite living in the sunny south of France, had warm brown eyes, and wore her auburn hair in a high braided bun. Her wedding ring stood proudly on her left hand, since she was yet to deliver her first child, she still wore the pearls of a young woman engaged. Pearls were usually worn from pre-engagement until either a child was born or they turned twenty-five, although Hermione had discovered it was incredibly rare for a woman to pass even twenty-two without bearing a child.

She smiled at Hermione, ‘Yes, you’re Hermione Granger, right?’

Hermione nodded. ‘How’s married life?’ She asked conversationally as the royal family went through the steps of the opening waltz.

‘I enjoy running my own household.’ Was her response. ‘It suits me well.’

‘And where is your husband?’ Hermione asked.

‘He’s in the Rivera servicing his latest mistress.’ Mabel informed her, as lightly as one discussed the weather.

‘Oh?’ Hermione asked, the conversation paused to applaud the royals before everyone drifted off to dance.

Mabel offered the younger girl her arm. ‘Come, take a lap of the room with me.’

The two girls began their walk of the perimeter.

‘Wizarding men are not expected to be loyal in marriage.’ Mabel told her, ‘I knew when I married him that he would not be faithful.’

‘Then why marry him?’ Hermione asked.

‘I will enjoy my time as a wealthy widow Hermione.’ Mabel smiled. ‘That’s my retirement plan. I enjoy my life dear; I’ve faired far better than some girls have, I am a patron to the arts and charities of France.’ The older girl told her.

‘But your husband isn’t faithful, how can you stand it?’ Hermione asked. This was a Slytherin-on-Slytherin conversation, Hermione was always relieved by the frankness her fellow housemates shared.

Mabel sighed. ‘John and I get on well, I never expected loyalty in a husband, only to be provided a comfortable life which he has done. We are friends and I have a good life; I honestly am happy.’ Mabel caught her disbelieving expression. ‘There’s nothing wrong with drawing strength from a feminine life.’

They continued the lap of the room exchanging small stories about her life in France, she had apparently just sponsored another artist.

‘You should take up an art Hermione, I remember thinking that whenever I saw you in the common room. Women need to promote themselves in all areas, not just as a brilliant brain.’ Mabel instructed her. ‘Take him for example,’ Mabel nodded to Draco, who was grumbling his way through a group line-dance with Pansy. ‘The woman he marries will need to be refined in all areas.’

Hermione shrugged. ‘Good thing I’m not marrying him then.’

Mabel sighed. ‘The same is true for any man in this room. If you mean to marry at all in your life you need to broaden your skills. Are you musically inclined?’

Hermione laughed. ‘Not at all, my singing sounds like someone drowning a cat.’

Mabel laughed at that. ‘Me too, not musical talent at all. I paint instead, you should take that up, any old sod can paint landscapes.’

They completed the lap and detached themselves.

‘Thank-you for your company, it has been most instructing.’ Hermione smiled at the older girl, though she wanted nothing more than to shake some sense into this mad world.

Hermione often thought that the Wizarding world had stopped progressing in the seventeen-hundreds, it was a sad day when the Muggle world did something better than the magical one. Perhaps she would take it up with the King, she could start her own women’s rights campaign. She had heard from Daphne that the debutants ball had only been abolished some six years ago, a terrible practice that muggles had done away with decades ago.

She made her way to Daphne, who was stood with Blaise and both were nursing their almost empty champagne glasses. She stood in between the pair and linked her arms with both of them.

‘What are we looking at?’ She smiled at them; Daphne giggled lightly.

‘Well, you have your choice of amusements, my dear.’ Blaise smiled down at her, looking dapper in his new suit of deep plum. ‘To your left, you shall see Pansy forcing Draco to dance with her.’

Hermione eagerly glanced to her left to see Draco holding Pansy an arms width away from him as they spun around the floor with the other couples, he looked bored and angry.

‘Oh, dear me.’ Hermione laughed. ‘I think he was hoping to only see her in the group dances, how did this come about?’

‘The last dance finished and she gripped hold of him so he couldn’t walk away.’ Daphne laughed.

‘And to your right.’ Blaise motioned and Hermione’s eyes followed.

‘Oh, how sweet!’ Hermione gushed.

Harry and Ginny, both blushing but managing a graceful appearance, were among the couples dancing together.

The dance ended and Draco ran away from Pansy before she could keep him for the third, he came over to the small group.

‘I think it’s the quick step next. Daph come push me around the floor.’ Blaise said cheerfully as Draco finally arrived at them. ‘Draco, you and Hermione can join us!’

Draco and Hermione both glared at the Italian, but the invite had been heard by those surrounding them and he was forced to offer her his arm.

Once the new couples were settled on the floor for the dance the fast music began. Placing a hand into Draco’s and the other on his shoulder, his hand firmly found her waist.

‘At least people will see the bandage.’ Hermione whispered to him, to which he rolled his eyes in response.

Hermione was very thankful Daphne had taught her all the popular dances, the Slytherin girls often practiced steps together in their bedroom.

Draco led her through the very fast dance, they both smiled and laughed as they bounced through the steps. To their right, Blaise and Daphne were making even more laughter as Blaise purposefully jumped higher than was necessary for the entertainment of his friend.

Once the dance was over, and partners bowed and curtseyed. Hermione loudly spoke to Draco. ‘I think I’ll sit out the next, my ankles killing me.’

Several people had indeed seen her bandage come to sight during the dance and this statement was the final confirmation they needed in this tale of injury.

‘Do you want me to come with you?’ He asked, the hope of being excused from the dance floor was clear in his eyes.

‘Oh no, I think it’s the ladies joy next. You should stay, Tracey is just over there and I doubt she’s dances yet.’

Hermione waved Tracey over.

‘Traitor.’ Draco hissed at her, causing a sly smile to appear on her face as she waved the pair off in the next dance.

Harry had been taken up in conversation in Neville leaving Ginny stood talking with an unknown blond.

‘Ginny dear, you and Harry danced very well.’ Hermione greeted the girl with a hug.

‘So did you and Draco.’ Ginny smiled back.

‘And who is this?’ Hermione turned to the small blond girl, she had a kindly face and was dressed in sky blue robes. The elegant look was slightly put off by the girls knotted hair and radish earrings.

‘This is Luna Lovegood. She’s a Ravenclaw in my year.’ Ginny introduced the pair.

‘It’s good you wear white gold.’ The odd blond stated. ‘It’s said to be effective against contracting Nargle-pox.’

Hermione gave a bemused look. ‘Nargle-pox?’

Ginny smiled fondly at the blond.

‘You break out in a terrible green rash; it washes off though.’ Lovegood replied.

‘Have you had this affliction in the past?’ Hermione enquired, humouring the girl.

Luna nodded. ‘Oh yes. I remember it clearly; my father had cut the grass and I’d rolled around in it. The Nargles must be attracted to freshly cut grass because when I got up, I had formed the green rash.’

‘And you don’t think you just stained yourself on the freshly cut grass?’ Hermione asked, trying not to laugh in the girl’s face.

Luna shook her head. ‘My father has a charm to prevent that which he uses every time he cuts the grass. Oh, he’s waving me over. I’ll catch you later Ginny!’

The blond girl walked away, twirling occasionally as she went to a man dressed in bright pink wigs who was talking to the King animatedly. The King seemed to be enjoying the conversation, or at least, he seemed amused.

‘Interesting friends you keep Gin.’ Hermione turned to the Weasley with a grin.

‘She’s a little odd, I’ll give you that. But she’s a good one and I don’t have many of them.’ Ginny said.

‘What do you mean?’ Asked Hermione with a frown.

Ginny sighed. ‘Ever since I was possessed, Luna is the only person in my year who still speaks to me. Everyone else is scared of me.’

Hermione rolled her eyes. ‘Oh please, I was one of the people petrified and I think the Giant Squid is scarier than you.’

Ginny smiled. ‘There’s no denying it though, I only have Luna as a friend my own age. It’s a good thing I have you, Harry, and Neville. Else I’d be alone all my days.’

Hermione ended this morbid conversation by sending Ginny off to dance the next waltz with Harry again while Neville and she danced too.

Fred and George then joined her for a drink, they had acquired three more glasses of champagne and passed one to Hermione.

‘Your parents seem in good spirits.’ Hermione noted, watching the wedded Weasleys spin around the floor with bright smiles.

All the Weasley’s were indeed much better dressed this year than usual, Hermione could only think of the money the King was throwing at them annually. She didn’t know the exact number but knew it was a bloody big amount.

Fred nodded. ‘Dad had his bill passed the other week and he’s been promoted to the Head of Muggle relations, overseeing his old department, oh and the house is coming along.’ Fred said.

George had wandered off to engage Angelina Johnson in a dance.

‘It’s a big job, right? Ginny was telling me.’ Hermione asked as she drank her champagne.

Fred nodded. ‘Yeah, the King’s giving us an annual sum for the next ten years. Mum and dad are still being quite frugal, they’ve given some money to Bill and Charlie to put towards their own homes. But they’ve basically knocked the burrow down and rebuilt it. It’s a proper brick residence now.’ Fred beamed.

‘Oh?’ Hermione prompted him to go on, it was nice to hear a Weasley happy at their belongings.

‘There’s a large kitchen that mum loves and the dining room is actually big enough for us all. There are three sitting rooms, so we’re not all packed in now. Oh, there’s a conservatory for mum to use in the summer, it’s got her piano in it. We’ve all got decent sized bedrooms now which is great.’ He continued.

‘You are George have your own rooms now then?’ She asked conversationally.

He shook his head. ‘Originally yeah, but we had the builders knock down the wall between them. We’re just too used to each other’s company I suppose.’

Hermine gave him a fond smile, being around Fred and George often made her wish she had siblings of her own. Alas, her parents had struggled enough to conceive her, she knew not to get her hopes up for a little brother or sister.

‘Must be a very big house to fit you all in comfortably?’ Hermione enquired.

Fred beamed with excitement and nodded. ‘Four floors. Oh, and each floor has a bathroom so we’re not all sharing anymore!’

‘And I assume this took up your yearly payment?’ Hermione asked.

‘Half. And that includes furnishing it too. We’ve all got new robes and wands too! It’s great! Maybe I should get attacked next and we’ll have even more money.’ Fred joked, then he rolled his eyes.

‘Although it’s us and Ginny on the top floor so we share with her and she takes bloody ages in the shower and she’s always clogging the drain with the ridiculous amount of hair she has.’

Hermione laughed. ‘Her hair is very long now isn’t it?’

Ginny’s hair was currently in a long plait that ended at her lower back, it was longer than Hermione’s and that was saying something.

Eventually Fred had placed his hand on her bare back and guided her onto the floor for the next Waltz. He had kept his hand on her back throughout the dance instead of keeping it on her waist, she had teased and scolded him for holding her so close.

Once she was freed from the dance-floor, she waved to Narcissa and the King who were in the corner with several ambassadors seemingly engaged in some form of drinking competition, and made her way to Millie who was practically bouncing up and down with excitement.

‘What’s gotten you so worked up dear?’ Hermione asked, placing a calming hand on the girl’s arm.

It was then Hermione was regaled with the happy news, the royal dressmaker, the French witch who had once measured Hermione had met with Millie not thirty minutes prior. Millie, who was a big fashion fan, had been told by the famed designer that she would be advertising for a summer placement and that Millie should look her advert in the prophet. The last person to take a placement with the famed designer had been Madam Malkin ten years ago and the fact that the woman now knew Millie was sure to help her application to stand out.

Hermione had summoned over the rest of their friends, Pansy who had just cornered Draco for another dance was livid, in order to toast Millie.

‘To our future fashion star!’ The large group had toasted.

Once the friends had began to drift apart to dance or socialise again Hermione spotted a new blond friend and pulled Draco over for an introduction.

‘Luna, may I introduce Dra- I mean the Earl of Pemberley.’ Hermione said.

Luna dipped into a shockingly deep and graceful curtsey. ‘Your highness.’ She greeted.

‘Miss Lovegood.’ Draco said with a rehearsed and well-practiced smile. ‘I’ve been hearing all about you from Ginny and Hermione.’

  
Luna, wasn’t paying much attention and was seemingly admiring the building. ‘It was built by enslaved giants, this castle, they did a very good job of it considering their low intelligence.’

Once Luna had wondered away to take up Ginny, Harry, and Neville in conversation Hermione turned to Draco.

‘What do you think?’ Hermione smiled.

‘She’s bloody brilliant.’ Draco beamed. ‘Come on, you owe me once more dance. I can see Pansy coming over and I refuse to let her stand on my feet again tonight.’

**************************************************************************

Guys my new laptop hates this website and won't let me copy and paste it over properly. I just get one solid block of text and the page jumps about like mad every time I press enter to put it onto a new line. If there's a line where it shouldn't be from now on you'll just have to forgive me it's genuinely difficult and stressful to fix.

E x


	45. Owls and Wolves

The train journey back to school was spent with Draco and Harry teasing her for falling aspen on a chaise-lounge upstairs.

‘I told you, I didn’t sleep the night before!’ She had insisted.

‘Nah, I think you just couldn’t handle your champagne!’ Harry had teased and quickly earned an elbow to the ribs for his comment.

Hermione had told Draco all about the secret rooms she had stayed up all night reading about, she had then shown him the book and her translations. He had made one or two corrections, complimented her Latin skills and then they had begun to plan finding these secret rooms.

They would only have short times to find them, she was sitting her OWLs this year and had extra lessons with Snape and Flitwick, never mind regularly meeting with Neville to help him. Latin and flying lessons with Draco came first but once those tasks were complete, they were free to search the castle for the hidden rooms.

The pair had considered enlisting their friends, they would certainly stand a much better chance of finding these illusive rooms, but they had decided they wanted it to be “their thing” so to say. It was a good opportunity to spend time together alone and engage in free conversation without prying eyes.

‘Did you hear that McGonagall confiscated Harry’s new broom?’ Draco asked as they examined each portrait of the cold corridor for concealed entrances.

Hermione nodded. ‘Oh, I heard. She told him she overheard him talking about it at the ball, the second he got of the train she descended. Which is interesting.’

They moved on to the next portrait.

‘Why is that interesting?’ Draco asked.

‘Because McGonagall didn’t go to the ball this year.’ Hermione told him as she scanned her finger down the side of a large gilded portrait of the early potioneer’s society, who glared at her for disturbing their conversation. ‘Oh, you’ve all been dead for centuries, how important can your conversations be?’ She had snapped at the old men in the portrait.

‘So how did she find out?’ Draco asked, though his tone of voice hinted that he suspected the answer.

‘I wrote to her.’ Hermione said, moving to examine a crack in the wall. ‘If we can’t find an entrance down here, we’ll have to look around the grounds beyond Hogsmede when the weather improves.’

‘I suppose you had to; it does need to get checked.’ Draco nodded. ‘Good of the teacher to keep you out of it, Harry’s only just starting to forgive us. Although, I’m still not sure I forgive him for what he said.’

Hermione gave him a dry look and he put his hand up in mock surrender against his chest.

‘And how on earth do we get to sneak away from everyone in Hogsmede. “Oh, year don’t mind us we’re just going to slip away and look for the entrance to a secret tunnel, don’t wait up!” They’ll think we’re up to no good.’ Draco told her.

‘I suppose you’re right; we’ll just have to find the main entrance down here won’t we. Where did you tell Blaise you were going?’

‘Hmm? Oh, I told him you wanted an extra set of hands for a potions project. He think’s I’m doing some mundane stirring for you. Where does Daphne think you are?’ Draco answered.

‘Library.’ Was the answer. Hermione never needed to come up with long excuses to her friends on the rare occasions she could not tell them the truth, once the word library was mentioned they all seemed to tune out.’

‘I think I hear Peeves coming.’ Draco remarked. ‘We should probably call it a night.’

…

‘That was a remarkable dress you were wearing at the ball Granger.’ Fred told her as they excited Charms.

He had placed his hand on her lower back as he had when they danced.

‘You should show some skin more often.’ He teased her with a wink.

‘Ah yes, I’ll parade myself around like a tart and freeze to death for your amusement.’ She shot back sarcastically.

‘I don’t think I’d be the only person amused Granger, hasn’t anyone told you that you’re like in most people’s list for top five hottest witches?’ Fred raised a brow at her.

‘Oh! Stop teasing me I’m no such thing.’ She poked him in the ribs in an attempt to silence him.

‘I bet that Quidditch player you were with at the ball would agree with me.’ Fred said as they walked up the stairs to their next lesson.

‘Actually, Victor was a perfect gentleman. Unlike you he managed to keep his hands in the correct place.’ Hermione chided him, removing his hand from her lower back rather more forcefully than necessary.

‘You danced with him more than anyone, accept perhaps Draco, Krum seemed to be all eyes for you.’ Fred said with an easy grin.

Hermione rolled her eyes at the older boy. ‘Don’t be gross I’m fourteen and he’s seventeen, we only talked about his career and my studies it was all very appropriate.’

Fred snorted. ‘He was watching you all night you little minx. That’s five boys madly in love with you now.’

‘Oh give over! He lives in Bulgaria it’s unlikely we’ll ever meet again… And what five boys?’

‘Well me, obviously.’ She elbowed him in the ribs. ‘Draco-’

‘Draco doesn’t love me.’ She said with finality.

‘Yeah right, so that’s: me, Draco, Harry, Ron, and now poor Krum.’ He listed them off on his fingers as he went.

‘Ron? Ron hates my guts! And I hate to break this to you dear but Harry and your sister were looking pretty snug at the ball.’ Hermione teased.

‘Ew! Don’t talk about my sister like that she still thinks boys are gross-’ Hermione laughed at how wrong he was. ‘And haven’t you ever heard? Little boys pull on the pig-tails of girls they like.’ Fred told her. ‘I’m older than you, which makes me wiser, I know these things.’

‘Dude, he punched me and regularly tries to curse me, I promise he hates me.’ She assured the Weasley.

‘Hmmm, okay then four wizards that are in love with you. You’ll make a very fine wife one day, you’ll do well.’ He said, before pulling back to join George and Lee.

‘I aspire to much more than being someone’s wife.’ She grumbled to herself.

She turned to Angelina who was walking slightly ahead.

‘I love your hair today Granger.’ The girl told her, admiring the bun in Hermione’s hair. ‘Did Greengrass do that for you?’

Hermione nodded and then shook her head. ‘She taught me how to do it. Lace-braided bun she called it, want me to teach you?’

Angelina shook her head. ‘Bit too dainty for me, I’d never pull it off like you do.’

…

Dinner that day saw Oliver Wood arguing in the entrance hall with McGonagall over the return of Harry’s new Firebolt.

Harry, though, had sat with them at the Slytherin table that day. He seemed in better spirits.

‘Lupin’s started teaching me the anti-Dementor spell!’ He told Hermione excitedly.

‘Patronus.’ She corrected as she buttered her toast.

Harry waved her off. ‘Yes, yes! We’re practicing on a Boggart.’

Hermione nodded. ‘That’s a good idea. Snape hauled in an actual Dementor for my lessons.’ She couldn’t help shuddering at the memory.

‘Speaking of, I’ve got to go or I’ll be late for my lesson.’ She playfully ruffled his hair as she got up. Harry had shot a panicked glance at Ginny, but satisfied she hadn’t seen his untidy state, he hurriedly flattened his hair.

Hermione ate her slice of toast as she went down into the dungeon classrooms. Entering Snape’s classroom, she shuddered at the now familiar cold.

Pinned in the corner of the room by Snape’s doe Patronus, was the horrific ghostly figure of a Dementor.

‘Ah Granger, I was about to send out a search party.’ He sneered.

She glanced at the clock that hung on the back wall, ‘I’m three minutes early.’

‘Wand out.’ Snape barked.

Hermione was about to scold him for his attitude with her but then it occurred to her that keeping a Dementor in one’s office couldn’t improve a mood.

So far, she had only been able to conjure a thick mist that slightly resembled some form of wing, she wondered if her Patronus would take the form of a Raven like her beloved Freddie.

Once the wand was out, they reviewed the wand movement and pronunciation of spell several times before Snape went to stand by the door and cancelled his Patronus.

The Dementor loomed over her, filling her head with the most terrible images of giant snakes and bloody wounds, she raised her wand.

Snape had told her it was all about finding the correct memory. Her strongest results had so far been gained thinking about when McGonagall had told her she was a witch. She wasn’t sure what she had inside that was stronger than that.

As she was about to speak the incantation, a new thought that filled her with warmth popped into her head. She and Draco had once again shared his bed, innocently of course, having returned from searching for secret entrances rather later than intended. She had woken in the middle of the night laying on her left side with Draco’s arm thrown over her, holding her tight. She had revelled in his warmth and gone back to sleep. That peaceful feeling flooded her.

‘Expecto Patronum!’ She spoke firmly.

Out from her wand soared a magnificent owl. The creature flew bravely towards the Dementor, driving it back into the corner of the room. The form of the owl faded as Snape conjured his doe again.

‘Well enough.’ Snape said, from him she considered this high praise.

Snape left, escorting the Dementor back to the outdoors, and upon his return they split a chocolate bar to improve their moods before he sent her to bed.

She was in the common room, delighted with herself, when she heard the first crack of thunder.

She froze, unmoving for several minutes listening for more lightening strikes, once students began rushing in soaking wet muttering the words “lightning storm” Hermione acted quickly.

She rushed into her room to get the perfume box that contained her potion; not even stopping to grab a coat she hurried out of the common room, up the stairs, and out of the front door. There was indeed a lightning storm, it was time to transform.

She opened the box and pulled out the vial that contained her potion, it had turned blood red.

Removing the cork, she pulled her wand out and placed it over her heart, 'amato, animo, animato, animagus.' She felt the second, faster heartbeat, firmer than ever before.

Her hands shook, but not from the cold, she lifted the thick red potion to her lips and drank. To say it tasted foul was an understatement, but Hermione had bigger concerns.

A fiery pain and the intense double heartbeat were occupying her, forcing her onto all fours from the sheer intensity. She knew the first transformation could be painful and frightening, but this was an understatement. Yet, she persevered, she resisted the urge to fight the change.

She gasped for breath as the vision of a pack of wolves entered her mind.

She scrunched her eyes shut as the pain rippled through her body. But then it stopped.

Opening her eyes, she knew instantly it had worked, mainly because she was looking out of the eyes of a wolf.

Walking on four legs seemed to be coming very naturally to her as she stumbled her way over the black lake in the heavy rain and thunder; she wanted to get a look at herself in the water’s reflection. She was beautiful. An averaged sized wolf, shocking since she was considered fairly small, with fur of her chestnut hair colour. She wobbled her way over to the tree she and Draco had once carved their initials into to get the measure of her size against it, she was shocked to see that her wolf form was the same size as she was stood up. A bit bigger than an average sized wolf then, she thought.

She had read that the students of Uagadou were known for their high number of Animagus’, she had written and borrowed one of their libraries books on the subject. Apparently to turn back all she had to do was visualise her human form, there shouldn’t ever be pain again in her transformations which she was glad to think of. That intense pain wasn’t something she was keen to experience again.  
Focusing clearly on the image of her human form, she pictured every annoying freckle and stray hair, and found herself to be back on two legs again.

She knew regular transformation would become easier with time until she would eventually be able to shift with will.

It took an hour of standing in the storm and multiple attempts until she managed to turn back into a wolf.

Staying in this form, she hurried into the castle. She had decided not to register as an Animagus, figuring it would come in handy later if people didn’t know. But she had one person she had to prove a point to.

Thankful she didn’t come across any students as she made her way to the office of Minerva McGonagall.

It took the Professor a moment to look up from her pile of marking to notice there was large, brown wolf in her office.

‘Jesus Christ!’ she cried, leaping up from behind her desk and pulling her wand.

Hermione decided she’d scared the woman alive enough and focused on her human form.

‘Jesus Christ is a Muggle God ma’am.’ Hermione spoke casually.

The older woman’s eyes bulged. ‘Miss Granger? How? What?’

Hermione waved her off and went to lean against the desk right in front of the teacher.

‘I know, I know, I managed to become an Animagus. I just wanted to pop in and show you that you were wrong to doubt me.’

The teacher opened her mouth to protest.

‘I’ll say goodnight now, Professor.’ Hermione said formally, leaving the room casually despite the Professor protesting behind him.

Back on two legs she found she instantly wished she could transform back into the wolf for faster travel, but forced herself to remain human and slowly walked back to the common room. She didn’t want to become one of those nutters that turned into an animal and then chose never to turn back again, going off to live in the wild, although she could understand the temptation.

She was in the mood to celebrate her success, as far as she could figure, she had just achieved the fastest transformation in history and possibly may even be the youngest to manage it too. What normally took years she had managed in months.

Strolling into the common room she sat in between Blaise and Daphne, Draco and Crabbe appeared to be wrestling on the floor for their friend’s amusement.

‘Hey, there’s a Hufflepuff party this Friday.’ Daphne told her excitedly.

Hermione beamed. ‘Perfect, I’m in the mood to celebrate.’ 

Draco looked up from his opponent to Hermione once she’d said this comment. He raised an eyebrow and she winked at him in response. This small distraction did however give Crabbe the opportunity to tackle the royal to the ground and pin him.


	46. An old Enemy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gosh I can't believe I'm on 46 chapters already, and I'm only in 3rd year! By the end I think it'll end up well over 200 chapters.

'So, I dreamt I was dancing with Ginny at the Christmas ball.' Harry said over his morning cereal.

'That's now weird you've done it twice now.' Neville shrugged. 

'But then Voldemort showed up.' Harry shivered.

'Oh, he killed everyone?' Theo nodded along, Voldemort popping up and killing everyone was a common nightmare in this country.

'No. He upstaged me! He did this one move and Ginny went off and danced with him instead. I tried to dance in retaliation but my feet had been stuck to the floor.' Harry whined. 

'Don't write that in your dream journal for Divination mate.' Draco laughed while pouring Hermione a glass of orange juice.

'She'll probably tell you it means your love life is doomed and that you'll be paralyzed.' Neville said into his breakfast.

Hermione downed her glass of orange juice and looked to Draco; he had also finished his breakfast. 

‘Come on, we’ve got half an hour before classes start.’ Draco told her, standing up. 

‘Where are you two going?’ Theo asked, looking up from his pancakes. 

‘Walk.’ Hermione mumbled to her friends. 

The two silently walked towards Myrtle’s bathroom. 

‘Are you sure about this?’ Draco asked once they reached the door.

She nodded. ‘Each founder made a secret place and I want to see all four of them.’ 

‘Okay, but if you get traumatised don’t come crying to me.’ He muttered, together they entered the bathroom. 

‘It just makes sense. Four secret rooms and we already know where one is. From an academic point we might learn something.’ She said, closing the door behind her.

‘Who’s there?’ Came the high-pitched shrill of the resident ghost.

‘It’s only me, Myrtle. I thought I would come and pay call.’ Draco flattered the long-dead girl. 

If she could have blushed, she would have. Draco, being most skilled in flattery and conversation, was well equipped to handle the thirteen-year-old ghost.

‘Your Highness!’ The ghost floated down from her perch of the tank that topped the toilet. She did her best attempt at a curtsey.

‘How are you Myrtle?’ He asked, Hermione stayed quietly behind him. They had decided earlier that a policy of flattery was the best approach for the young ghost in achieving the aim of the day.

‘The mermaid on the wall keeps glaring at me!’ The girl wailed. 

Hermione couldn’t help glancing at the stained glass that usually filled the room with a wonderful blue light, Hermione had never the fortune of seeing the lavatory on a sunny day and alas the mermaid on the wall remained dull. 

It was a proper mermaid, playing with her long golden hair too, not one of the merepeople that occupied the black lake. Her very human face conveyed this information, Hermione wondered if the mural represented a real historical Mermaid. She remembered the painting in the royal vault that showed many Mermaids frolicking in the water, perhaps the artist of this particular window had taken inspiration from one of the girls in the water.

Mermaids were another of Hermione’s great interests, purely because there was so little information of them. Indeed, there hadn’t been a sighting of a true Mermaid since Hogwarts was founded. There was so little information even in the religious books, all she knew was that human women were blessed by the gods. 

This Mermaid was indeed, glaring at the ghost. 

‘She is probably envious of your eternal youth and beauty.’ Draco smiled at the young girl.

The ghost curtseyed and fanned herself, though no heat could raise to her cheeks.

‘I was wanting to show one of my friends the chamber here, if you would permit it. She’s a scholarly type and wants to make a study of it.’ He said, as if the task was a chore. 

Myrtle gave her permission, clearly Draco had her wrapped around his finger.

‘Would you like me to accompany you?’ The ghost asked, clearly wanting to indulge herself in the Earl’s presence some more.

Draco smiled gently. ‘I thank you Miss Myrtle, but I wouldn’t wish to take up a moment of your time. I’m sure you have important matters to attend.’ 

Myrtle straightened her back and gave herself an air of importance. ‘Oh yes, I wanted to discuss a matter with the Grey lady.’ 

The ghost then floated out the wall, instead of her usual means of transportation via the sewage pipes. 

Hermione burst out laughing once she was gone and clutched Draco’s arm to keep herself steady. ‘Gosh I thought you’d never get rid of her. The poor Gray lady, we’ll have to find her later and apologise for putting Myrtle upon her.’ 

Draco smiled. ‘I’ll go and talk to her later, she’s very shy I hear. But everyone loves a royal.’ 

Hermione had lightly batted his arm and reminded him of that trait some called humility, though she privately agreed with him.

Once they were composed and all seriousness again, they made their way over to the circle of very ordinary looking sinks. Draco led her to one in particular and pointed out the small serpent scratched into the copper pipes.

Draco, as he hissed in Parsoltongue to open the gateway, was reminded of this point last year when he had learnt Harry was not a natural born Parseltongue. 

At once the tap emitted a deep groaning sound, causing Hermione to jump slightly into Draco’s safe arms. 

The sink sank down out of sight leaving the large piping exposed.

‘It always creeps me out when you do that.’ Hermione shuddered at the language.

He smiled. ‘It comes in handy though, some people call it “the Royal Language”, it’s good when we want to have private conversations.’

Hermione had to give him that one. She peered down into the hollow abyss in front of her. ‘It isn’t a sheer drop is it?’ 

Draco shook his head as he sat on the edge of the hole, patting the ground for her to do the same. 

‘It levels out, it’s like a slide really. Might want to cast a cushioning charm actually you do sort of shoot out the end, I was covered in bruises last time.’ Draco mused.

Hermione pulled out her wand and cast an unknown charm over the pair. 

‘What was that?’ He asked.

‘Oh, Snape taught it to me. We’ll sort of bounce at the end, no need for a cushioning charm.’ Hermione smiled.

Draco held out his hand. ‘Last chance, are you sure you want to go down there. The body of the creature is still down there.’ 

She nodded and took a deep breath. ‘Yes, I am sure.’ She placed her hand into his.

‘Together then.’ Draco said.

Keeping their hands clasped together, they both used their spare hand to push off the edge and they were falling. 

Hermione shrieked and pulled herself closer to Draco as they slid at great speed. Though clearly scared, Draco could see the inquisitive look on Hermione’s face at the other piping branching off in different directions. 

‘How far does it go?’ Hermione shouted over the roar of the passing air.

‘I think it’s below the black lake. It’ll level out in a second.’ Draco shouted back. 

Just as Draco told her this the piping did indeed level out and they shot out the end of it, as Hermione had said they merely bounced back to their feet instead of crashing roughly to the ground.

Hermione looked down at her school robes and grimaced to see she was covered in slime. ‘That was fucking disgusting.’ 

She pulled out her wand and cast a quick cleaning charm over herself and Draco.

Draco couldn’t help smiling. ‘Be thankful we didn’t go down a sewage line, it’s just a water pipe for those sinks.’

They were in a large stone tunnel, Hermione could stand with plenty of headspace, but Draco had grown a few inches over summer and his hair brushed the ceiling.

‘Wasn’t a tall fellow, was he?’ Hermione noted this fact.

‘Slytherin was actually well over six foot. This is just a low bit; it gets better round the corner.’ Draco informed her.

The two, hands still clasped, made their way through the tunnels. Hermione was illuminating their way for them. She had cast a clever little spell, conjuring a large ball of warm yellow light that she instructed to follow them. 

The sounds of their feet on the wet floor and the crunch of old bones under them was less frightening in the warm light and with Hermione by his side. Also knowing that there wasn’t a vicious monster and a most-likely dead Weasley waiting for him was probably helping, and he kept his wand safely in his inner pocket.

Hermione had gasped when they came upon the old snake skin of green that had been shed many centuries ago.

‘Oh, I wish I had a take measure.’ Hermione whined. 

Draco gave her a blank look. ‘Granger, you literally have a wand in your hand.’ 

‘Oh yeah.’ She used, conjuring a long measuring tape with a quick wave. ‘Here you hold this end near the tail.’ 

Draco, was a good soldier, and followed his orders well. 

Hermine took the other end and went up near the face. ‘Gosh, it’s twenty-five feet!’ 

Draco came back to stand with her as she waved away the tape measure with a flick of her wand. 

‘And it shed this, I assure you the actual beast was an extra thirty feet at least.’ Draco told her as they walked on.

The tunnel twisted and turned and sloped downwards. Hermione sighed. ‘Are we nearly there? At this rate we’ll be late for class.’ 

Draco smiled, of course she would be down in the Chamber of Secrets and be worried about getting to class on time. 

She had caught his funny look. ‘I have Snape this morning.’ Was all the explanation she needed to give. 

‘I thought you didn’t go to OWL potion class anymore?’ Draco asked.

‘I don’t. I do my own work there. Snape tends to set the class of and come and help me.’ She answered. ‘I go to the library some days though, I always tell him before if I am though.’

‘We’re pretty much there actually.’ He had told her. ‘We’ll have a quick look around and go back up.’

They came to the solid rock wall that bore two entwining snakes with emerald eyes. 

‘They look very nice to put in a wall.’ Hermione raised a finger to touch the jewel.

Draco nodded. ‘I was wondering if they were from the royal collection actually. When the school was founded each of the founders received a royal gift, I looked into it over summer. Guess what the King gave Slytherin?’

‘Let me guess, two emeralds?’ She asked.

‘Well actually he gave him three but yeah.’ Draco told her, wondering what had happened to the third. 

Draco hissed at the snakes and they began to circle one another, parting to reveal the large opening in the wall.

Hermione sighed and conjured a second ball of light, ‘he couldn’t have built in a single lamp, could he?’ She complained. This second, larger ball of light was sent to the ceiling, brightly illuminating the room.

Hermione scanned the room, first seeing the massive stone face at the end of the great length of hall. 

‘Hoe pretentious.’ Hermione said finally.

Draco laughed. ‘I said the exact same thing.’

Hermione shrugged and stepped further into the room. ‘Great minds.’

‘You don’t look anything alike.’ Hermione said finally.

‘Well, he did live a millennia ago. I don’t suppose I look anything like Armand I either by now.’ Draco told her. 

Hermione’s eyes finally landed on the form of the dead Basilisk and she gasped, she held her hand out behind her looking for support, Draco eagerly took her hand. 

‘You killed that?’ She gasped. 

The body was at least fifty foot. Its dark green skin was pale now, and the sockets of its eyes were empty. Together, they stepped towards the fallen beast. 

Hermione raised a hand to touch the wound on the roof of its head. ‘I can’t believe you did this.’ 

Hermione admittedly had never been so attracted to Draco as she was in this moment, she wouldn’t dare voice this fact though. She knew the conversation of their feelings would need to be had out one day, but she hoped it wouldn’t be for many years. She would not risk their friendship when they both knew nothing could ever come of their feelings.

‘Got me back though didn’t it?’ He said, pointing to the gruesome scar on his right arm. 

Draco was looking at the nearest stone serpent that supported the roof and lightly touching the back of his head.

Hermione raised a finger to touch one of the large teeth that lay in the rotting snakes’ mouth. 

Draco shot out a hand to stop her. ‘They stay with venom forever, don’t touch them with bare skin there isn’t a handy phoenix around and I don’t feel like swapping my life for yours with the Gods today.’ 

She smiled at his cares and pulled her gloves from her pocket. Pulling two spare vials from her pocket, which Draco laughed at her for carrying at all times, and raised a finger to the fang again. With great force she ripped one from its mouth and placed it into the reinforced vial, Snape had taught her early on the importance of carrying a tough vial at all times, she then followed the same steps again for a second vial.

‘Do you want one?’ She asked, preparing to fish out a third vial.

‘I’ve already had one thanks.’ Draco stated dryly, he was absently rubbing at his arm. 

The thought of Draco facing the beast and nearly dying made her feel sick. ‘Can we leave?’ 

Draco, assuming the sight of the monster that had hunted and harmed her was making her uneasy.

‘Of course, lets go.’ He placed his hand on her lower back and led her back through all the corridors until they arrived at the tunnel from which they had arrived.

‘Can you levitate us or shall I do it?’ Draco asked.

She nodded. ‘I’ll do it.’  
With a steady hand Hermione lifted them, they rose faster than they had fallen and Draco had squealed in delight, stating it felt like flying without a broom. Hermione had chided him as they landed back in the lavatory stating that such things were not possible.

Draco removed the pocket watch- an item all young men of good repute under seventeen carried – ‘Come on, I’ll walk you to the dungeons.’

She shook her head. ‘Don’t be silly, we’re already late and you’ve got to get up the divination tower!’

They remained for a moment and watched the sink rise up again and seal the pipes. 

‘What will you do with those fangs?’ Draco asked as they left the lavatory.

‘I’ll give one to Snape, get back in his good books properly. I’ll send the other one to my vault. Never know when it will come in handy.’ She mused. They parted at the staircase, he was going up and she down, but she hugged him gratefully for taking her and then expressed a desire never to return.

She knew she was late but knew she would be forgiven when she presented Snape with the rarest of potion ingredients. 

‘Miss Granger you are ten minutes late! Explain yourself at once!’ Snape barked, attracting the attraction of the class.

‘I have a good reason sir, which I shall tell you later.’ She went to sit next to her beloved Weasleys and pulled out her Charms essay.

‘What the hell have you done to your gloves?’ Fred asked.

‘Hmm?’ She looked down at her gloves to see holes had been brunt into them. Gasping she pulled them from her hands and vanished them. She then completed a thorough inspection of her hands to make sure there was no damage to the skin, though she knew that if any venom had got onto her she would know by now.

‘I ripped a fang out of a Basilisks mouth.’ She told Fred honestly.

Fred had rolled his eyes. ‘If you don’t want to tell me you don’t have to.’

She laughed. ‘I’m telling the truth! Draco took me down this morning I wanted to see it!’

George laughed. ‘You two should have been Gryffindor’s.’

She shuddered. ‘Don’t insult me.’

Once the class was set off brewing Snape called her up to his desk.

‘I thought you were just going to the library and had forgotten to say anything.’

‘No Sir. I got you a present.’ She went back over to her bag and pulled out the vial. 

‘Where on earth did you get this?’ He asked quietly once she handed it over to him.

‘I have my ways Sir. I take it my lateness is forgiven?’ 

‘It is. This will be very useful.’ He stashed the fang in his robes. ‘How is your essay coming along, do you need me to check it?’

She shook her head, ‘I want to use tomorrows lesson to go the library and check a few sources but then yes please.’ 

Hermione was indeed back in Snape’s good books and he was nice to her and by extension the two Weasleys sat either side of her.

Once she got to lunch that day, after using her beloved raven Freddie to send of her enclosed vial of killer fang to her vault at the bank, she heard tales of how Snape had been kinder to Neville during their lesson before lunch. He had even helped him with his potion instead of insulting him. Clearly her feedback to Snape had finally been registered. Indeed, at lunch he was engaging Lupin in a civil and professional looking conversation, surprise evident on Lupin’s face.

She had excused herself early for lunch, she wanted to practice her Animagus transformations. She told her friends she was for the library and quickly went out onto the grounds, which were empty due to the freezing weather. By the end of the break, she had managed to turn into a wolf and back again twice, transforming at will was still incredibly difficult but she knew daily practice would pay a handsome result.

McGonagall had called her into her office that evening and presented her with the forms needed to register as an Animagus with the ministry, Hermione had explained her plan.

‘Professor, Voldemort is trying to return. I think that keeping this as a secret could come in handy if there is another war.’ 

It took a good hour to convince the elder teacher, but eventually she had relented and burned the papers, sending Hermione on her way. 

She returned to the common room to see that Draco had exiled himself into a corner and was fretting over an essay. Blaise was sitting angrily in front of the chess table alone. 

Hermione went to sit next to Draco. ‘Tricky essay?’ She asked.

His eyes looked faintly red rimmed.

‘I can’t bloody keep up Hermione. All the royals have taken all the extra classes and I can’t do it!’ 

He threw his essay down next to him and shut his eyes.

Hermione picked his essay up; it was for muggle studies. 

‘Well, you’ve got everything right. I wouldn’t say you can’t do it it’s more struggling with the workload. I had the same thing this year, there’s no shame in it.’ She reassured him.

‘I think I’m going to have to give up chess club, I was telling Blaise and now he’s gone off in a huff.’ Draco told her.

‘But you love chess.’ She said. ‘You need your weekends back.’ She said finally.

He looked up at her. ‘No, you’re doing so well with Latin. We’re not stopping.’ 

She smiled gently. ‘Yes, I am doing well. Well enough to continue on my own. Seriously, have your weekends back.’

He smiled at her gratefully and pulled her in for a hug. ‘Thanks. I still want to check all your translations though.’ He ordered.

She did a mock bow, ‘yes Professor.’

Draco’s cheeks blushed at this and he happily packed up his essay and went to sit next to Blaise and engaged him in a game of chess.

Hermione quickly grabbed her required books from her bedroom trunk and returned to the library, there she saw Snape in the restricted section.

‘Trying to pick a potion for your Basilisk fang, sir?’ She asked with a smile.

He nodded, not looking up from his book. Tricky Wizarding Potions of the most Advanced Level by Morgana. 

‘Did you hear the news over dinner? Good thing I taught you a Patronus.’ He mused, shutting the book and placing it back on the shelf.

He pulled off the next book: Potions of the Masters a collection by the royal potioneer’s guild, and began flicking through it.

‘No sir. What news?’ She too picked up a book: The Art of Brewing by Edard Malfoy. A book with only few copies left due to its old age, written by the father of the first King of the wizarding world.

‘The Ministry has given the Dementors permission to administer the kiss to Black when they find him.’ Snape seemed quite happy about this.

Hermione, slightly shaken by this news of a barbaric punishment, placed her book back on the shelf. ‘No, I hadn’t heard. Please excuse me, I’m mid-essay.’ 

He nodded her away, she quickly went for the books she needed and went for a fast return to her rooms. 

She couldn’t believe the use of Dementors was still a thing sometimes, if she ever got any power, they would be among the first things she changed.

‘Miss Granger?’ It was Professor McGonagall, who now took Hermione with a new form of reverence and awe due to her successful transformation.

‘Yes Ma’am?’ Hermione asked, juggling her large pile of new books.

‘I just wanted to say, I’ve returned Potter’s broom. It has been thoroughly checked and presents no danger.’ The teacher told her. ‘Seems it wasn’t from Black, more likely some fan of his in the public who wanted Potter to do well.’

Hermione nodded, though disagreed. Some gut instinct told her the broom was from Black, if indeed there were no curses it was more evidence of his innocence. 

She sat on the couches in the common room in front of the roaring and well-tended fire next to her friends, who had gathered to watch what was apparently a very tense game of chess between Malfoy and Zambini. 

She, well versed in the art now, tuned out the chatter of the room which of course was abuzz with the talk of the upcoming Hufflepuff party on Friday, to flick through her book. 

She had just settled into her book, leaning heavily on Daphne to snuggle under her blanket under which Millie was also seeking refuge, when there was a heavy pounding on the entrance door.

An older girl went to answer the door and then came back red faced. ‘Granger, it’s for you. One of them Weasleys.’ 

Assuming it to be one of the twins she hurried over to the door, leaving her wand in her bag. 

She was met by the sight of Ronald Weasley and a stunning spell that knocked her off her feet.

‘Your cats eaten my fucking rat you bitch!’ He yelled at her. ‘I woke up with blood on my bed and orange cat hairs all over the place!’

It was at this point the other Slytherins, who had all grabbed their wands and hurried over the second she was stunned, promptly knocked him out. 

×××××××××××××××××××××  
Don't hate me but no update now until after the 11th.


	47. Secret Rooms

It had been several hexes that hit the Weasley. Draco had been at Hermione’s side, reviving her, in less than ten seconds; Blaise had been among the group cursing the ginger and the two boy’s chess game wouldn’t be resumed now until the next day.

Hermione had been pulled up from her prone position on the floor so that she was resting heavily in Draco’s arms, her back to his chest; Daphne had come over to frantically check on Hermione and was brushing the hair from her best friends face while ordering one older girl to get a damp cloth for Hermione’s brow while sending the prefects to summon various members of staff. All of this was done in one breath, Hermione wasn’t sure if it was from the rather powerful stunner she’d been hit with, but she couldn’t help thinking Daphne had a future in management. 

Ron, now very unconscious, had been roughly dragged further into the common room and dumped out of the way, although people seemed to be “accidentally” walking into him. 

Madam Pomfrey had been the first to arrive and with a wave of her wand had repaired Hermione to her normal faculties; though Daphne still insisted on playing nurse and mopping her brow and was currently engaged in asking Hermione how many fingers she was holding up. The Matron then moved onto the crumpled form in the corner, though she didn’t revive the attacker she did undo some of the curses that had left him with puss filled boils on his face. 

Snape and Dumbledore had arrived together. Both checked on Hermione first, who waved them off with assurances she was absolutely fine, before turning on Ron.

‘Everyone should go to bed.’ Dumbledore spoke to the mass of Slytherin’s quietly. Everyone followed orders apart from: Hermione, Draco, and Daphne.

Hermione didn’t see which teacher woke the boy up, though the painful appearance in the way he jolted up would suggest Snape.

His face, new with colour, quickly paled once he saw the Headmaster and Head of Slytherin in front of him. 

‘Shall we have this discussion in my office?’ The Headmaster asked the redhead in a cold voice that she didn’t think suited the old wizard.

‘Oh, do use my rooms Headmaster.’ Snape offered.

‘You three go to bed.’ Snape told the trio firmly over his shoulder as Ron was led away by the two scariest men in the school. 

‘Goodnight.’ Daphne said to the pair, before hurrying down the girl’s corridor alone. 

‘Go and get changed, do you want a drink?’ Draco turned to Hermione.

She sighed. ‘What happened to no more sleepovers?’ 

He gave her an unimpressed look until she sighed. ‘Fine, yeah I’d like a glass of water please.’ 

Going to change into her comfiest red flannel pyjamas and red bed-socks she noted Daphne seemed to have fallen asleep fully dressed atop her covers.

Hermione couldn’t help smiling at the blond. She pulled the blanket from her own bed and placed it over exhausted friend before going back out to Draco who was holding her glass of water.

‘You’ve not put your hair up.’ Draco frowned. ‘You never get into my bed with your hair down.’ 

She raised a hand to touch her head and realised that she hadn’t done a thing to her hair. Then, she realised she didn’t care, and shrugged. ‘I was attacked not ten minutes ago, I’m too tired to do anything with it.’

The usual smuggling into his bed commenced and the curtains were drawn around his bed and silencing charms performed; they both lay down on their sides facing each other. 

‘Don’t the other boys think it’s odd how often you sleep with your curtains shut?’ She asked.

Draco crinkled his nose, ‘Granger, this is a room of teenage boys. Closed curtains are very common for er- erm- privacy if you catch my drift.’

It took her a moment to catch his drift but once she did it was her turn to crinkle her nose. ‘Ew. Boys are gross.’

He laughed and rolled onto his back and propped his head under his arm. ‘Not too gross to act as a human pillow though?’

She smiled and scooted over to place her head on his firm chest. ‘I suppose you’re not too gross, the other boys are though.’ 

Draco rolled his eyes; he was actually much worse than the other boys but he wasn’t about to admit that of all things to Hermione.

The next morning Hermione woke laying on her front, she could feel the weight of Draco’s arm over her back. She slowly rolled out of his arms, as not to wake him, he wasn’t as early a riser as she was.

She tiptoed from the boys room and climbed into bed next to Daphne who was still flat out and fully dressed under Hermione’s blanket. 

The blond stirred. ‘Have you been there all night?’

Hermione told her that she had not. ‘You fell asleep fully dressed you ninny.’

Daphne yawned. ‘Sorry, I was just so tired. I’d been with Astoria all day; she’s starting to get bad so we spent all day outside while she can enjoy it.’ 

Conversation about Daphne’s ill sister always created a sombre sense in Hermione. Nobody spoke of it, but the rate that the joyful and light younger Greengrass sister was deteriorating lead many to believe she wouldn’t make it through another winter. 

‘Let me know if you want me to brew some more pain potion for her.’ Hermione said. 

Daphne assured her that she would once Astoria’s store began to run out. 

Hermione rubbed Daphne’s arm in comfort before going into the shower. 

It was finally the day of the Hufflepuff party and Hermione was keen for a drink after the events of yesterday.

Her thoughts in the shower turned to the reason for Ron’s attack on her person. Once she was out the warm spray and dressed for the days classes she pulled out the marauders map from her trunk; if her cat came across the rat in the grounds and ate it Hermione wouldn’t think much of it, but for her cat to go into another common room for one specific rat did seem a bit strange to her.

She was determined that she would find Ronald’s stupid rat and vindicate her poor cat. She saw her raven Freddie presumably tormenting Hedwig in the Owlry and her innocent cat strolling the grounds, heading in the direction of the forbidden forest. 

She huffed and nearly threw the map down in frustration as the other girls began to leave for the common room when her gaze fixed on something that caused a most peculiar sensation. 

Peter Pettigrew was apparently in Hagrid’s hut. 

‘Hermione, are you coming to breakfast?’ Daphne asked her.

Hermione looked up from the map with an expression of horror. I need to- I don’t know who I need.’ She looked back at the map and the four names written on it. ‘I need Professor Lupin.’ She ran out the common room, ignoring all of her friends, and made for the great hall. 

She ran up the long aisle, ignoring the glances from confused students eating their breakfast.

‘Sir.’ She gasped, coming to stop in front of Lupin, who was halfway through his slice of toast.

‘Granger, what’s the matter?’ The sickly teacher asked in confusion.

‘Granger you look ill.’ Snape joined in the conversation.

‘Sir, I’ve found something out!’ She pulled out the Marauders Map and Lupin jumped up in shock.

‘Where did you get this?’ He asked, clearly shocked, taking the map for her.

‘Perhaps this conversation should be carried out elsewhere?’ Snape stood up. The entire room did seem to be looking at them.

In silence the three walked down into Snape’s office. 

‘Where did you get this Map Granger?’ Lupin asked, as soon as the door was shut.’

‘Doesn’t matter. Look at Hagrid’s hut.’ She told him.

‘Excuse me, I think it does matter. Tell me at once where you got this map?’ Lupin ordered.

‘No really.’ She walked over and tore the map from his hands, she pointed to the name in the hut causing both teachers to gasp.

‘Clearly the map is wrong.’ Snape said calmly.

Lupin, who was now somehow even paler, shook his head. ‘The map never lies. Peter’s alive.’

‘How do you even know what this is?’ Snape snapped at the man.

‘Try because I made it, you nerd.’ Lupin shot back.

Hermione frowned as the two men began to bicker like children. ‘Oi! Dead man in Hagrid’s hut is slightly more important! Stop acting like children, Merlin’s sake I’m meant to be the kid not you two!’ 

The two men looked thoroughly scolded. 

‘I think Sirius Black is innocent.’ Hermione told them firmly. 

Lupin nodded. ‘If Peter is alive it definitely puts a lot of holes in the story. Oh god, they must have changed the secret keeper.’ He pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned. 

‘Excuse me?’ Snape shot at the man.

‘Sirius was the Potter’s secret keeper, we thought he had told Voldemort the secret and then killed Peter. What if it was the other way around, what if they changed to Peter and Sirius went for revenge?’

Lupin gasped; his eyes started looking a little red. ‘Why wouldn’t they tell me? They must have thought I was the traitor.’ 

‘Peter was the traitor? Peter killed her?’ Snape asked.

Lupin straightened up. ‘More than Lily died in that house! James was a good man!’

‘He was a dick.’ Snape shot back.

‘Which of you had a fucking dark mark?’ Lupin shot back.

‘Getting off topic here guys.’ Hermione spoke up. ‘He’s still in Hagrid’s hut.’ 

‘Right. You go up to breakfast and we’ll go and see if we can find him.’ Snape told her.

‘Oh, and you get like a month of detention for keeping this map. I can’t think of a more moronic thing to keep with a killer on the loose… Whoever that may be.’ Lupin told her.

‘But fifty points for handing it over to spare an innocent man.’ Snape told her as they left the room.

Both teachers, wand out and map in hand, made their way outside while Hermione ate the tensest breakfast of her life.

Both men entered the room again and she hurried over to them. ‘Did you find him?’

Snape shook his head while Lupin walked past them in the direction of the headmaster. ‘He disappeared into the forest once we got onto the grounds.’ 

‘We’re going to use that map to find Black and help him. We think he’s lingering here to get Pettigrew away from Potter.’ Snape told her.

‘You’ve changed your tune?’ Hermione pointed out.

‘If he didn’t kill Lil- them, I don’t want him dead. Lupin and I are going to work together to fix things. The issue is we don’t have any proper evidence.’

‘But Pettigrew is alive? We could write to the King!’ Hermione protested.

‘We know that Pettigrew is alive, that’s it.’ Snape told her. ‘If we find Black and it turns out he is the guilty one, I think it’ll be a race between Remus and I for who gets to kill him.’ With that he walked away.

‘Well, at least they’re talking.’ She thought to herself as she went to sit back with her friends who were all giving her a lot of puzzling looks. 

  
That night the Hufflepuff party was to be in full swing and Hermione was keen to enjoy her night of frolicking ahead of her month of detention. None but Draco had been told of her eventful morning so all the school really knew was that she had done something that resulted in a month of detention, the most severe punishment she had ever received, and also gained fifty points. This led to much confusion but the Slytherins were just happy to be ahead in the points.

The group, joined by the Weasley twins, made their way at the assigned time to the Hufflepuff common room where the door was propped open.

They all ducked through the large barrel that had been left open for them and emerged in the cosy common room that resembled a bee-hive, with its yellow patterns and circular form. 

There were several closed doors that the group now knew led to the dormitories of the younger students who she could only imagine were green with envy about being so close and yet so far away from the parties.

Neville instantly wandered off to look at the blooms of flowers adorning every surface while the rest of the group split up to make the social rounds or to get a drink.

Hermione and Daphne went to warm themselves in front of the roaring fire, each holding a glass of fire whiskey mixed with some fairy-fizz juice to give it a sweeter taste and stronger alcohol content.

Hermione was admiring the portrait of Helga Hufflepuff holding her golden cup while Draco and Blaise came over. 

‘Fred and George want to play a drinking game, are you in?’ Draco asked.

Naturally, of course they were in.

… 

Draco jostled the very drunk girl in his arms as he carried her down the stairs. Her eyes groggily opened and shut again as she nuzzled her head into his neck and nuzzled deeper into his neck.

‘Gods you’re such a lightweight Granger.’ Draco whispered to her.

‘Where is everyone?’ She slurred.

Draco reached the bottom of the stairs and relaxed his grip on the drunk girl to carry her more comfortably. ‘They’re all getting food from the kitchens, but you looked like you were about to die so I thought I’d take you to bed.’ 

She groaned. ‘I don’t know why I agree to your drinking games! I always lose!’ 

She scrunched her eyes shut, the motion of being carried was making her feel ill.

‘Please don’t throw up on me.’ Draco murmured to her. 

‘I’m not going to be sick.’ She told him firmly.

‘You were sick twice in the Hufflepuff fireplace before I picked you up.’ Draco told her.

‘I hope I didn’t ruin their orgy.’ She told him.

‘Religious festival.’ Draco corrected her. ‘But no, you didn’t. Magic is a thing remember? George just vanished it and carried on necking that fifth year.’ Then he laughed. ‘You didn’t try to take your clothes off this time, lets call it an improvement. Poor Fred had to stop you stripping last time, do you remember?’ 

‘I’m not as bad as Daph was last time, she was sick in the fireplace too!’ Hermione told him, trying to make herself feel better.

‘Daphne got back to the common room under her own power last time. If I put you on your feet you’ll fall instantly.’ Draco told her firmly.

She shrugged. ‘Details.’ 

‘How on earth will you manage when you’re older? The older guys stay until like four am.’ Draco asked her.

‘I’ll be bigger by then; I’ll be able to handle my alcohol.’ She told him.

He nodded. ‘You are a little thing; I’m surprised you managed to drink as much as you did.’ 

‘Are we home yet?’ She asked, rubbing her head on his shoulder. 

‘One more corner and I’ll put you in bed.’ He told her.

‘You can’t put me in bed.’ She informed him.

‘And why can’t I do that?’ He asked, raising a brow at her.

‘Because you’ll get stuck! You can’t go down the girl’s corridor!’ 

‘I’m not going down the girl’s corridor. Merlin’s rod.’ He said to the door. ‘You’re coming with me.’ 

She opened her eyes to find herself being carried down the boy’s stairs. ‘But I’m fully clothed, and drunk! What will people say?’ 

‘Nobody will even notice. They’re all drunk. You can borrow something of mine.’ He told her as he kicked the door open to his room.

She sighed and put her head back down on his chest. ‘Fine.’ 

He very slowly and gently placed her down on his bed and momentarily disappeared before returning with a large glass of water that he ordered her to drink. 

‘All of it!’ He told her firmly as she tried to place the half-empty drink down. Sighing, she followed orders before yawning loudly.

‘Right, pyjamas!’ He turned and opened his trunk to fish out perhaps some of last years clothes that wouldn’t be exceptionally too long on her. 

He finally settled on some grey joggers that were too short on him now and a white t-shirt, again too short for him.

‘I’ll go into the bathroom while you get changed.’ He stood up from his trunk to see Hermione fast asleep on his bed.

He smiled and sighed. He very quietly and gently undid her shoes and took them off before pulling the blanket over her. 

He pulled his own pyjamas on and climbed into the bed next to her. He then set about the gentle task of rolling her onto her side, if he woke up and she’d choked on her own drunken vomit Daphne would never forgive him.

Once she was on her side, curtains closed, and his own body behind her keeping her in position, he joined her in sleep.

…

‘Oi Mudblood!’ Hermione put a hand to her temple and groaned. When she was as hungover as she was, the last thing she wanted was an encounter with Ronald Weasley. 

She patted Draco on the arm, who was much amused with her agony. ‘Deal with him please.’

Draco stood up and pulled out his wand to deal with the incoming Weasley. ‘Do fuck off. You’re in enough trouble as it is.’ 

‘Because of her!’ The ginger wailed. As one of the only people in their year not invited to the Hufflepuff parties he didn’t have a hangover to manage and was, much to the anger of the older years, being very loud.

‘Because you came down to the dungeons and attacked her. You’ve already got two months detention and I know for a fact you’re being sent to your aunts for the summer. One toe out of line and you’re getting expelled, so do fuck off.’ 

Seeing he was greatly outnumbered he decided on retreat. ‘This isn’t the end of this Mudblood.’ 

‘That word is nonsense!’ A voice came from behind the boy, it was Madam Sybil. 

‘Professor!’ Ronald cried.

‘Not a Professor. I will however be writing to your mother about your language. All Muggle-borns are personally chosen by Vutris to have magic. Those touched by a goddess should not be mocked.’

She told him firmly.

‘Yes Ma’am.’ Ron said quickly before skulking over to the Gryffindor table, lightly pulling on his sisters’ hair as he walked by, which in turn earned him a sharp elbow from George. 

Hermione, meanwhile, smiled and rubbed at the mark on her wrist fondly feeling more than ever that a goddess was watching over her. Draco and she shared a look and a wink and she rather forgot her hangover for the rest of the day.

The rest of the day was a rather quiet one, she saw her two beloved pets, raven and cat were frolicking in the grounds and did some painting lessons from Daphne. She had pulled her hair into the usually lace braided bun as to avoid getting paint in it, a lesson she had learned the first time she had attempted painting landscapes.

Finally, and after much anticipation, six o’clock arrived. It was time to explore for the secret rooms of the founders with Draco. 

‘You can’t just do as you want!’ The two were still bickering as they walked the corridor.

‘Everyone was too drunk to notice you never went back to your room!’ Draco retorted. ‘Your honour is intact don’t stress.’

‘My honour?’ She whirled on him as they walked up the stairs. They had taken a break from searching the dungeon and had taken to exploring other areas of the castle.

Hermione turned a step higher than her companion to glare down at him. ‘You think this is about my reputation?’

He frowned, ‘isn’t it?’ 

She rolled her eyes and carried on going up the stairs. ‘Tracey was right, boys are clueless.’ 

The top of the stairs where reached and they continued their search of the right corridor, there was a portrait of Godric Gryffindor and his family they wanted to inspect. 

Draco ran a step ahead so he could walk backwards looking at his best friend. ‘What’s the matter then? I don’t understand!’

‘You don’t think of your own reputation!’ She barked in reply.

He frowned and stopped in front of her, also forcing her to stop abruptly. ‘My reputation?’ He asked. ‘My reputation is flawless! I help drunk girls remember?’ He teased.

‘Or perhaps you take advantage of drunk girls by carrying them into your room?’ She said, the teasing smile wiped from his face.

‘Oh. Shit. I didn’t think about that.’ Draco looked increasingly nervous. ‘Nobody will think that! I wouldn’t do that and I certainly wouldn’t do that to you!’ 

She rolled her eyes again. ‘I know that moron! But what if Rita Skeeter finds out how often I stay in your room, or that you carried me home after a party when I was off my face and put me in your bed?’ 

‘Oh. Yeah okay I won’t do that again. And we’ll start being more careful when you’re in my room.’ Draco told her.

‘We’ve had this conversation like ten times! I need to stop staying over full stop! It was alright when we were eleven but we’re both teenagers now! People will find out and they will take it the wrong way.’ 

‘But we’re not doing anything bad! I just like having you there!’ Draco argued. 

Hermione sighed. ‘And I like being there. But I’m resolved, we can’t do it anymore.’ 

‘I agree with the girl.’ A low voice came from their immediate left. 

They both frowned at each other before turning slowly to their left. They had apparently elected to have their very private discussion in front of the portrait of Godric Gryffindor, his muggle wife, and their half-blood daughter Blythe. 

Draco instantly bowed to the portrait containing his ancestor, although this was the youngest Hermione had ever seen the ancient Queen, this was clearly painted before she married Armand I. Hermione followed his example in a quick curtsey. 

‘You two should not be sharing a bed if you’re not married.’ The founder scolded.

‘But we’re not doing anything!’ Draco complained.

‘You should barely be speaking to each other if you’re not married! Are you two unchaperoned in this corridor?’ The founder spoke. The two women of the portrait remained silent in the background while walking the grounds of the black lake.

‘Its been like one thousand years Sir. Standards have changed a little bit.’ Hermione told the man, who had moved his hand to the hilt of his sword.

‘Hey I wielded that sword last year!’ Draco said, noticing the ruby gem on the hilt.

‘You did?’ Godric asked. 

Draco nodded. ‘Yeah, I killed a Basilisk with it.’ He undid a few buttons on his shirt to show the scar left from the fight. 

‘But you’re not in my house?’ Godric frowned. 

‘No Sir. We’re both Slytherin’s.’ Draco replied.

‘But my sword came to you?’ Godric frowned. ‘It’s not meant to come to people not in my house.’ 

‘Maybe it’s because he’s related to you?’ Hermione offered.

‘You’re related to me?’ The portrait asked.

Hermione frowned. ‘I thought a portrait would be better informed. Especially a portrait of you, you have frames all over England.’ 

Godric nodded. ‘I don’t like to leave my frame here much,’ 

Hermione remembered why they were there in the first place. ‘Is there anything particular that keeps you in this frame?’ 

‘Oh, I just like to see my family.’ The founder said. 

Hermione nodded. ‘Oh yeah, it’s not like there’s about ten other portraits that have you and your family in them. There’s one downstairs for that matter. So, a bit of honesty this time Sir, why this portrait?’ 

‘You can’t speak to me like that!’ The founder declared.

‘I can.’ Draco answered. ‘Hi, Draco Malfoy, Earl of Pemberley, pleasure.’ 

‘Yes, you look a lot like Armand I.’ Godric nodded.

‘Do I? You can never get a good impression from a portrait.’ Draco mused.

‘We’re getting off topic here. Are you guarding a secret room or what?’ Hermione asked. 

‘Of course, I’m not.’ The founder said.

‘Well you built it. Can you tell me where the entrance to your secret room is?’ She asked.

‘Sorry, no.’ He said dismissively.

Hermione cast her mind back: _One word keeps appearing in reference to these secret rooms as a form of fail-safe, if only I had been fortunate enough to discover their entrances, this word is “Ostium”._

‘Ostium.’ Hermione said quickly. 

The portrait sighed, from behind the large painting came a deep and ancient groaning sound of a lock opening. 

‘Go in then.’ He sighed as the portrait swung open inwards. 

Draco and Hermione frowned. ‘What just like that?’ 

He nodded. ‘You know the secret phrase. You have entry to all the rooms, but don’t think I’m telling you where the other ones are!’ 

Hermione and Draco shared a look. ‘Alright. Thanks, Godric Gryffindor.’ 

They both walked through the dark entranceway and emerged into a new room. 

‘Of course.’ Hermione said as she looked around.

‘Gryffindor’s man.’ Draco shrugged.

They were stood in a duelling arena. A long room with six vast stone pillars running in pairs down it holding aloft the high vaulted ceiling. There was a long-raised platform in the middle of the room of black velvet the perimeter of which was adorned in golden stars. The red of the Gryffindor sign hung in a ceiling to floor banner across the far wall. The perimeter of the room was fitted with stone benches for spectators. The room was easily double the size of a classroom.

‘Why is it so near the Prefects bathroom?’ Draco frowned. ‘And how has nobody found this? And why would he build a duelling ground? He could have built anything he wanted!’ 

‘What else would a Gryffindor build?’ Hermione teased.

‘I can hear you!’ Came the voice of the founder behind them.

-****************************************  
Hello my little online family. Thanks so much for your patience with this update, I found out the day I put my last update on that I had gotten an interview for a masters English course and I had to spend two-ish weeks getting ready for it and I’m very happy to tell you that I got in! Yay! On with the regular updates!   
This is also your kind reminder that I work full time and different shifts every week so I cannot commit to a particular update schedule. I will always try and update at least once a week.   
E x


	48. The False Dementors

‘What are you doing today Granger?’ Neville asked her over the breakfast table. 

‘Well, I’m going to do some work in the library.’ Hermione said, to several nods. ‘What about you guys?’

‘Well, Blaise and I are going to do some work in the greenhouse with Sprout, she’s got a new shipment in this morning.’ Neville said excitedly. 

Blaise nodded, much less enthusiastic. ‘Should be good.’ He said with a dry voice. 

‘Hey Draco, when are the Christmas invites due? We normally have them by now.’ Theo asked the young Earl.

Draco shrugged. ‘Maybe they’re late? Should be any day now.’ 

Once breakfast was completed the friends all split in their own ways: Neville dragged Blaise off to the greenhouses, Hermione and Draco went to the library to catch up on their mountain load of work, the other girls went to watch the Hufflepuff's Quidditch practice with the express goal of fawning over Cedric Diggory, the other boys went to watch the Hufflepuff Quidditch practice with the express goal of observing an enemy team. Ginny and Luna, the latter who was a most welcome addition to their group, tagged along to watch the Quidditch practice. Much to their annoyance, Pansy suddenly declared that she would join them in the library.

Hermione and Draco walked quickly to the library, with Pansy trailing behind; they had agreed they would each finish off their current essays before going back to the hidden duelling room they had discovered. Now they would need to shake off Draco’s girlfriend.

Hermione, after forty-five minutes of hard writing had taken a fifteen-minute break in which she read the Prophet. After reading the short article showing Princess Matilda, accompanied by her loyal guard Tom and her handmaid Ana, at some charity event for wandless orphans. This was followed by another article of Armand opening a new ward at an American hospital and then a picture of him leading a session of the Wizards council. Flipping to the society pages she gasped.

‘What is it?’ Draco asked, looking up from his Transfiguration paper.

‘Mabel had her baby!’ Hermione gushed.

The parents welcomed their son, and heir, last night at 8pm. The new son has been named Abraxas, for the old King, and is now resting comfortably at home. The mother is to be given her contracted reward by the end of the month.

‘They’ve named him after your grandfather.’ Hermione told him.

Draco looked back to his paper, Pansy was sat painting her nails and earning the glare of Madam Prince. ‘Yeah, people do that a lot.’

‘What do they mean her “contracted reward” they say here?’ She asked, pointing to the line.

‘Brides get a monetary reward for each son they produce.’ Draco told her without looking up.

‘I wonder how much money Mrs Weasley got?’ Pansy sniggered. ‘It’s not like Arthur Weasley has any money to give her.’ 

Hermione rolled her eyes. ‘Shut up Pansy, why are you even here? You’re not doing any work!’ 

Pansy looked to Draco to defend her.

‘What? She’s right? You’re not doing anything.’ Draco muttered.

‘Fine!’ Pansy snapped, getting up and storming off. 

‘I’m going to write to her.’ Hermione said.

She tucked a loose strand of hair back into her lace-braided bun and pulled out a fresh sheet of parchment. 

_Dear Mabel,_

_I write to offer you congratulations on the birth of your son on the behalf of myself and Draco Malfoy. _  
_You offered me some good advice this Christmas, through it was hard for me to take. I want to thank you for that now and tell you I have begun some painting lessons with my friend Daphne. _  
_I look forwards to seeing you again._

_Yours_

_Hermione Granger. _

‘Are you all done for now? I want to get this sent.’ Hermione asked Draco, who nodded and packed up his nearly-finished essay.

They stopped at their respective dormitories to drop off their bags, and then made for the Owlry. 

‘Freddie?’ Hermione called before her faithful Raven came to land on her outstretched arm.

‘Fancy a trip to France for me?’ Hermione asked the Raven as she attached the small scroll to the Ravens leg. 

‘Here, technically it’s from me too. Put a royal ribbon on it and nobody will stop him.’ Draco offered, fastening a ribbon usually tied to his own bird to the raven who nipped at his fingers.

‘Cheers.’ Hermione said to Draco. ‘Right Freddie, you’re going to Delacour Manor in France.’ She told the bird who took flight at once.

‘She married Jon Delacour, right?’ Draco asked, as they walked back to the castle.

‘Hmm.’ Hermione nodded and hummed her confirmation. ‘Yeah he’s like twenty years older than her. I’m pretty sure he’s got a niece older than her.’ 

Draco shrugged. ‘That’s fairly common though. Most marriages have a big age gap.’ 

Hermione cringed. ‘I’m certainly not marrying someone old enough to be my father. Like, would you want to marry someone who’s not even born yet?’

‘Well, I want to marry you.’ Draco teased, knocking her arm. ‘I guess I understand older men wanting some energetic young girl, personally I would want to be with someone pretty close to me in age.’ 

They were walking towards the main staircase when Ron roughly whacked into her shoulder, sending her flying into Draco.

Before any retaliation could come from the pair Ronald had disappeared around the next corridor. 

‘How has he not been expelled?’ Draco asked, straightening Hermione with an arm. 

‘That boys got more lives than a Phoenix.’ Hermione groaned, rubbing her hit shoulder. 

‘Just start hexing him in the corridor. You could take him with your wand arm tied behind your back. And nobody in their right mind is ever going to expel you.’ Draco told him.

Hermione shook her head. ‘I’m not sinking to his level.’

They arrived at the portrait of Godric Gryffindor to find it empty.

‘Ostium.’ Hermione said, she had realised pretty quickly that the term “fail safe” was for when the portrait was unoccupied. 

The lock turned inside and the vacant portrait opened inwards. Together they stepped into the large duelling space.

‘Want to have a go then?’ Draco asked.

‘Sure.’ Hermione said and they both climbed up onto the velvet stage and walked to either end.

‘’Go easy on me. You beat a master dueller every time that club meets, I never make it past the first few rounds.’ Draco pleaded. ‘Let me keep one shred of my masculine dignity.’ 

Hermione laughed. ‘I could do with working on my defence, you throw me what you’ve got and I’ll block it.’ 

Draco nodded and the pair fixed their wands on each other.

‘Want to ease in or just go straight into the hard stuff?’ Draco asked, while trying to think of the best third-year duelling spells he could.

‘No offense Dragon, but your hard spells are probably my warm up.’ She teased.

Draco shot her a menacing glare. ‘Locomotor Mortis.’ Draco sent the leg-locker curse her way and she brushed it aside with a wordless wave of her wand.

‘Rictusempra!’

Hermione again waved the jinx aside. 

‘Stupefy!’ 

Hermione sighed with the ease of waving off his spell.

‘Bombarda!’ 

‘Shit!’ Hermione declared as she sent the curse upwards. ‘Are you trying to take my fucking arm off’ 

Draco was frowning at the ceiling. ‘Yeah sorry, got caught in the moment. Sorry, are you seeing what I’m seeing?’ 

Hermione looked at the ceiling, not seeing a mark. ‘No?’

‘There’s not a scratch.’ Draco looked down and around the room. ‘There’s not a mark anywhere actually.’ 

Hermione frowned at the boy. ‘You feeling okay?’ 

He gave her a dry look. ‘Hermione, this is a duelling room. There should be scorch marks and chunks of stone missing and all sorts. But it’s as pristine as the day it was built.’ 

Hermione frowned at the ceiling. ‘How did I not notice that?’

Draco shrugged.

‘Bombarda Maxima!’ Hermione pointed her wand at the ceiling. The spell seemed to hit some invisible force-field about an inch away from the vaulted roof. 

‘That’s cool.’ Draco mused. ‘I completely take back what I said about this room being lame and typical.’

Hermione nodded. ‘Yeah, this is some pretty powerful magic.’ 

She pointed her wand at the nearest column. ‘Come stand behind me I don’t want to get you.’ 

Once Draco was behind her she released a torrent of powerful spells around the room. 

‘Reducto! Confringo! Diffindo!’ The spells seemingly were absorbed by a shimmering barrier just before it could do any real damage. 

She frowned. ‘What the hell spell can protect a space like this for a millennium?’ She asked Draco. ‘That’s bloody impressive.’

She turned to Draco. ‘I’m going to put some really powerful curses out, do you mind waiting outside I don’t want them to rebound and hit you.’

Draco frowned. ‘What if they hit you?’

‘I’ll deflect them.’ She said.

Draco sighed. ‘Don’t die.’ He slowly went to stand outside, closing the portrait door shut behind him.

She pointed her wand at the ceiling. ‘Combustum.’ 

The burning and scorching curse had no effect.

‘Excindo!’ The demolishing spell did rebound on her and she had to deflect it, onto the nearest pillar where it was simply absorbed by the field. 

She pointed her wand at the ceiling again. ‘Sepelio!’ The spell, that would pull the roof down on any other building, would completely ruin whatever building it was cast on, had no effect.

‘Damn Godric, you really meant business.’ She muttered.

Feeling resigned to try the most powerful and dark curse she was willing to try she spoke the word that usually caused her nightmares: ‘Consaucio!’ The last time she had used the dark slicing curse had been on Quirrell and before that on Voldemort himself. It rebound. She deflected it onto a pillar. It rebound. 

‘Can I come back in?’ Draco called through the portrait.

Hermione deflected the spell again. ‘Er, no!’ 

The curse rebound seven times until it was eventually weakened and absorbed by the wall. 

‘Okay, come in!’ She called, panting with effort.

‘What the hell did you do? You look like you’re about ready to drop?’ Draco asked as she climbed down from the stage and went to sit on the stone benches.

‘Some spells Flitwick and Snape have taught me.’ She panted. ‘An early guess would be that some spells that are too powerful rebound until they’ve been weakened to an extent that they can be absorbed.’

‘What did you try?’ Draco asked casually, but his eyes betrayed his interest.

‘Nothing you’d know. Some demolishing spells and curses.’ She replied. ‘It’s odd that a room like this wouldn’t have some kind of book of duelling spells.’

‘Maybe it does? Hidden room within a hidden room kinda deal?’ Draco offered. 

‘Hmm. Accio duelling books!’ She called. 

The stone bench underneath her shifted and jerked underneath her.

Hermione leapt up while Draco lifted the stone slab off to reveal a small collection of old leather-bound volumes. 

‘Do you think they all come off?’ Hermione asked.

Draco shrugged but went around and pulled off the heavy slabs. 

Not all of them contained things, some were empty storage space, some contained books and training dummies. 

Hermione learned, to her dismay, that the books couldn’t leave the room. When she tried to take a book called: _Advanced Duelling by Godric Gryffindor and Rowena Ravenclaw,_ from the room the book was ripped from her arms and landed on the floor inside the door. She resolved to note down every book title and see if the library had them in the restricted section or could order them for her. Draco said if they couldn’t he would have someone check the royal collection for her. If all that failed, she would just have to spend several hours on the uncomfortable stone taking notes.

…………………………………….

The next day was a Gryffindor Quidditch match, Hermione and her friends were going to go and cheer Harry on, especially on his new broom. Cedric Diggory had caused several girls to gush over how gentlemanly he was when he had gone to Harry to compliment him on his replacement broom and to make sure that there were no hard feelings over their last game.

‘Do you fancy him?’ Draco had asked Hermione.

‘Drake I think everyone fancies him.’ Was her reply.

Draco sulked into his eggs and toast.

Percy and his Ravenclaw girlfriend, who had been such a good sport when they had duelled in the past, came over to view the broom. It was tucked under the Slytherin table, where Harry and Neville had escaped to in order to escape the spotlight.

Penelope asked if she could hold the firebolt.

‘Now, now, Penny, no sabotage!’ said Percy heartily as she examined the Firebolt closely. ‘Penelope and I have got a bet on,’ he told the table with an air of importance. ‘Ten Galleons on the outcome of the match!’

Penelope put the Firebolt down again, thanked Harry, and went back to her table. 

‘What a pompous git.’ said Fred, sliding in between Draco and Hermione. ‘He’s only got the money to gamble because of the King’s allowance.’

George slid in next to Tracey and slung an arm around her, causing her to blush and Theo to glare at him. ‘Might just tank the game on purpose to shut him up.’

Draco and Harry had an odd friendship, they completely ripped into each other and seemed to enjoy it.

‘Are you sure you can manage that broom, Potter?’ Draco teased. 

Harry let out a half smile. ‘Yeah, reckon so.’ He answered casually. 

‘Got a load of special features, doesn’t it?’ The Earl continued, ‘shame it doesn't come with a parachute in case you get too near a Dementor.’

Hermione glared at Draco but Harry only laughed. 

‘God you’re a dick.’ Harry laughed into his orange juice. ‘Shame you can't attach an extra arm to your broom, your royal douche-ness,’ Harry teased. ‘Then it could catch the Snitch for you. Oh wait, you’re too shit to be a seeker.’

Draco laughed. ‘We both know I could take you any day. I’d like to see you try being a chaser.’ 

Harry cringed. ‘Fuck that. I’d end up missing it and get a Quaffle to the face.’

‘If I said any of that to either of you, you’d fall out with me for a week.’ Hermione said dully into her juice.

‘It’s just different for guys Granger.’ Fred said, slinging an arm around her and pulling her close. ‘It’s what we do. We have banter.’

Hermione rolled her eyes. ‘I think it’s ridiculous.’ 

Draco shook his head. ‘Guys just aren’t like how girls are with each other. Like, you all shower each other in praise and support, if I said to Theo or Blaise some of the stuff you and Daph or Millie say to each other I’d get the piss taken out of me for a month.’

The other boys around the table nodded. 

‘Want to sit on my knee for the match princess?’ Fred asked Hermione with a cheeky smile.

If looks could kill then Draco would have killed Fred about four times over in that moment.

Hermione only laughed. ‘In your dreams Weasley, have you forgotten you’re playing in this match remember?’ 

Fred sighed. ‘If this were my dream, you’d be my nerdy tutor punishing me for not studying.’ Fred laughed. 

‘You’re so weird.’ Theo told Fred. ‘I think you need to get some if you’re dreaming about a thirteen-year-old.’

‘Trust me, he’s getting some.’ Hermione groaned. ‘I get to hear about both their exploits, all the goddamn time.’ 

Fred and George high-fived.

‘You shouldn’t talk about things like that in front of a lady.’ Daphne scolded the pair.

‘Sorry, Ma’am.’ George mock bowed his head to the blond.

At a quarter to eleven, the Gryffindor players occupying their table left for the locker rooms. 

Draco was still sulking into his breakfast and not looking at Hermione until she whispered to him. ‘You know it’s all harmless flirting, right? Fred and I don’t actually like each other.’

This perked him up a lot and he walked down to the pitch with much more enthusiasm than he had displayed that morning.

The weather was much improved that day, a cool day with a light breeze. Perfect match conditions with perfect visibility would make for a good match.

As they took their seats, Hermione was sat in between Greg and Daphne, there was a laughing tumble to the floor when Greg mockingly tried to pull Hermione onto his knee and the threat of jinxing was given. Finally, they were all settled down for the match to begin.

The Gryffindor and Ravenclaw teams walked out to great applause. She saw their seeker, Cho Chang smiling at Harry but Harry was busy waving at Ginny in the stands.

Wood and Davies, the two captains, shook hands and the two teams mounted their brooms.

Harry on his Firebolt shot higher and faster than any other broom to the great applause of the stadium. 

Theo and Blaise, who were sat in the row behind Hermione, were discussing how the Firebolt had been chosen as the broomstick to be used in the Quidditch World Final in a few months.

‘They're off, and the big excitement this match is the Firebolt that Harry Potter is flying for Gryffindor. According to Which Broomstick, the Firebolt's going to be the broom of choice for the national teams at this year's World Championship.’ Lee Jordan was commentating his usual bias.

‘Jordan, would you mind telling us what's going on in the match?’ Interrupted Professor McGonagall's voice. 

‘Right you are, Professor. Gryffindor in possession, Katie Bell of Gryffindor, heading for goal.’ 

Hermione turned to see Montague and the Slytherin Capitan Flint making notes on the other teams and manoeuvres they liked on her far right and knew that Draco, Blaise, and Theo would be in for some even more intense training after this.

Hermione joined in the cheers when Fred whacked away a Bludger that had been heading for Alicia. 

Katie Bell scored the first goal of the match.

There was an incident when Harry nearly caught the Snitch but was forced to break off pursuit when a Bludger from a Ravenclaw Beater nearly smacked into his face.

George Weasley let out his anger by pelting the next Bludger to come near him at the offending Ravenclaw Beater, who was forced to roll rather impressively to avoid it.

‘Gryffindor leads by eighty points to zero, and look at that Firebolt go! Potter's really putting it through its paces now, see it turn! Chang's Comet is just no match for it, the Firebolt's precision -- balance is really noticeable in these long-’ Hermione was shaking her head at the unprofessional commentary as McGonagall’s voice interrupted Lee Jordan.

‘Jordan! Are you being paid to advertise for Firebolt? Comment on the game and nothing else!’ The teacher yelled.

‘Harry had nearly caught the Snitch right in front of where Hermione and co were sat, only to be rammed and blocked by Cho.

Hermione could hear Wood yelling at Harry. ‘No time to be a gentleman! Knock her off-’ She didn’t catch the end as they flew away.

‘Damn, Wood really wants to win.’ Daphne muttered to her. ‘Better get ready with a cushioning charm for poor Cho.’ She joked to Hermione.

A lot of attention had been taken from the chasers and the main game to see Potter and Chang pelting up to the Ravenclaw end of the field when people began to gasp and point at the bottom of the field.

Hermione joined in the gasps when she saw what people were pointing at. There were two Dementors on the floor looking up at Hermione.

Hermione frowned. ‘Are those Dementors walking?’ 

Harry didn’t seem to notice the abnormal appearance of these Dementors, to be fair he was flying incredibly fast. He pulled his wand from his top and sent a massive silver Patronus at the ground, and soared on, leaving the two “Dementors” in a heap on the ground. 

Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape were angrily streaking onto the field to apprehend the culprits while cheers erupted from Harry catching the Snitch.

Madam Hooch’s whistle sounded and Gryffindor was declared the winner.

The Ravenclaw team landed directly, soon followed by the six scarlet players of Gryffindor after some in-air celebrations. 

Hermione and her friends made their way out onto the field. Everyone wanted to celebrate but also see the unmasking of the so called “Dementors” that had no doubt been a prank on Harry.

Hermione saw Lupin talking to Harry and then pointing at the two cloaked figures who had been gripped firmly by Snape on the back of their collars while McGonagall pulled their hoods down.

It was Pansy and Ron. 

Hermione glared at them, surely this would mean the expulsion of Ronald. She wasn’t even aware Pansy and Ron were friends.

‘Oh dear.’ Draco said as he came to stand besides her. ‘Looks like my darling girlfriend has gotten herself into a spot of bother.’ He grinned. ‘Hey maybe they’ll expel her!’ He said excitedly.

Fifty points were publicly taken from each culprit. 

Hermione sighed. ‘There go my fifty points for handing in the map.’

The two students were marched away by Dumbledore presumably to receive harsher punishment.

The Gryffindors all soon left for their victory party while the others all returned to their own common rooms, the Ravenclaws had taken their loss in good spirits. 

It was at dinner that the outrage was revealed. Pansy had received a month’s detention as a first offense that nobody really cared about. Hermione’s own months detentions was being spent doing her usual studies with Snape, she doubted Pansy’s would be as pleasant. The outrage came at the news that Ronald Weasley hadn’t been expelled. 

‘He’s been on his final warning twice now!’ Harry roared. ‘I’m sick of sharing a room with him he’s such a cunt! You should hear the way he speaks to Ginny he’s lucky I don’t punch him!’

Hermione offered to cast a cheering charm on him, an offer that was accepted and followed out. 

‘Is that better?’ She asked.

Harry nodded. ‘Thanks. He’s just the worst person I’ve ever met, and I’ve met Voldemort.’ He said sarcastically.

‘It’s not like he’s not ben punished.’ Hermione offered. ‘Two weeks suspension. I guess it wasn’t serious enough to get the wand snap.’ 

Hermione had slept well and peacefully that night, until that is, the entire school was roused to sleep in the Great Hall again. Draco was escorted on his own by his guard and cousin Tonks while Hermione and Snape lead the Slytherins. 

‘What’s happened?’ Hermione asked Snape as they walked. Though they were much less tense this time as they were doubting Sirius was actually the monster, he was made out to be.

‘That retarded friend of your Neville Longbottom-’

‘Neville is a good and kind Wizard and I thought you were laying off him!’ She scolded.

Snape sighed. ‘Mr Longbottom wrote the passwords down to the Gryffindor common room and lost them. Sirius Black appears to have gotten hold of them and Ronald Weasley woke up to him standing over his bed with a knife.’

‘Not Harry’s bed? Well that sounds like weight in our corner to me.’ Replied Hermione.

‘Yes, Ronald’s bed is where the rat would be. I must say I’m more disgusted that a man my age has been sleeping in the same bed a pubescent boy.’ Snape said, causing Hemione to cringe.

Another night was spent sleeping soundly in the Great Hall while teachers searched the grounds, Lupin had whipped out the map at once and found Black wasn’t on the grounds anymore at all and had gone to search Hogsmeade but returned empty-handed. Neville had required severe cheering up by his friends who was still shaking from his lecture from McGonagall.

…………………………………..

Hey guys, below I’m going to list some clues for what’s to come for our beloved kids over the next few years:

Werewolves, Dragons, Mermaids, Atlantis (kinda), a boatload of time travel, murder most foul, Excalibur.

Below are some chapter titles to come over the years of important chapters:  
The Golden Knife and The Prophet  
Mermaids  
The First King  
The Bathtub   
The Temple of Atune

Try and guess in the comments what each spoiler means, I'd like to see your theories.


	49. Blythe's Joy

After this second Black break-in, Hogwarts was forced to tighten its security measures considerably. Doors were taught to recognise Black’s face, the Fat Lady’s portrait was replaced and guarded by several trolls that terrified the Gryffindor’s. 

Apparently, there had been discussion on whether to leave the students in their common rooms while the teachers searched the castle and grounds but due to Draco’s royal presence, they really had no choice but to gather them all in the easily defendable hall.

That morning Ronald was collected by his very angry parents to begin his two-week suspension but before they came, he delighted in the attention he received and regaled anyone who would listen with the tale of being nearly murdered.

Poor Neville was in a state of total disgrace. Everyone was furious with him, apart from his own friends. Hermione came down to breakfast, was apologised to by Molly Weasley for her son’s behaviour to her along with Harry as she dragged her son out, and found Neville with his head in his arms and Ginny and Luna on either side of him trying and failing to cheer him up.

McGonagall was reportedly so furious with him that she had banned him from all future village visits, Harry had consoled him by promising to spend the time with him instead of going into the village again. He wasn’t even allowed to know the password to the tower anymore, which Hermione found to be a little harsh when the password wasn’t changing twice a day anymore, he just had to wait outside to be let in.

Two days after the break-in, while the school was enjoying a Ron-less period and Ginny seemed to be flourishing without the presence of her older brother, a howler arrived for Neville.

He had run outside with it but unfortunately for him the letter from his “loving” grandmother exploded and the whole hall heard the lecture in which the words: “your father”, “disgrace”, and “embarrassment” could be heard. 

Blaise had excused himself to find Neville and Hermione later found them. Poor Neville was hunched over in an alcove absolutely hysterical and Blaise could only hug him until his tears stopped.

Hermione sensed that Neville would be embarrassed enough one of his male mates had found him upset so pretended she hadn’t found them and gone to her day’s lessons.

The greatest disappointment to the school, and the thing causing the most glares to be sent Neville’s way, was the news that all Hufflepuff parties would be cancelled until further notice. Apart from the oldest students that is, as they would be able to stay over for their “religious rites”. Anyone under fifth year was banned from attending.

There had still been no invites sent for the next Christmas ball, people had begun writing home to see just what the hell was going on and the answers returned to reveal that nobody under the age of eighteen had been invited, aka if you’re in school it’s a no from the King. 

‘Well that’s new.’ Draco mused.

‘No under eighteens at a ball.’ Blaise mused.

‘I suppose they want a classy affair?’ Pansy mused; she had been unusually tame since her stunt as a Dementor owing to the silent treatment her friends had given her. She had apparently received a strongly worded letter from her mother about her behaviour possibly affecting her relationship status with the Earl.

There had been a great excitement for Millie, who had finally spotted the ad in the Prophet for the promised fashion apprenticeship over summer, Hermione had read over her application before she sent it off.

The next Hogsmeade visit occurred, Harry had kept his promise to the still-upset Neville and remained behind with him. 

‘I think he’s only staying to hang out with Ginny.’ Draco whispered to her as they led the ground going into the village.

Hermione nodded. ‘Yeah, but at least Neville should be cheered up a little. I still can’t believe what his nan said to him, isn’t there such a thing as social services in the Wizarding world? She’s awful to him. His whole family is, have you heard that his uncle dropped him out a window once?’

Draco shrugged. ‘I’ll write to my uncle if you want, but I don’t know what they can really do if they can’t place him with another family member.’

Hermione and Daphne went for another massage and both had their nails done, before Daphne went off to join the girls looking at some feminine romance novels and a new collection of dresses that Hermione had no interest in, so she went with Draco to look at the shrieking shack.

‘I think you are the only girl I know that prefers looking at an old haunted building than going clothes shopping with her friends.’ Draco smiled as she linked her arm through his for the walk to the fence that boarded the perimeter of the decrepit building.

‘On the contrary, Sir.’ She replied with a laugh of mock airs. ‘I very much enjoy clothes shopping with my friends like a proper young lady should, but Daphne can go on a bit.’

Draco laughed. ‘Oh, you don’t need to tell me. I remember when we were little, I complimented her summer dress and she launched into a forty-minute discussion on fabric.’

Hermione smiled and then frowned.

‘What is the matter?’ Draco asked, pausing them in front of the fence.

‘It’s just annoying, I guess. You have all known each other all of your lives, what memories you must have of playing as children. I’ve only known you all for some three years.’ Hermione mumbled.

‘I assure you; you didn’t miss out on much. Chaperoned playdates at Malfoy Manor, we didn’t get away with much.’ Said Draco, in effort to console her. ‘Here we are then, one Shrieking Shack.’ 

Hermione nodded. ‘I’ve been reading about it.’

Draco beamed at her. ‘Of course, you have, although I don’t know how you find the time to read for pleasure. You’re taking up a lot recently: OWL’s, all those extra lessons, teaching yourself Latin, looking up things to help Hagrid with poor Buckbeak’s trial, and now painting lessons from Daphne twice a week! I don’t know how you find the time to sleep.’

Hermione shrugged. ‘I don’t mind it. Toil now and party later. I follow a pretty strict schedule so I manage pretty well.’

‘Go on then, tell me all about it.’ Said Draco.

‘Well it used to be the house for the priestess of the ancient temple here. Then a few hundred years after Hogwarts came along it burned down. They for some reason then built a wooden home in its place a few hundred years later. It was never occupied though and about ten or so years later they began to hear the ghosts.’ She told him. ‘I wondered, would you come a little closer?’

Draco raised a brown but put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her in close, causing her to laugh and playfully hit his chest.

‘No, you tit. Closer to the Shack with me!’ 

‘Oh.’ Draco let go of her laughing with a pink tinge to his cheeks. ‘Why would you want to go closer?’

‘Testing a theory.’ Was her answer. 

‘Are you scared to go on your own?’ He asked.

She frowned playfully. ‘No! Are you too scared to come with me?’

‘No!’

‘Well then I guess we’re going to the front door!’

‘I guess we are!’

Together, spurring each other one, they very quickly marched to the front door.

‘Please tell me you don’t want to go in there!’ Draco winced as she reached for the front door. 

She shook her head and with a deep breath pulled on the door handle. The door didn’t budge.

‘Maybe it’s locked?’ Draco asked.

‘Alohomora.’ The door still didn’t budge.

‘Stand back. Bombarda!’ Hermione pointed her wand at the door, the spell rebound and Draco had to pull Hermione onto the ground to narrowly avoid being hit.

There were blushes as Draco fell onto his back with his arms around Hermione, pulling her to land on top of him heavily.

‘Sorry.’ He said quickly trying to help Hermione up from under her, only causing her to fall back on top of him.

‘No, it’s fine.’ Hermione finally managed to extract herself from Draco and quickly jumped up.

She offered him a hand to help pull him off but he waved her off and pushed himself up.

‘Why the hell did it rebound?’ Draco asked, there wasn’t a single mark on the door.

‘Theory confirmed I guess.’ Hermione said.

‘What’s your theory?’ Asked Draco.

‘It’s magic proof. Such a building could contain anything, perhaps a Werewolf?’ She hinted.

‘But it was built ten years before he came here?’ 

Hermione nodded. ‘Right about the time he was infected.’ 

‘Oh. I see.’ Draco scanned the windows. ‘Do you reckon they’re fake too?’

Hermione nodded. 

‘How the hell do you get in then?’ Draco asked.

She shrugged. ‘Tunnel into the basement?’ 

‘What tunnel?’ Came a familiar voice from behind them, causing them both to jump and shriek.

There was nobody there, although two sets of footprints in the snow told Hermione exactly who it was.

‘I thought you two were staying at the castle?’ She asked.

The invisibility cloak came off to reveal Harry and Neville. 

‘Yeah I thought you were staying with Ginny and Luna.’ Draco frowned.

‘We just nipped out for some candy and a quick walk under the cloak. We’re going back now but we saw you at the door to the most haunted house in Britain and thought we’d see what’s going on.’ Neville answered.

Hermione nodded. ‘We’re just having a look. You guys should get back before someone spots you.’ 

The boys took her advice and covered themselves in the cloak for the walk back to Honeydukes cellar, good thing as at the end of the pathway they came across the worst duo in history: Ron and Pansy.

‘Ah shit.’ Draco muttered as he spotted the pair.

‘Oh, look who it is. The almighty Earl slumming it with a Mudblood.’ Ron barked.

Hermione frowned. ‘What the hell are you doing here? You’re suspended!’ 

Ron smirked. ‘I floo’d in moron.’ 

Hermione groaned. ‘Fabulous. Look I can’t be bothered with you today so you go that was and I’ll go this way.’ 

‘Fuck off Mudblood I’m not doing a thing you tell me to do!’ Ron roared. 

Ron was then met by a handful of mud to the face that had appeared from thin air. 

Hermione resisted a smile as Ron and Pansy were pelted with wet mud by Harry and Neville, she would never admit it but she was thankful they had broken the rules and were there in that moment.

Hermione gasped as the cloak slipped, revealing Harry’s floating head but not Neville, Pansy’s eyes fixated on Harry’s momentarily visible face as if Christmas had come early and she instantly turned to run back up the pathway. 

‘Ha! We’ve got you now!’ Ron yelled.

‘You’re not meant to be here either dickhead!’ Draco reminded the boy. ‘I might just tell your big brothers you’ve snuck out.’ 

Ronald’s face fell. ‘Fuck you, you royal prat.’ 

Draco, who was pumping with adrenaline, continued. ‘And you and Pansy sure are spending a lot of time together. I might just have to write to her family about how I’m beginning to doubt her purity.’

‘You spend a lot of time alone with the Mudblood.’ Ron barked back.

‘I’m not contracted to her though, am I?’ Draco sighed. ‘I’m sure Pansy would love to hear how you’ve cost her such an advantageous match.’ 

Ronald Weasley barked some insulting parting words, and left. 

‘Right we all need to beat Pansy back to the school.’ Hermione turned to face Draco, assuming Harry and Neville were listening. 

‘We’ll all take the Hondeydukes passage back.’ Came Neville’s voice from thin air.

The four ran through town into Honeydukes, down the cellar steps and through the trapdoor. Once in the tunnel, the two hidden boys pulled off the cloak and Harry stuffed it under his arm. 

All four ran back to the castle, it was a good thing they were all so fit, Hermione was sure they would beat Pansy back to the school despite their head start, but it would be close.

‘Leave your cloak here and come back for it later, Potter.’ Draco ordered to nods.

The hallway was checked and all four quickly pulled themselves out of the tunnel.

The second Neville, who was the last one to climb out, was out of the tunnel two sets of footsteps approached. 

It was Snape and Lupin. 

They approached at a swift pace, neither looked very pleased, and Hermione noticed Lupin placing an old blank parchment into his coat pocket. N0 wonder they had been found so fast.

‘Hello.’ Lupin said with much suspicion.

The three boys, not really knowing much about the map, tried to look innocent. Hermione, knowing she was caught, sighed in defeat.

‘Shall we all go to my office?’ Asked Snape, with a triumphant expression.

The foursome and two professors descended to the dungeons; the four students were still catching their breath from their now-pointless dash for the school.

They finally arrived to Snape’s office. Hermione, who was very familiar with this office, helped herself to a seat along with Draco. Neville and Harry, who were strangers to this room, remained standing awkwardly.

‘Miss Parkinson has just been to see me with a very strange story.’ Snape said.

‘Both of you?’ Hermione asked.

‘Yes, we were working on a project in the staff room.’ Lupin acknowledged her. So, they had been trying to spot Black? Hermione was glad indeed that they were trying to search out the man now that she had surrendered the map.

None of the others said anything.

‘Miss Parkinson.’ Snape said harshly, getting the other teacher in the room back on topic. ‘Tells me that she was up at the Shrieking Shack when she ran into Malfoy and Granger.’ 

None of them spoke up to this.

‘According to Miss Parkinson, she was standing talking to Granger and Malfoy, when a large amount of mud hit her head. How do you think that could have happened?’ Lupin asked. 

The boys all tried to look surprised. Hermione continued to give Snape a blank look.

‘I don’t know.’ Harry replied.

‘Miss Parkinson saw something quite extraordinary.’ Said Snape.

‘A floating head. Your floating head.’ Lupin said, although he had a slight smile on his face as if he was trying to repress a greater smile of recognition.

‘Maybe she’s finally gone insane?’ Draco spoke up.

Snape frowned at him. ‘I don’t think she’s gone insane Malfoy.’

‘So, what is your head doing in Hogsmeade, Potter? Your head isn’t allowed in the village. Nor is the rest of you.’ Lupin’s cornering smile had vanished and he now looked quite angry.

Harry just shrugged.

The teachers both sighed and turned on Hermione.

‘Granger you have five seconds to tell me what I already know.’ Snape told her.

‘I told Harry about the tunnel from the map ages ago. But he agreed to go straight back once I met him, Pansy was rude and Harry defended me.’ Said Hermione.

‘Granger!’ Harry shouted in shock.

Nothing was said on the subject of the cloak.

‘Professor, would you mind if I dealt with Potter?’ Lupin asked. ‘You can take the other three.’

Snape sighed as if a new toy had been snatched from him. ‘Fine. You three come with me.’

Once the three students and Snape had left Lupin turned on Harry. 

‘What do you think you are playing at?’ 

‘Sir?’

‘James and Lily died to save your life and going out into the nearby village is a piss poor way to repay them, don’t you think?’

Harry felt his stomach drop out from under him. ‘Oh.’

‘I’m going to let you in on a secret, Sirius Black knows that cloak exists, if I ever find out you are using it to sneak out of this school with a potential murderer on the loose, I’ll have you up in front of the Headmaster.’

For the first time in his life, Harry feared a teacher more than he feared Snape.

'What do you mean potential? He killed people and betrayed my parents. What's potential about that?' Harry frowned.

Lupin ignored him. ‘Detention with me for two weeks.’ 

With that Lupin breezed past him and left the office.

…

‘Letters home, that’s shit.’ Hermione sighed as she and Draco bid farewell to Neville.

‘Want to go for a walk?’ Draco asked, he’d been awfully quiet since he found out Snape would be writing to his parents and kept absently touching his back before clasping his hands together behind his back again.

Hermione nodded. ‘Yeah I do. Want to go see if they’re still doing lunch first? I’m starving.’ 

The dining hall was filled with first and second years, Hermione waved at Luna and Ginny sat at the Ravenclaw table before sitting with their own green fellows.

Lunch was a quick jacket potato with cheese and red onion for the pair before they set off.

Draco was still unconsciously unclasping his hands to touch at his marked back before re-clasping them.

‘The King won’t let him hurt you.’ Hermione said quietly. 

‘He’s not always there.’ Draco mumbled back. 

‘I won’t let him then!’ Hermione declared, grabbing Draco’s arm.

‘You’re not always there either.’ Draco whispered. 

Hermione frowned and pulled him lightly by the arm into the nearest boy’s toilet and into a cubicle.

‘Show me.’ She said.

Draco didn’t feign ignorance and began to unbutton his shirt. Hermione spotted the golden chain of the time-turner around his neck but said nothing as he folded his shirt over his arm before turning around.

Hermione instantly felt tears welling in her eyes as she saw the marred back, it was so much worse than the last time she had seen it. Whenever she was in his room, he was careful not to let her see the scars on his back.

‘Oh Draco.’ She whispered in horror.

Draco shrugged his shirt back on and quickly did up the buttons.

‘I’m writing to the King tonight.’ Said Hermione firmly.

‘That doesn’t work! He just gets worse when his brother gets involved!’ Draco snapped as they stepped back out into the corridor.

‘He could literally move you out! You could go live in the Palace with Armand and Matilda or go to your Scottish estate with your mum!’ She suggested. ‘I’m going to tell him Draco. Or if you rather you can tell him.’

‘I’ll tell him.’ Draco sighed. My father was established in his own household when he was fourteen why can’t I do it at thirteen?’ 

‘Let’s go to the Owlery then.’ Hermione said gently.

_Uncle,_  
_Hermione is forcing me to write this._

Hermione had grumbled over this line.

_There’s not an easy way to put this so I’m just going to come out with it. My father keeps beating me and I never want to be alone with him again. Can I have your permission to move out please?_  
_Dragon_

The letter was sent just as Draco received one from the Princess.

_Dragon,_  
_I’m very sorry to inform you of this but Buckbeak has lost his case and is to be executed. My douchebag of an uncle saw to it that he lost the case and there is nothing my father can do now. _  
_I’m so sorry Dragon._  
_Matilda_

  
……………………….

To say that over the next few days Draco was in a sour mood would be an understatement. There was a small joy when a photographer snuck a picture of his father sporting a very recent black eye and busted lip just as he received a reply from his uncle.

_Dragon_  
_I’m sorry for failing you._  
_For appearances you must spend a few weeks at Malfoy Manor over summer but I have ensured you will never be alone. _  
_Your Christmas and Easter breaks shall from now be spent at the Palace and any spare weeks you have over summer can be spent at Keiss House, although I’d rather you didn’t live on your own for a good few years._  
_I hope this arrangement suits you._  
_Your loving uncle,_  
_Armand II_

The letter arrived with several books Draco had ordered from the royal collection; Hermione had managed to find some of the other books from the duelling room in the restricted section. Much to her frustration though _Advanced Duelling by Godric Gryffindor and Rowena Ravenclaw_ was not on offer anywhere as there are only like three copies known, four if you count the one in the secret room.

Hermione and co had been giving Draco a wide berth while he retreated to the solitary space of his room, Hermione had spent her spare time usually reserved for Draco painting landscapes outside with Daphne.

Daphne had been painting on an easel next to her as they painted the scene of the black lake, Hermione noted for the first time how many girls could be seen outside painting. To her own shock, and much to everyone else’s, Hermione had discovered a real talent for art. 

‘It’s because you’re such a good teacher.’ Hermione praised Daphne as her blond friend admired her art. 

‘I like how you’ve added a pathway here.’ Daphne mused. ‘And you’ve made really good use of bright and dark spaces.’

Hermione beamed. ‘I’m not as good as you.’ 

Daphne had painted an idyllic scene of summer at Hogwarts. ‘Duh, I’ve been painting since I was old enough to hold a brush. But you’re catching up fast, it’s a bit annoying actually. Can’t you be bad at something?’ Daphne teased.

‘I can’t sing for shit. You have the voice of an angel.’ Hermione smiled back.

‘Hmm that is true, you are an awful singer. The choir’s singing at the feast tonight.’ Daphne told her as they packed up their art.

‘What are you singing?’ Asked Hermione. Though she knew the answer, she had heard Daphne rehearsing in the shower.

‘Blythe’s Joy.’ Daphne told her as they walked back into the warmth of the castle.

‘You’re a lot calmer about public performing now?’ 

Daphne shrugged. ‘After singing at the ball, well, not much can scare me after that.’

‘Well, I’m sure you’ll smash it.’ Hermione told her. 

Once they had placed their art supplies back in a cupboard in the Slytherin common room, Hermione made a quick pitstop at the library in order to return some of the advanced duelling books she had finished with, and headed to the Great Hall for the feast.

The school choir was all assembled in front of the teachers table on the steps. Pansy was grumbling from her seat at the piano.

Hermione took a seat between Theo and Draco just as Dumbledore began speaking.

‘Before we all become consumed with our delicious Friday feast our school choir, lead by Miss Greengrass, is going to sing “Blythe’s Joy” for us all.’

There was a polite applause from the four long tables as the music began, there was a moment of musical introduction in which Draco leaned over to whisper in Hermione’s ear.

‘Want to know a deep dark family secret?’ He asked.

‘Always.’ She whispered back as the violin section struck up.

‘Everyone thinks this song is about the King and Blythe.’

‘Isn’t it?’

‘Nope. Family secret. Supposedly Blythe was in love with a member of the King’s council, and he with her, but her father commanded her to marry the King so she did. But every time the King went away, he let them be together.’ Said Draco.

‘Nice of him.’ Hermione was honestly shocked.

‘Shame she died so young. I think Armand planned on letting her marry him once she was widowed.’ Draco mused.

‘That should be a book. The King, The Queen, and The Queen’s boyfriend.’ Hermione said, the singing was still yet to start but the slow music was soon coming upon the moment when Daphne and her group of backing singers would begin.

‘Oh, Armand had his lovers too.’

‘God I’ll never understand pure-blood marriages.’

Draco shrugged. ‘They got on very well, I think they learned to love each other to a degree. Must have actually, he created the Queen Blythe award after she died and gave it to her lover. But this song didn’t come out until she had been dead for fifty-ish years so nobody clocked on thankfully. Gods this song is so depressing.’

‘No it isn’t.’ 

‘Every verse literally shows how they get separated.’

‘But the point is that when they can be together, they are!’ Hermione shushed the Earl as Daphne began to sing.

'Here on the seat of the Temple of old,  
Blythe would meet with her Lord.  
Great father she had, did call her to home,  
He called my lover home.

In the high halls of the Great King of old,   
Blythe would dance with her Lord.  
He was kind and sweet and knew her complete,  
Blythe would dance with her Lord.

Teach me to hear the Mermaids a singing,  
They call a Siren home.  
Deep in the water, the city of home,  
They call my lover home.

In the high halls of the Great King of old,   
Blythe would dance with her Lord.  
He was kind and sweet and knew her complete,  
Blythe would dance with her Lord.

And now she rests in the Temple of Kings,  
Called away from her Lord.  
Young Blythe did fall to the sickness of all,  
Gods call my lover Home.

In the high halls of the Great King of old,   
Blythe would dance with her Lord.  
He was kind and sweet and knew her complete,  
Blythe would dance with her Lord.'


	50. The Hidden Rooms

‘Miss Graner! You’re failing potions!’ Snape barked.

‘I’m sorry sir! Can I turn in some extra work to bring my grade up?’ Hermione cried.

Snape shook his head and walked over to his desk drawer and pulled it open.

‘You should be expelled for this! All the time I’ve wasted on you!’

Snape pulled a hammer from his desk drawer and walked menacingly to her with it raised to strike.

‘Sir, please, I can do better!’ Hermione cried.

Snape brought the hammer down on her head.

…

Hermione woke with a gasp; she was drenched in sweat. The sun was yet to rise if how dark the lake was out of her window; she brushed some hair from her eyes and pushed her blankets down and swung her legs out of her bed.

Daphne stirred as Hermione tiptoed past her. ‘What are you doing?’ The blond whispered.

‘Bad dream, I’m going to have a bath.’ Hermione told her. ‘Go back to sleep.’ Hermione looked at the clock on the wall to see it only five am and picked up a book to keep her company.

Daphne nodded and was asleep again by the time Hermione reached the bathroom door.

Hermione set the bath running and added her newest purchase, a sweet bath soak that didn’t put out too many bubbles; Hermione found she had to be in the mood for bubbles and today she was not. While the bath was running, she stepped into the shower to wash her hair and the sweat from her body. She stepped from the shower and stood naked before the mirror, brushing her hair out and running her straightening potions through it before pinning it up; if she let her hair get in her bath water it made her hair feel like straw.

Finally, she climbed in for a long soak with her book. After her most peculiar dream she had taken in a potions book to read. It was a book written by Cecil Prewett, Daphne had seen her reading it the other day and reckoned it to a boring history book, to which Hermione had informed her it was actually a most fascinating tale. It was rare that potioneer’s would write a biographical study on their discoveries and this one was in extreme detail. Cecil Prewett had of course invented the Sano antidote in an effort to heal Queen Blythe, though the potion had failed the Queen it had gone on to heal many other wizards and witches’ afflictions and earned him a knighthood. 

She was going to ask Snape if they could try to brew it, surely it would be a good idea to keep some stock of the cure-all elixir at their school Hospital Ward. She couldn’t see him saying no, it was one of the trickiest medicinal potions one could brew. 

Hermione was just about to begin the gut-wrenching chapter in which Cecil finds that he has failed the Queen and the hollowness her death causes him to feel when she heard the other girls beginning to stir out in the bedroom. She dog-eared her page, one of her greatest sins was this habit, and pulled herself from her cooling bath water. 

She wrapped herself in her towel to dry off before pulling on her uniform to begin her Monday. She let her hair down before brushing it out again, casting a quick drying charm, and then she pulled it up into her now usual lace-braided bun. 

She made her way out into the bedroom to find the other girls sat at their various vanities painting on their makeup. 

‘I’m going to run to the library before breakfast, I’ll meet you all there.’ She told her friends, pulling on her cloak and picking up her heavy schoolbag.

‘Nerd.’ Tracey teased.

‘Just you wait till you’re doing your OWL’s,’ Hermione smiled back at her before setting off. 

Indeed, she found she had been beaten to the library by several other early risers, all members of her year or seventh and beginning their preparations for exams now that the countdown of months had begun.

Madam Prince was looking half-asleep as she manned her usual desk, once the Spring term began the faithful librarian had the library open from six am and would be there from eight every day, she would remain there until eight pm and the library would then shut at half-ten pm, half an hour before curfew. 

Not that Hermione ever paid much attention to those closing hours, she could often be found there in the small hours by whatever teacher happened to be on patrol. Some would escort her home to Slytherin like McGonagall and Snape, some would leave her to it like Flitwick and Sprout. Then there was that one occasion that Dumbledore had come upon her and seen her reading up on the uses of Dragon blood and had swung into a full lesson for her benefit and finally taken her home to Slytherin at about four am.

‘Ah! I understand when the urge for knowledge grips oneself!’ Dumbledore had told her at the door to the common room.

In present, Hermione placed her books back on the “returns” cart before heading down the history isle. She picked up a book on goblin rebellion and one on the rule of Armand I to read in her free time, for she had read so many duelling books recently and over the weekend that she felt her head might just explode id she read a single page more.

She received the shock of her life however, when she wandered down the Charms aisle to see Fred and George with their noses in books.

‘Are you two studying?’ She asked, mouth agape. 

The pair looked up in horror of being caught. 

‘Fine! Yes! We’re studying.’ George said.

‘Your many lectures have paid off.’ Fred groaned. 

‘And Angelina Johnson made fun of us that one of our best friends who is two years younger than us gets much better grades than us.’ George finished off.

Hermione smiled. ‘I get better grades than her too. Want some help?’ 

The boys shook their heads. ‘We were just finishing off, it’s time for breakfast.’ Said Fred. 

‘We’re not bothered about getting straight O’s like you are but we’ve decided we should probably try and pass everything at any rate.’ Said George as they made their way from the library.

She bid the twins adieu at the doors and went to the Slytherin table, where her friends had saved her a seat between Draco and Daphne.

‘Daphne was just telling me you slept ill last night?’ Draco said as she sat down.

‘Oh, I had a dumb dream and went for a soak.’ She dismissed him. ‘I wouldn’t have been able to get to sleep again.’

‘And what happened in this dream?’ Draco asked.

‘I failed potions and Snape tried to kill me with a hammer.’ She admitted sheepishly. 

Draco, purely from his fondness of Hermione, disguised his laugh as a cough into his napkin. This of course caused a coughing fit and Blaise had to slap him heartily on the back for a moment. 

Draco’s mood seemed vastly improved this week, indeed he was looking forwards to spending time with his uncle and cousin and at his own Keiss House.

It was with this renewed new spirit that the two found the entrance to Hufflepuff’s secret tunnel. 

It was quite easy really, now that they knew a failsafe code-word they just walked down the corridor saying “Ostium” until a portrait door swung open. 

The portrait was of a flute player in the Great Hall of Regia, it swung open to reveal a dark stone tunnel of stairs that led immediately and rather steeply down.

With a quick jump up and down and squeals of excitement, they descended the staircase. 

They both lit their wands. ‘Bloody hell.’

Before them were four different stone tunnels branching off in different directions. ‘It’s a labyrinth.’ Hermione gasped. 

‘Fuck me, we’ll never find our way out of here.’ Draco said, stepping backwards up the stairs in defeat.

Hermione nodded. ‘We need to be able to retrace our steps.’ 

As if an actual lightbulb went off over her head, an old torch burst into life over her head lighting the corridor. ‘That’s it!’ Hermione declared.

She waved her wand and conjured a large ball of golden thread and tied the end of it around the base of the newly lit torch.

‘Now we can just follow this thread back to the entrance.’ Hermione said. ‘Worked for Theseus.’

‘Who?’ Draco frowned.

‘Theseus and the Minotaur? No? I’ll get you a book on Greek mythology for your birthday.’ She began to step forwards, other torches burst into life as she stepped towards the four branching tunnels.

‘Which one should we go down first?’ Hermione asked.

‘Want to go left to right?’ Draco offered.

Hermione nodded and the two pocketed their wands, there seemed to be an abundance of torches to light the way.

The tunnels gave plenty of room and the stone tunnels were oddly warm. Hermione bent down to run her hand across the floor. ‘They’re warm!’

‘Heated floors in a thousand-year-old tunnel?’ Draco asked, bending down to touch the floors. ‘Hufflepuff man, proper genius.’ 

They walked for a few hundred yards before they came to a wooden door, Draco had pulled out an empty notebook and began to sketch their route for a map, he marked the door. Draco pushed open the door and walked through first. 

‘You’re gonna bloody love this.’ Hermione heard Draco say. 

She stepped in as the torches in the long room burst into life. ‘Fuck me.’ 

It was a library. A grand library. Hermine squealed and went to examine some titles, as she walked around a fireplace roared into life. Draco took a seat on a dark wood couch with yellow pillows there were several yellow armchairs with nearby desks and side tables in front of the fire. 

‘First door and we get a library!’ Hermione practically jumped. 

She was scanning the titles on the bookshelves. ‘Good thing you taught me Latin!’ She called to Draco as she examined the titles. 

Smiling to herself she pulled one leather bound book from the shelf. ‘Guess what they have?’ She asked walking with the book behind her back.

Draco smiled at her excitement. ‘Let me guess? One book you’ve been looking for in particular?’ 

She nodded and pulled the book out _Advanced Duelling by Godric Gryffindor and Rowena Ravenclaw. _

‘It’ll be a lot more comfortable to take notes and revise in here than in the duelling room upstairs.’ 

‘You’re going to be in here every day, aren’t you?’ Draco smiled gently.

Hermione nodded. 

Draco sighed and stood to examine some shelves himself while Hermione replaced her book on the shelf to continue looking. 

Draco gasped. ‘Oh. My. Gods!’ 

Hermione hurried over to him. ‘What is it?’

Draco looked up in amazement. ‘It’s the transcripts from all of Armand’s law sessions.’ 

‘Your uncle or old Armand?’ Hermione asked.

‘Old Armand.’ Draco told her.

‘This is amazing, the original one is kept under lock and key. It’s really cool the first law he made, look, the first law he made “any law made by the first king is forever”. We still follow all his laws. 

Hermione frowned. ‘You’re following laws that are a thousand years old?’

Draco nodded. ‘They’re some pretty good laws. No murder, no rape, no blood curses, that sort of thing.’ 

‘Oh. Yeah, okay, those are some pretty good laws.’

Draco sighed. ‘These two pages are stuck together.’ 

‘Can you get them apart?’ Hermione asked. 

Draco sighed. ‘Some animals put a sticking charm on them. I don’t want to damage the book.’

_“__I’ve never been so attracted to a person before" _Hermione thought to herself. 

Hermione was flicking through a book full of ancient rituals of the Gods that do not require a full moon and are just if not more powerful than the ones that did require the moon, she placed it back on the shelf to look at Draco.

Draco placed the book carefully back onto the shelf. ‘I think I’ll keep you company down here, it’d be decent to read straight from Armand I. Some good Kingly lessons to be had, I could do with learning from the “master” for when it’s my turn.’ 

Hermione nodded and tried to give Draco her most reassuring look. ‘You don’t talk about that a lot.’ 

Draco shrugged and looked at the shelves. ‘My whole family has to die before I get crowned, it’s not something I like to think about. And who the hell wants to be King or Queen, you don’t get a life of your own.’ He took a deep breath. ‘Let’s carry on exploring.’

‘Hey look someone added Austen!’ Hermione called as she Draco pulled her from the room. 

‘Come on, let’s explore.’ Draco said.

‘But they have a copy of Emma! I haven’t read that one!’ 

Back in the corridor Hermione sighed and picked up her ball of golden thread and Draco pulled out his map.

They pressed on through several doors of wonders, warm lounges and even a ballroom. 

‘You know, Hufflepuff is generally written off but I think she might have been the most powerful of them all.’ Hermione said as they stared at the full-sized swimming pool. 

‘A hidden swimming pool in Hogwarts.’ Draco said. ‘There’s diving boards.’ 

There were indeed diving boards at differing heights. ‘I didn’t even think they were a thing back then.’ Hermione blinked. 

‘How big do you think it is?’ Draco asked.

‘Er, hundred metres? Hundred and fifty?’ Hermione guessed. 

Draco noted “swimming pool” down on the map.

They were down the third tunnel now, the golden thread was a good idea, these tunnels were a maze of crisscrossing stone walls.

“Wardrobe” Draco marked down on his map. 

‘This is so cool!’ Hermione fingered a green silk dress. ‘Actual medieval clothes!’

Among the large wardrobe were several elven-styled crowns of differing materials. Hermione picked up one silver crown with a large yellow Imperial Topaz. ‘It’s all a bit big for me though.’ She put the crown down and picked up one of the long yellow dresses and held it against her body.

‘Bit long on you that Granger.’ Draco said.

‘Gee you think?’ She hung the dress back up on the rack.

The next room they came across was a Hobbit hole styled lounge that they sat in for a break. 

‘What time is it?’ Hermione yawned.

Draco looked to his pocket watch. ‘Er, it’s about half eleven.’ 

‘We’ll explore that last tunnel then and get to bed.’ Draco nodded at the plan.

They followed the thread back to the entrance before walking down the fourth tunnel. There were no doors here and they walked and walked on. They followed it until Draco declared it to be midnight.

‘I’m going to go ahead and say this is a tunnel out of the school.’ Draco said, each step caused the next torch ahead to burst into life showing yet more corridor to walk down. 

‘Do you think we’ve gone beyond Hogsmeade?’ Hermione asked.

Draco nodded. ‘Oh yeah, we’ve walked for fucking miles.’ 

At long last they reached some stone steps. ‘Ah finally!’ Draco went ahead and pushed open the door ahead of them, they both shuddered as the cold outside hit them.

Draco went out. ‘Fuck me.’ His hand appeared in the tunnels which Hermione took gladly to help her up the old stone.

‘Where are we?’ She asked as she emerged into the dark. Draco pulled her in close to his side to keep warm as neither wore a jacket.

Draco gestured with his head and Hermione turned. ‘Oh.’

They were beyond the castle. Beyond the lake. Beyond the village. 

They were on a small hill overlooking all three. Their concealed entrance had been a fake tree, nearby them was a large erect stone. 

_“On this sight in the year 990, the sight of Hogwarts was decided.”_ Read the inscription on the stone. 

‘Wow.’ Hermione and Draco both said. 

‘There’s a little path over here, want to see where it goes?’ Draco asked. 

‘Probably to Hogsmeade.’ Hermione told him while shaking her head. ‘We need to go back. It’s so late.’ 

Draco nodded and opened the door on the fake tree, his map seemed complete although there were a few side corridors left to venture down, and they followed the golden thread back to the entrance.

‘Didn’t really need this for this tunnel, did I?’ Hermione smiled.

Draco shrugged. ‘Handy tunnel though, be good if you ever needed to move a large number of people in or out of the castle.’ 

Hermione nodded, the corridor wasn’t exactly narrow, the pair had no issue walking side-by-side. ‘You could lead an army down here.’

Draco frowned. ‘Yeah but think more like a Hufflepuff, she probably built this in case they ever needed to evacuate the school quickly.’

Hermione nodded. ‘You’re probably right. At least they’ve never needed to use this tunnel, can’t imagine having to evacuate the school.’

‘They’d probably only do it if, I don’t know, if the school was burning down or under attack.’ 

Shaking her head. ‘Can we go back to the library down here tomorrow? There were books from all four founders!’ 

Draco smiled. ‘Yeah, can’t keep you away from your books.’ 

‘You never know what I might learn from them.’ 

**************************************************************

Wow, fifty chapters. It's gone so fast! Thanks so much for reading and leaving Kudos and commenting! 

To leave you wanting more, next time:  
Hermione learns more about the invention of Matilda's infertility curse.  
A blood ritual.  
  



	51. The Word of Salazar

The school choir, mainly Daphne, had caused a surge of romanticism in the students. As such the choir had been requested to sing at every Friday feast, the request had come from Dumbledore himself.  
Although there had been many requests for Daphne and the choir to sing “Blythe’s Joy” again, these had obviously been ignored. As such, Hermione now had the enormous delight of listening to Daphne practicing the song for this week “The White-Haired Maiden” while she studied from the many rare books she had found down in the secret library. 

She was currently digging through a book written in Salazar Slytherin’s own hand, it was more of a journal than an academic book. Her mouth agape in horror as she read each line.

_16th Dec. 1010._   
_The curse invented did have the most severe and horrific consequences. As such I have agreed to leave the school so that Rowena may live the rest of her life in peace. I cannot do anything for the pain I have caused her. I will spend the remainder of my days attempting to cure the terror I have created. _   
_The King, for my crime, has justly declared that I should live the rest of my life on my estate. Good Godric, for the friendship we once shared no doubt, spoke that to publicly arrest me would harm the school._   
_The resulting curse Helga hit me with means I couldn’t teach anyway, it’s a good thing I already have my heir as I fear I will be confined to this chair for the remainder of my days, no less than I deserve. _   
_We got into it over the admittance of Mudblood’s to the school, I explained my view that to attract muggle attention to the school was dangerous but they just rattled back their “inclusion” policy once again. Things soon dissolved into a duel. _   
_Godric I managed to render unconscious, and Helga was ensuring the students nearby were safe. Rowena and I launched our most fearsome spells at one another._   
_I had been working on a new curse designed to cause some internal damage, not enough to kill but enough to incapacitate for a few days. _   
_Rowena was left with a burn-like scar over the torso, as if she had been struck by lightning. All the surrounding skin was darkened and she fell to the ground in immense pain._

Hermione found herself wiping a tear from her cheek. Slytherin had invented the infertility curse used on Princess Matilda.

_Once Rowena screamed, Helga got involved and had me disarmed in a matter of seconds. Then, for good measure, she hit me with a curse I did not know that caused large gashes to form on my body that sliced down to the bone. Apparently, she cut through one of my back bones, the healers say I won’t walk again. _

Hermione put the book down for a moment. ‘Damn, Hufflepuff was brutal.’

_The King and his guard were immediately summoned. The young Queen also arrived wearing her Blue Dragon bracket, with the Golden stones ability to detect lies they quickly found out exactly what had happened and I was taken to the cells in Regia. _   
_There, for some days, was talk of a Dementor’s kiss and I admittedly gave up hope, thankfully the Queen disapproves of such measures and I was sentenced to house arrest for the remainder of my days. _   
_I shall spend the days trying to undo the harm I have caused. _

_16th Dec. 1029_   
_These last nineteen years since I departed the school, I have worked to undo the damage I caused to Rowena. I managed to lesson the pain with a potion that I based on the healing potion Cecil Prewet created but there was nothing to be done about the infertility. _   
_I learned last week that Rowena Ravenclaw has died. I hear her only daughter has also died and her ghost now lingers in the castle. It would have been nice to see my Hogwarts one last time but having failed in curing darling Rowena, I cannot face seeing Godric or Helga._   
_I can feel my life nearing its natural end and so am sending this journal to Hufflepuff to place in her library. _   
_I have no doubt that if I had more years left, I would be able to cure the terrible curse I have created. One of the students present at that duel it seems wrote it in a textbook and now there has been at least one other use of it on a muggle-born._   
_My years of confinement have lessoned my hatred of that kind as a Muggle village has sprung up near my estate. Daily exposure to them has shown me that they are no threat or disgusting, just different. I pray to the three Gods that nobody will ever open the Chamber and unleash the horror within._

Having reached the end of the book, she instantly went to show Draco those final pages.

‘Fuck me.’ Draco said as he placed the now-read pages down on his bed. ‘What a terrible man. Who the fuck could use such a severe curse on their own friend?’

‘Sounds like he didn’t know what it would do, it said it was new he’d probably never used it before.’ Said Hermione. ‘But you’re not getting it!’

Draco frowned and re-read the pages. ‘What am I not getting? I see he invented the curse the Death Eaters used on Matilda but he also says he failed to cure it over nearly twenty years.’ 

‘Yeah, but don’t you think some expert brewers might be able to crack that potion to heal her? Even if it takes a few years she’ll be what? Thirty? Forty? They might crack it in time for her to have children.’ 

As if electrocuted, Draco shot up from his bed. ‘I might not have to be King?’

Hermione smiled. ‘We need to get this book sent off to Matilda immediately.’ 

Hermione copied down the notes on Slytherin’s alterations to the “Sano” curing potion, and handed the book with now marked pages to Draco.

The two of them ran to the Owlery as most of the other students left for the feast. 

They arrived in record time and Draco swiftly dispatched his mighty bird bearing a black ribbon with the book and a hastily written letter telling them what they had discovered on the marked pages.

Draco let out a shaky breath as the bird flew off into the distance, Hermione gave him a moment of privacy and gave her raven Freddie a letter to bare for her friend Mabel in France who she had stricken up a semi-regular correspondence with. 

Once Freddie had also disappeared into the distance she turned back to Draco.

‘Are you alright?’ She asked, placing a hand lightly on his bicep.

He nodded. Then shook his head. Then nodded again. 

‘Don’t know what to say?’ She asked with a gentle smile. 

He nodded. ‘No, sorry, I mean no I don’t.’

‘We need to get to the feast.’ Said Hermione, gently taking his hand and going to pull him from the room.

Draco, however, pulled her back and caught her in a tight hug. He had one hand on her lower back and one hand buried in her hair, no doubt causing several knots. Hermione didn’t complain and hugged him back, rubbing reassuring circles on his back, her head rested comfortably on his chest and she smiled.

‘When did you get so big?’ She asked, craning her neck to see his face.

This seemed to snap him out of it and he looked down at her and chuckled lightly.

‘I think everyone’s growing but you.’ He teased. 

There was a moment when their eyes connected and the smiles left both of their faces. Draco’s eyes flicked down to her lips and he unconsciously licked at his own. For a moment Hermione thought he was going to kiss her until he looked up over her head and sighed, then he leant down at her again with a more restrained but still joyous face and he lay a gentle kiss to her forehead.

‘Thank you, Hermione. Honestly for the first time in years I feel good about the future.’ With this he removed his arms from around her and stepped backwards. ‘I’ll have to settle at being the Earl of Pemberley for the rest of my days and living in quiet wealth.’ 

Hermione laughed. ‘Oh! The deprivation! How will you cope?’

‘Maybe I’ll be able to chose my own Countess now?’ He said, more to himself as they finally made it to the Great Hall. It seemed they were the last ones there.

Dumbledore took the stand. 

‘Welcome to our usual Friday feast.’ Said the Headmaster.

This was met with some applause; the Friday feast was usually the best of the week and now the school knew they would have some entertainment after desert had been cleared, they were in great spirits.

‘Before we are consumed with our starters, I have an announcement for the boys.’ The old wizard spoke.

The boys all sat a little straighter in their seats at this.

‘After what I’m going to label “extensive prodding” for this group to be formed, I’m pleased to tell you that there will now be a weekly fencing club.’ 

This indeed made the boys happy.

‘Why just the boys?’ Hermione muttered to Daphne, who had saved her usual seat for her.

‘Boys spend their holidays learning sword-fighting.’ Daphne told her casually.

‘What? How didn’t I know that?’ Hermione frowned.

Daphne frowned. ‘You’ve got me, you’d think sword fighting wizards would have been mentioned before today.’ 

Draco and the other boys were now excitedly talking about the upcoming meeting. 

‘Finally! We’re all getting rusty.’ Said Theo.

Blaise, meanwhile, was sulking. ‘Great, a chance for His Royalness to best us all publicly.’ 

Draco laughed at this. ‘They put a sword in my hand before a pen. Don’t take it too personally.’

Dumbledore finally gave up on trying to hush the excited boys and summoned the three-course dinner, the usual menu for a Friday in which the elves worked extra hard. Friday dinner feasts were a pre-selected affair. Students selected from the menu with the house prefects that morning before breakfast and then spent the rest of the day looking forwards to their order.

For starters Hermione and Daphne split an American style pretzel stuffed with melted cheese and topped in garlic butter and sea salt. For mains, Hermione had an Italian stone-baked pizza topped with extra cheese that Theo stole half her slices of. For dessert, Hermione batted off her friends and enjoyed the French Crepes with caramelized sugar and butter, at least she intended to, she ended up giving Draco some in exchange for a bite of his chocolate fudge cake.

The plates finally vanished, leaving only the glasses of pumpkin juice and glasses of alcohol with the older students. 

With a deep breath Daphne stood with the other members of the choir, many of Hermione’s friends played instruments and joined Daphne and the other singers in the castle on the stage.  
While the choir assembled Hermione turned to the boys she had been left with and brought the talk back to the male-only fencing club.

‘So, what, if none of us have a wand we’ve just got to stand behind a big strong man to keep us safe? And how ridiculous is it to suggest that a wizard would be carrying a sword and not a wand for a duel?’ She asked.

‘Depends on the type of duel Granger.’ Draco said.

‘Yeah, we mostly use wands now.’ Greg told her. 

‘Women can wand-duel.’ Vincent reminded her.

‘You can dismantle the patriarchy later dear, the choirs going to start.’ Blaise told her.

Dumbledore had indeed stood to address the hall.

‘Pray silence for the choir and “The White-Haired Maiden”. Over to you.’ Dumbledore told them, before sitting back in his place at the head of the table.

‘The Darkness did spread upon the Kingdom of old.  
Our Maiden stood against it, so mighty and bold.  
With the orbs three, the power she did gain.  
The Darkness did fade, like dust on the wind.

The power was great, twas the power of the Gods.  
Our Maiden was bathed in light, the light of the three.  
Her hair turned to white, the power of light.  
The Darkness did fade, like dust on the wind.

The Darkness did spread upon the Kingdom of old.  
Our Maiden stood against it, so mighty and bold.  
With the orbs three, the power she did gain.  
The Darkness did fade, like dust on the wind. 

She struck down her foes, with the power oh so great.  
The brave White-Haired maiden did bring peace to the lands.  
Power consumed her, she held on too long.  
The White-Haired Maiden was dust on the wind. 

The Darkness did spread upon the Kingdom of old.  
Our Maiden stood against it, so mighty and bold.  
With the orbs three, the power she did gain.  
The Darkness did fade, like dust on the wind.’

The Hall stood to clap and cheer for the choir and accompanying musicians. 

‘You were great!’ Hermione and her friends told Daphne once she sat back down.

‘Don’t you want to sing anything from this century?’ Pansy sneered. 

Daphne rolled her eyes. ‘Oh yeah, cause Flitwick lets me pick the songs.’ She told her dryly. 

‘Are we having a few drinks in the common room then?’ Theo butted in diplomatically. 

It was on the walk down to the common room at about half-eleven, that Hermione and Draco snuck off. 

They hurried to the edge of the tree line, at the sound of a distant howl Draco frowned.

‘We should go back.’ He said.

‘We’ll only be a few minutes.’ Hermione told him. ‘We’re doing a quick one and we’ve not done one in ages. No salt or blood.’ 

Draco sighed and nodded. 

The slicing charm was performed on the nearest stone and Draco placed the bunch of flowers atop the carving. 

‘I just, I want to feel protected. I feel so on edge. Shit always goes wrong towards the end of the school year and I would rather calmly sit my OWLs.’ She told him.

'Ready?' Asked Draco, taking her hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. 

She nodded. 'Ready.' 

They were repeating a spell they had tried before, although Hermione hoped he wouldn’t pass out this time.

'Dea dona nobis praesidium.' They both chanted together.

'Dea dona nobis praesidium.' They continued as the wind picked up around them.

'Dea dona nobis praesidium.' They could both feel heat rising around them as suddenly the trees surrounding them burst into a brilliant blue flame. This time they were expecting it and it didn’t scare the living daylights out of them.

'Dea dona nobis praesidium.' A light was coming from the runes on the stone she had carved.

'Dea dona nobis praesidium.' Hermione and Draco both gasped as the shared marks on their wrists burned warmly, not painfully though.

'Dea dona nobis praesidium.' There was no blood running down their wrists this time, the mark was already there. Hermione could feel a second heartbeat in her ears, slower than her wolf heartbeat, she wondered if it was Draco’s.

'Dea dona nobis praesidium.' Time froze.

This time they both had very different experiences. 

‘Hermione.’ The girl gasped and clutched at her head as the musical voice rang in her ears, around her the flaming trees had frozen.

‘Darkness is coming Hermione. But you must let the power go when he tells you to.’ 

With this Hermione collapsed. 

‘Draco.’ The boy heard simultaneously, he had never heard a Goddess before and pretty quickly fell to his knees. 

‘You must be strong. Remember the fate of the White-Haired Maiden.’

Draco’s head hit the ground at the same time as Hermione’s.

****************************************************************

Hey guys, I made a full family tree for Draco’s family from Armand I-Draco’s children, even if you guys don’t find out every single one it’s there. 

I’ve decided the occasional song shall give you some foreshadowing.

RIGHT GUYS. SOMEONE, A MAIN CHARACTER NOT DRACO OR HERMIONE, IS GOING TO GRAPHICALLY KILL THEMSELVES. IT WON’T BE FOR A LONG WHILE YET AND I WILL TAG THAT CHAPTER SO YOU CAN SKIP IT BUT IF IT IS A MASSIVE ISSUE FOR YOU THEN PROBABLY STOP READING NOW.


	52. Ginny and Ron

Draco stroked a stand of hair from Hermione’s battered face. She was unconscious on the hospital bed before him, most of her body was covered in bandage. 

Harry came to stand behind him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

‘They said she’ll be fine in a few days, right?’ Potter asked him.

Draco didn’t look up from Hermione’s sleeping face. ‘Yeah, but it doesn’t make seeing her like this any easier.’

‘Any word on Neville?’ Harry asked him. 

Draco tore his eyes from Hermione and shook his head at his friend. ‘He was lucky not to bleed to death.’

Harry nodded. ‘I know, I’ve never seen that much blood in my life.’ 

He turned to walk and stand at the end of an unconscious Ginny’s bed, she was by no means as battered as Hermione, but he didn’t like seeing her like this any more than Draco did Hermione. He couldn’t help comparing Ginny’s prone form here to seeing her last year down in the Chamber of Secrets. 

‘So what do we do now?’ Harry asked. 

Draco’s eyes shot up to meet Harry’s. ‘This.’

ONE MONTH EARLIER:

Hermione had very quickly admitted that she didn’t have time, nor really the ability at her young age, to experiment with the Sano potion. She and Snape had made a good go of it for a few weeks but had ultimately decided they would leave it to the professionals. 

The pair had obviously had to tell Matilda where they had gotten the book from that said the answer laid in the Sano potion. Her letter had been rather dry:

_Of course, you two would spend all your time looking for fabled secret tunnels and find them instantly._

Matilda, protecting them, had just said the book from Salazar had come from a trusted source and that was that. 

Hermione, thought she didn’t want to get Draco’s hopes up any more than they were, was confident that the royal specialists Matilda had taken on and the PRL (The Royal Potioneer’s League) would be able to crack the potion within a few years especially when they had Matilda as a willing test subject. Never mind the lavish funding the royal family could supply.

Hermione, when not revising for her rapidly upcoming OWLs with the Weasley twins, was spending every available moment she could spare in the secret library in the Hufflepuff tunnels. She was looking for any ancient healing powers, any notes, anything that might help. She was sending on anything useful she found to Matilda, who would forward it on to her people. 

She was currently heading to the Owlery with her latest letter for Matilda. She called her Raven, Freddie, down and went to check the letter one more time before she sent it off. As agreed, to preserve her identity at Matilda’s request, she would only sign with her first initial.

_Dear Matilda,_

_I hope the research is going well. _

_I’ve found another book I think might be useful, you want p233-37. Gryffindor wrote about a race of warriors “touched by Atune” whatever that means. They are called “The Dusman”. Apparently, their white blood once healed Gryffindor of a serious wound._

_It might just be a legend but it’s worth looking into._

_H_

She sent the letter off and thought back on what she had been reading on. The Dusman, apparently an ancient warrior race of women granted immortality by Atune until “demons” were purged from the Earth. Gryffindor wrote that there was originally twelve of them but by his time only four remained.

The Dusman had been noted in several journals by each founder. It seemed to Hermione that Salazar was trying to find one when he died, Hermione naturally wondered if he wanted to use the blood for healing Ravenclaw. 

Hermione made her way back to the Great Hall just in time for dinner to start. 

She slid in to her usual place between Draco and Daphne and Draco passed her the plate of roast potatoes without her needing to ask him. 

‘What’s all the chatter about?’ Hermione asked, noting that the entire hall was slightly more abuzz than usual.

‘Apparently all the foreign schools are having a Christmas ball next year.’ Draco told her, he then winced.

‘Makes sense, none of us are going to the Christmas ball- what’s wrong?’ Hermione asked as he winced again and stretched his arms out.

‘Growing pains.’ He groaned; the other boys were giving him sympathetic looks as he stretched his arms up high to pull at his back. 

‘Are they that bad?’ Hermione asked. Hermione had never experienced the intense throbbing sensation.

Draco nodded. ‘Hmm, it’s usually my legs but my fecking back is killing me.’ 

‘Just try and ignore it.’ Hermione offered.

Draco gave her a dry look. ‘Easy for you to say. You’re adorable and tiny, like a little _kitten._’

Hermione elbowed him in the ribs. ‘Don’t call me kitten.’ 

‘Okay kitten.’ Draco replied with a cheeky grin, Hermione rolled her eyes and turned back to her potatoes. 

‘Do you think we’ll have a ball here?’ Daphne asked her in excitement.

Hermione nodded. ‘Yeah I suppose so. Thought they would have announced it by now though.’ 

Hermione was convinced though that the school would put some form of event on for the kids – young adults, she corrected herself. She couldn’t help herself then from imagining the great hall decorated with glistening icicles for a winter ball, she and Draco would be slow dancing under the lights and he would lean in and call her kitten. She shivered. 

The boys all delved into a conversation about their weekly fencing club, apparently Draco was brilliant with both hands, a piece of knowledge that made Hermione feel a tingle in her tummy. 

She turned to distract herself with Daphne when she noticed her other blond best friend was incredibly jumpy and looking around the floor.

‘Are you alright?’ Hermione asked. 

Daphne nodded though she was frowning. ‘It sounds like someone keeps dropping cutlery or something.’

Hermione had a quick scan of her surroundings. 

‘Nobodies dropped anything?’ Draco joined their conversation.

‘No. Not cutlery. Bigger. Like your fencing swords when they hit the ground. It’s right down my ear.’ Said Daphne.

‘Like getting a sound stuck in your head?’ Hermione asked. She certainly couldn’t hear anything.

‘No, it’s like it’s happening right next to me. Gods it makes me want to scream.’ Daphne shut her eyes and took a deep breath.

‘Do you want to go to the hospital wing? Have you got a headache? Feel dizzy?’ Hermione asked her quietly.

Daphne shook her head. ‘No. Nobodies dropping anything, I’m just going crazy.’ She joked, and then dipped a roast potato in her accompanying sauce.

‘Want to go exploring Kitten?’ Draco whispered in her ear, that tingling in her stomach came back. She shouldn’t have told him not to call her that, now he’d probably call her kitten until the day he died. 

She nodded, knowing he meant going down into the secret tunnel, so far they had completed the map and could venture down without the string to find their way back out though they had yet to take a dip in the ridiculously large swimming pool. 

The pair excused themselves with the excuse of Latin lessons, their default reason for their often disappearances that nobody believed. Pansy grumbled into her salad as the two walked off.

‘Fancy a swim?’ Hermione asked with a smile. 

Draco beamed. 

The smiles fell from both of their faces and the laughs died in their throats as they rounded the corner. 

There on the staircase before them was Ginny, her older brother had her pinned to the wall by her throat. 

‘Hey!’ Draco yelled.

Ronald leapt back from his sister, who fell to the ground gasping for air and distraught. Hermione rushed to the youngest Weasley and gathered her up in her arms.

Draco was approaching Ron. ‘Pick on someone your own size.’ 

There were two hits. Draco hitting Ron, and Ron hitting the floor.

‘What the fuck was that about?’ Draco turned to Ginny.

Hermione waved him down. ‘Are you okay?’ She asked her youngest friend.

Ginny was crying, but she nodded, and raised a hand to rub at her reddening neck.

‘Has he done something like this before?’ Hermione asked gently.

Ginny cried and nodded. ‘I- I, mum.’ Was all she got out. ‘I got him in trouble with mum again.’ 

Hermione stroked at her hair until her tears stopped. ‘How many times has he done this to you?’

Ginny shook her head. ‘He’s never choked me before.’ 

‘So what does he normally do?’ Hermione asked slowly.

Ginny glanced up at Draco and shook her head.

‘Drake, give us a minute. Go and get Luna actually.’ Hermione told him, he nodded and hurried away quickly.

Ginny, after being assured that nobody would come across them, raised the corner of her shirt. 

Hermione gasped at the bruises that covered her ribs. 

Ginny yanked her shirt down just as Draco returned with a white haired and equally white faced Luna. 

Luna scooped Ginny up and pulled her from the ground. ‘I’m going to get her to bed.’ 

The two girls hobbled off leaving Draco and Hermione alone with an unconscious Ron.

‘What does he normally do to her? I’m getting he hits her a lot?’ Draco asked, he was trying to stay calm but Hermione could see his hands shaking.

Hermione was too angry to do more than nod. Her eyes were fixed at Ron who was beginning to stir. 

‘Can you give me a minute with him?’ Hermione asked, her voice very steady. 

‘What are you going to do?’ Draco asked, wondering if he would need to create an alibi for her and learn how to dispose of a body.

‘I’m going to threaten him.’ 


	53. Secret Room in a Secret Tunnel

_Dragon._   
_There have been great advancements with the Sano potion, and I am hopeful. _   
_So far I still am unable to have children, but the scarring has lessened and no longer hurts. This shows us to be on the right path._   
_I’m so thankful to all the help you and Hermione have given. _   
_We liked her latest idea of finding the Dusman, they do exist they are listed in ancient royal accounts. We have dispatched good men across the world to find them, at last record there were four of them left but that was four hundred years ago. _   
_I’ll keep you both informed. _   
_Be good, _   
_Matilda._

  
Draco handed the letter to Hermione. ‘Well kitten, looks like the crown won’t be resting on my head.’ 

‘Good, your heads already big enough.’ 

‘Hey!’

************

‘I’m worried about Luna.’ Draco told Hermione, sitting down next to her in the secret library.

‘Why?’ Hermione asked, not looking up from her book on True Mermaids.

‘Because I literally heard a Goddess say “the white-haired maiden” and the only girl with white hair I know is Luna.’ Draco told her.

‘And Matilda.’ Hermione supplied.

Draco shook his head. ‘She’s literally surrounded by security. I think the warning was about Luna.’

Hermione frowned as she thought and looked up from her book. ‘I guess. But wasn’t it to remember her fate? More than just a warning about girls with white hair?’

Draco nodded. ‘Yeah but that song is about taking on the power of a god, who the hell is going to do that? How would you even do that?’ 

Hermione shrugged. ‘I’ve been looking in all these books and there was something about an orb or something I read once but I can’t find it again.’

‘Right. Any orbs pop up and we’ll be careful. Right?’

‘Right.’ Hermione said with a nod.

‘And what the hell was your warning? Let it go?’ Draco frowned.

‘Let the power go when he tells you to.’ Hermione supplied.

‘What the fuck does that mean? Why do they have to speak in riddles? Why can’t they say “hey Hermione and Draco watch out for this specific thing” like come on! You're not planning on taking on the power of a god are you?’

Hermione smiled. ‘I thought you’d be happy a Goddess spoke to you.’

Draco frowned down at her. ‘Are you nuts? It was terrifying! We woke up in the fecking dark forest!’

‘We weren’t in the dark forest.’ 

‘We might as well have been! Anything could have happened to us!’ Draco sat down next to her and put his head in his hands.

Hermione turned back to her book, letting him wallow for a moment.

‘And you!’ He suddenly declared, shooting back up to his feet. ‘What the fuck was that with Ron?’ 

‘It worked didn’t it?’ Hermione said. 

‘You walked in for breakfast this morning and he dove under the Gryffindor table and started crying!’ Draco told her.

‘I know.’ She said with a mischievous smile. 

Draco stopped and then he was smiling too. ‘Okay it was pretty awesome. But when you said you were going to threaten him, I thought you meant with a curse. Not that you were going to turn into a massive fucking wolf and nearly rip his throat out.’

Hermione shrugged. ‘He hurt Ginny. You should have seen the bruises Dragon.’ 

Draco sighed and nodded. ‘I’m more annoyed about the fact you didn’t tell me you’d managed to change.’ 

Hermione looked up. She reached out her hand and Draco took it instantly and came to sit down again. He squeezed her hand tightly and looked into her eyes, Hermione noted his hurt expression.

Hermione sighed, ‘I wanted to nail the transformations at will before I showed you, it was going to be a surprise. It still takes a lot of concentration I was going to keep practicing for a few more weeks and then show you.’ 

Draco nodded. ‘So it wasn’t a secret?’ 

Hermione smiled. ‘We don’t have secrets.’

Draco beamed. ‘That’s right Kitten.’ 

Hermione dropped his hand. ‘Stop calling me that.’ She turned back to her book.

‘Or what?’ Draco teased. 

Hermione stood up and concentrated and as she moved to kneel down her skin morphed and in her place was a massive wolf. She roared and Draco fell backwards out of his seat.

He stood up with a smile and walked towards her wolf form. ‘The furs the same colour as your hair.’ 

He raised a hand and placed it on her long back. ‘It’s just as soft as your hair.’ 

He stepped back and looked at her face. ‘Eye colour is the same too.’ 

Hermione opened her mouth and groaned, exposing her fangs. The message was clear, _Are my teeth the same too?_

Draco laughed. ‘Maybe they’re so big in favour of your old teeth before you shrunk them down.’ He teased, she lightly nipped at his hand in annoyance. 

He moved to the safe space away from her mouth and lightly pulled on her tail. ‘Not sure I’ll get used to you with a tail.’ He teased lightly. ‘Does it affect your balance?’

Hermione nodded her massive wolfs head. 

Focusing on the image of her human form Hermione morphed back and cracked her neck before stretching on high.

‘It’s awesome, was it hard?’ Draco asked.

‘Meh, I’d see how it could be. I just go lucky with the lightning storm, some people can wait years. If anything goes wrong you have to start the entire process over again but I got it right first time and – what do you have there?’

Draco had pulled out a letter. ‘Oh, it’s just from my mum.’ 

‘It’s her birthday today, right?’ Hermione asked.

Draco nodded. ‘The big thirty.’ 

‘Your mum was so young when she had you.’ Hermione mused.

‘Meh. Most girls have kids before they’re twenty.’ Draco shrugged.

‘She got married at fourteen Dragon, that’s young even for this world.’ Hermione sighed. ‘So, what did you get her?’

‘I commissioned a necklace and earrings for her, Goblin made, protective magic woven in. Emeralds on silver. Very tasteful.’ Draco said. 

Hermione smiled. ‘Sounds expensive.’

Draco raised an eyebrow. ‘I feel like you forget I’m an Earl a lot. I’m incredibly rich.’ 

Hermione poked him in the ribs. ‘Super modest too.’ 

Draco rolled his eyes at her. 

‘What else did she get?’ 

‘Er, Matilda gave her a pair of Abraxans, Armand gave her a summer house in France. I don’t know what my dad got her she didn’t say in her letter.’ Draco said. 

‘She’s not in England at the minute though, is she?’ Hermione asked. 

Draco shook his head. ‘No Mabel Delacour, you know Mabel, right?’ Hermione nodded. ‘Yeah she’s opened a new art exhibit in Paris and my mum’s gone.’

‘Is that how she wanted to spend her birthday?’ Hermione asked, she began to pick up her belongings, placing books back on the shelves she had collected them from. 

‘She is a patron of the arts, it’s not like she’d want to spend it at home with my dad and his mistress and their bastard.’ Draco said coolly. 

‘He’s your brother Dragon, you shouldn’t hate him just because of how he came to be.’ Hermione lectured as they walked out and began to return up the stairs into the dungeon. ‘Plus, I’m sorry, but Nicholas is really cute.’

They walked into the Great Hall for dinner as everyone was abuzz with chatter. 

‘Is everyone still going on about that Christmas ball?’ Hermione asked.

Draco shook her head. ‘The Divination teacher, Madam Sybil, you know she predicted her own death last year?’ 

Hermione rolled her eyes. ‘Along with half the school?’

They sat down with their friends and Draco poured Hermione a glass of orange juice before pouring one for himself. Their friends saw them in the middle of a conversation and didn’t interrupt.

‘Yeah, but apparently she’s told Dumbledore he’ll need a new Divination teacher after Christmas next year. She’s literally drawn up a will and settled her affairs.’ 

Draco loaded her plate up with two sausages and a peppers and onion mix and two long buns before doing the same for himself. The two crafted their sandwiches as they discussed the ridiculous woman.

‘It’ll be really embarrassing for her next New Years when she’s still alive.’ Hermione eventually said.

‘You guys talking about The Seer?’ Fred asked as he slid in to sit between Draco and Hermione on the Slytherin bench, George was over entertaining a group of Hufflepuff girls on their table. 

Hermione nodded while Draco grumbled quietly to Blaise on his right about being forced from his seat again by Fred Weasley. 

‘I just had class with her. She’s saying she’ll spend her “final summer” in the Temple she trained at.’ Fred told her. ‘Did you hear what Dumbledore said?’

Hermione shook her head. ‘I’m only just hearing all this; nobody tells me anything.’

‘Oh. Well Dumbledore just raised a brow and really dryly asked her how she was going to die so suddenly.’ Fred told her.

‘And what did she say to that?’ Hermione asked. 

‘That she didn’t know-’

‘-Of course she did-’

‘-Just that it would be violent.’ 

‘What a load of bollocks.’ Blaise joined in.

******

That evening, the boys left for their weekly fencing group, Hermione left for the normal library. 

She was taking the opportunity to get ahead with her homework so she would be able to spend more time revising, she was very thankful that Snape had her sit her Potions OWL before this year began, otherwise she would really struggle with the workload. Gods help her when she had to sit her NEWTs. 

She put her head in her right hand and shut her eyes for a second and the next thing she knew Dumbledore was lightly shaking her awake.

‘Miss Granger. I think it’s time you went to bed.’ He said gently. 

She yawned and nodded and shoved her books back into her bag. 

‘I’ll walk you down to the dungeons.’ The Headmaster told her. ‘Normally Draco Malfoy comes and checks on you when it nears curfew, I’m surprised to see you asleep in the library.’ 

Indeed, Draco normally did come and check on her at curfew. If she was tired, he’d drag her back to the common room, and if she was still keen for more, he’d leave her to it with the instruction not to stay out too late.

‘He had fencing tonight Sir; he’s probably fallen asleep in the common room again.’ Hermione mumbled sleepily as they walked down the stairs and to the dungeons. 

‘Are your friends all enjoying the fencing club?’ Dumbledore asked her.

Hermione nodded. ‘My male friends are, yes. My female friends don’t have the option of going.’ 

Dumbledore sighed. ‘That rule comes from the instructors, there isn’t anything I can do.’

‘You’re the headmaster, you can always do something. Er Sir.’ Hermione lectured. 

They walked in silence for a while before Dumbledore spoke again. ‘Your Muggle-born classes are going very well. Looks like they’re here to stay.’ Dumbledore told her as they neared her common room. 

‘Good, I’m glad. I can go the rest of the way myself, Sir. I’m sure you have more important things to be doing.’

The unusual pair parted ways at the end of the corridor and Hermione let out a breath once the Headmaster was out of sight and turned down the corridor. 

She let herself into the common room expecting to have to tip-toe and not wake anyone. But everyone was already up. 

Well, everyone being: Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and Ginny of all people.

Ginny seemed to be fighting with Crabbe. 

‘What’s going on here?’ Hermione asked, coming to stand over the scene completely baffled. 

Draco took a good look at her, clearly surprised to see her. ‘Oh shit. I forgot to come and check on you. I’m sorry.’

Hermione linked her arm with his. ‘It’s fine, you’re clearly tied up here. What’s going on?’

Crabbe hit Ginny’s arms lightly. ‘Arms up. Keep them up!’ He swung for her and she dodged him.

‘Erm. I thought it would be a good idea for Ginny to be able to defend herself. Crabbe and Goyle box a lot so I thought-’ He trailed off and Hermione beamed at him.

‘Good idea.’ Hermione told him quietly.

He smiled down at where she had hold of his arm. ‘Thanks Kitten.’ 

‘Is it curfew?’ Ginny asked, standing back up from where Goyle had just pushed her down.

Hermione nodded. ‘Yeah, it’s just gone now. You should probably get back up to your common room.’

Ginny nodded and went to pull her full robes back on over her workout gear. 

‘We’ll take you up.’ Crabbe and Goyle offered and the three of them disappeared. 

‘You tired?’ Draco asked her.

She shook her head. ‘I fell asleep in the library for like an hour, I think. I’m going to be up for hours. You?’

‘I’ve been working out with them; Ginny can punch surprisingly hard.’ Draco smiled.

At Ginny’s own pleasing they hadn’t told any of the teachers about Ron hurting her, Hermione had gone for a halfway measure and told the twins. Ron was still in the hospital wing from whatever they had done to him. Hermione’s favourite rumours were that: His head had been moved to his arse, his arms and legs had swapped places, he’d been pushed down a flight of stairs and died, or that he’d been hung from the Astronomy tower by his wrists for hours. Hermione knew one of them was true, but she wouldn’t tell anyone which one it was.

‘Want to go for a swim? We’ve still not tried out the pool.’ Draco offered.

Hermione perked up at his offer and they both went to their respective rooms to change. Hermione opted for a high waisted white bikini and put her dressing gown on over it, picking up a fluffy towel on her way out. 

Draco had gone for similar apparel; he was wearing his warmest dressing gown and held a Slytherin-green towel under his arm.

‘You monogram your towels?’ Hermione teased as they walked, fingering the _DLM_ on the edge of his towel.

They never made it to the pool though, just as they turned down the corridor that held down the pool, the seemingly stone floor was actually a square of old wood and it gave way as Hermione stood on it. Hermione fell through a trap door. 

She fell a good ten feet and landed heavily on her bum. 

‘Are you okay?’ Draco yelled down the gap. 

‘Yeah!’ Hermione called back. A torch burst to life next to her head. ‘There’s a ladder, you can climb down.’ 

Draco appeared next to her and helped her up. 

‘Where the fuck are we?’ Draco asked. 

The question was answered as the torches ahead burst into life. 

‘Holy shit.’ 

They had found the site of the Ancient Temple.


	54. The Temple of Atune

The first thing Hermione spotted was a ten-foot statue of a woman at the head of an altar. Unlike the statue of Vutris she had seen this statue for Atune was made from grey stone and simple in design. Her hair was in a crown braid atop her very beautiful face. She had a kind face and though her eyes were only stone Hermione found them very captivating. 

This temple was tiny in comparison to the massive one near the palace. Hermione wondered if all the ancient temples were this size. It would probably be a struggle to get more than twelve people in the small stone chamber. 

The altar stood in front of the statue. The walls either side held faded murals of religious scene. The left wall bore a scene of Atune in full Goddess Regalia. In one hand she bore a coronation style orb that looked a bit like a purple dragon egg, on her head was a golden crown. Through the mural Hermione could give more detail to the stone statue before her, she was supposed to have strawberry-blond hair with light green eyes and porcelain skin. 

The mural on the right wall hadn’t survived time and a castle being built on top of it quite as well. The paint was very faded but Hermione could guess it was a mural of Atune near some water.

Draco wasn’t as captivated by the statue and murals as Hermione was. 

‘You’re shitting me.’ She heard him mutter.

She tore her eyes from the statue to follow Draco’s line of sight. He was still facing the old ladder he had climbed down, behind it was a large boulder. There was a sword in it.

‘A literal sword in the stone.’ Hermione said to him in disbelief. ‘Really?’

After sharing an equally befuddled look, they both stepped around a side of the ladder towards the stone. 

‘The sword of Atune.’ Draco said. 

‘Come again?’ 

‘All the Gods had a sword. I’m sure we’ve gone over this before. Three swords, the sword of Vutris is in the royal vault we use it for coronations and kingly purposes.’

Hermione couldn’t help the corners of her mouth turning up. ‘Kingly purposes?’

Draco rolled his eyes. ‘You know what I mean, shut up.’

Hermine put her face close to the sword to inspect it. Its pommel was golden, matching the crown Atune wore in her mural, with a purple stone in the hilt.

Her eyebrows shot up when she read the inscription on the blade. 

‘Do all three swords have a name?’ She asked. 

‘Vutris’ sword doesn’t, why does that one have one?’ Draco asked. 

Hermione put her hand on the handle and pulled, it didn’t budge. 

‘Have a look.’ Hermione gestured, stepping back from the blade. 

Draco knelt in front of the blade and read. ‘Fuck me.’

There, very clearly on the blade was inscribed Excalibur. 

‘We can’t get it out.’ Hermione said. ‘I’d try and blast the rock apart but I don’t want to hurt the sword.’

Draco nodded and then smiled. ‘Aw you tried to pull it out.’ 

Hermione elbowed him. ‘Of course I did, its Excalibur!’ 

Draco placed a hand on the leather-bound grip. ‘Granger, it’s been in this stone for centuries, it’s not just going to come-’

As Draco spoke, he gave a small pull and instantly the sword was freed from the stone. 

‘-free.’ His eyes widened at the elegant blade now in his hand. 

Then, he hissed and clutched at his right wrist. 

In their bonding ceremony, when they had been marked with the pentagram, they had been holding hands. This meant that Hermione’s mark was on her right wrist and Draco’s was on his left. 

Hermione now could see blood trailing down Draco’s right arm, the same hand that clutched the blade. 

‘Did you cut yourself?’ Hermione asked, hurrying closer to take a look. ‘Wow.’

There on Draco’s unmarked wrist, there was the image of a sword. The image of Excalibur, perfectly detailed right down to the purple gem. 

He looked up from his new mark to meet Hermione’s eyes. ‘What the actual fuck?’

As if a great gust of wind impossibly came at them, the torches in the Temple were snuffed out. Both of them leapt in fright and very quickly ascended the rickety ladder. Draco still gripped the sword in his hand. 

‘Does it hurt?’ She asked, picking up his hand to view the new brand on his wrist. 

He shook his head. ‘Not anymore. It’s just like the last one, stung while I got it.’ 

Hermione used her dressing gown to wipe the blood from his arm. 

‘Oh, don’t do that! You’ll ruin your robe!’ He protested. 

Hermione smiled at him. ‘Don’t worry about it, you can buy me a new one.’ 

‘I will. I’ll buy you a chest full of fluffy dressing gowns.’ He mutters. 

Hermione rolled her eyes. ‘You don’t need to buy me anything Malfoy. I was joking, it’s only a bit of blood it’ll wash out.’ 

Once the blood was cleared from his arm Hermione began to pull him towards Hufflepuff’s library. 

‘Why are we going to the library?’ Draco asked, the point of his sword kept scraping the stone floor as they walked as he dragged it with him. With a glare from Hermione, he slung it over his shoulder on the flat edge. 

Hermione pushed him to sit in one of the comfy chairs as the fire burst into life in the hearth. 

‘I’m going to see if there’s anything about the Gods swords.’ Hermione told him as she began pulling books from shelves. 

‘That’ll take days Kitten.’ He told her gently.

She looked back with a cheeky and excited grin. ‘No, it won’t. I’ve created a cataloguing system. When we first found this room, the books were all organised alphabetically, I’ve organised them by subject.’

Draco sighed. ‘Of course you have. Where am I looking?’ 

He came to stand beside her and glanced at the shelf that contained only one book. ‘What’s this one?’

Hermione picked up the old leather book and flipped it open, revealing archaic symbols instead of words. ‘I have no idea what it is, so it gets its own shelf.’ 

Draco’s mouth had fallen open however. 

‘Do you know what it is?’ She asked, he nodded.

‘Erm. It’s – well, I think. I think this is a copy of the original religious text of the Gods. They call it The Prophecy of Triad.’ 

‘Wow. That’s cool. Religion shelf it goes then.’ Hermione said, placing it on the shelf which Draco assumed contained information on the Gods. ‘I take it this is a rare book?’ She asked, fingering the worn spine.

‘I mean all the books down here are rare but fuck me Hermine this one is – it’s… It’s probably worth more than the entire contents of the royal vault put together.’

Hermione’s eyes widened. ‘Wow. So probably don’t shove it on a shelf with the other books.’ She retrieved the book and placed it carefully back on its lone shelf.

‘I thought there was only one copy of its original hieroglyph form.’ Draco mused, he hesitantly raised a finger and touched the ancient tome. ‘It’s in the Temple of Vutris.’

Hermione shook herself, ‘we’ll come back to this later, we’re looking for information on the sword.’ 

Draco tore his eyes from the book and began picking up the books she told him to. 

‘Why these books?’ Draco asked as they walked over to the couches. 

‘They talk about artefacts. You know: swords, crowns, orbs, rings. Stuff like that.’ 

They sat and read for hours and found very little information. They called it a night when neither could further prevent the traitorous yawns. The roaring fire was long dead. 

‘Come on. We need to get in an hour or two of sleep before people get up.’ Draco placed his book down. 

Hermione looked up to protest but Draco shut her up by firmly pulling her from the room. ‘We’ve left all our books out; we can carry on where we’ve left off later.’ 

They fell asleep in Draco’s bed, still in their dry swimwear, Excalibur lay at the end of the bed.

………….

The safety measures imposed on the students since Black's second break-in made it impossible for Harry, Neville, Draco, and Hermione to go and visit Hagrid in the evenings. So Hermione used her free period one Monday to wander down to the Care of Magical creatures lesson her friends were attending.

‘Hermione!’ Hagrid beamed. ‘Had enough of tha’ stuffy library eh? Come and join us!’ 

The class were looking exceptionally bored, Draco had complained at length to her that all they were doing was looking at the dull Flobberworm since Buckbeak had attacked him. Hagrid had lost his nerve and it had not come back as the year progressed. 

Hermione walked towards her male friends. Daphne had not taken Magical Creatures, all she had to say on the subject was “ew”. 

‘How is Buckbeak, Sir?’ She asked Hagrid, after he had set the class off with an incredibly pointless task.

Hagrid sniffled. ‘Keepin’ his spirits up.’ He told her. ‘I'm jus' gonna make sure the rest o' Beaky's time is the happiest he's ever had.’ 

Hagrid turned around and hurried back toward his cabin, his face buried in his handkerchief. 

Hermione supposed the class didn’t exactly need supervision to shove lettuce leaves into the mouths of timid worms. She walked over to the boys.

‘What did you do to Hagrid?’ Harry asked with a raised brow.

‘I asked him how Buckbeak was getting on. Bless, he’s so upset about it.’ Hermione told him.

Ronald Weasley, meanwhile, had killed his Flobberworm from boredom and was smirking.

‘Look at him blubbering like a baby!’ He laughed to Dean Thomas, who scowled and walked off.

Ronald realised he had the classes attention and pointed at Hagrid’s retreating form. ‘He’s pathetic! He’s supposed to be our teacher!’ 

The three boys made for Malfoy as one, but Hermione had been stood right next to him. 

SMACK! She had slapped Ron across the face, putting years of hatred behind the blow. Then, for good measure, she slapped him again before he could collect his wits. 

‘How dare you call Hagrid pathetic! He’s twice the man you will ever be you despicable little shit!’ She shouted. 

The furious look Ronald gave her was very effective in silencing her and she stepped back, he stepped forwards with his fist raised.

Hermione shut her eyes and flinched in preparation for the coming blow, but it never came. 

Draco had come running and tackled Ron to the ground, punching him in the face as they fell, he raised his hand to punch him again but Harry and Neville dragged him off. 

Ronald quickly ran off, cradling his bloody face in his hands. 

‘Nice right hook.’ Hermione muttered to him. The class was rapidly dispersing now, not wanting to be caught at the scene of a fight and be put in detention.

‘Thanks Kitten.’

Draco slung an arm around her shoulder and guided her away with Harry and Neville following behind. 

She left the boys as they headed to their charms class and headed down to the dungeons, she was catching the second half of double potions and Snape had promised to walk her through a new brewing technique being worked on by Parisian potion masters. She had about ten minutes before she was due to start though so she went into her common room and flung herself down on the couch in front of the fire. She was exhausted. 

…

Draco was going back to the Slytherin common room in a fabulous mood. Flitwick had them casting cheering charms on each other in class and there was the added bonus that he’d broken Weasley’s nose.

“Speaking of Weasleys” Draco thought to himself.

‘Alright Malfoy?’ George greeted him outside the dungeon entrance.

‘Alright?’ Malfoy repeated back to them.

‘Could you check if Hermione is in your common room? She didn’t turn up for the second half of potions like she was supposed to.’ Fred butted in.

‘That’s not like her. Yeah, I’ll go have a look.’ Draco strolled into the common room to and pretty quickly located Hermione.

He turned around to return to the twins. ‘She fell asleep. I’ll write to Snape to let her know where she is. Thanks for checking on her.’

Satisfied that Hermione wasn’t dead in a ditch somewhere the twins turned and disappeared around the corner and up the stairs presumably heading to the Great Hall for dinner.

Draco smiled at their departing forms and returned to standing over the couch Hermione was fast asleep on. 

He turned to a nearby desk and scribbled out a note. 

_Sir,_   
_Hermine fell asleep, I’m sure when I wake her up she’ll be very sorry she missed class. _   
_D.M._

He conscripted a tiny first year to run the note to Snape in the staff room as he yawned and pulled a blanket over Hermione.

He set about doing his Charms homework and only woke Hermione up an hour later.

‘Oh no! I was so tired! I was up all-night researching sword stuff and then there was the thing with Ron! Oh, I bed Snape’s furious!’ She had wailed.

‘I don’t know Kitten; you’re tired a lot.’ He told her gently, sitting down next to her.

She sighed and her breathing hitched with emotion, Draco automatically took her hand and started rubbing his thumb in smooth circles on the back of her hand.

‘I’m really struggling to keep up.’ She finally managed to get out.

‘Me too.’ Draco told her. ‘I’ve taken on far too much.’

Hermione gave him a relieved look and leant her head on her shoulder.

‘I need to go and speak to Snape.’ She groaned.

‘No, I wrote him a note. You’re fine.’ He told her.

She groaned. ‘He’s going to kill me.’ 

Draco chuckled. ‘Go on then, have you found anything more about this mark on my arm?’

She shrugged. ‘It’ll be there for life; it means you’ve been chosen to wield it. That’s about it so far and that’s all the stuff we’d guessed anyway.’

She yawned again and Draco pulled her up. ‘Off to bed with you. You’re no good to anyone like this.’ 

She was too tired to argue and allowed him to push her towards the girls corridor. ‘Night.’ She called over her shoulder to him.

She went in to find Tracey crying on her bed. The other girls where yet to return to the common room yet.

Hermione’s sleepiness melted away. ‘What’s up Trace?’ 

Tracey wiped at her eyes, embarrassed at being caught. ‘Oh, honestly. I’m being silly.’ 

Hermione went to sit on the end of the girl’s bed. ‘Come on, tell me what’s up and I can help.’ 

Tracey snorted. ‘I doubt it. I really am being silly. Daphne and Millie were on about how sucky it is to have a period and I couldn’t join in because I’ve still not had mine. I think I’m the last girl in the entire year to get it, what if I never do?’ 

Hermione thought for a second. ‘But Tracey, you’re the youngest in the year. You’ll probably get it over summer. It’s not like you’re in your late teens you’re literally only thirteen.’ 

Tracey sighed. ‘I know, I know I’m being silly.’ 

Hermione could feel the tiredness returning, the loss of sleep had really gotten to her. ‘I get the thinking though. We’ll try and be more considerate around you.’ 

Tracey shook her head. ‘But I don’t want you to stop talking around me. I just need to stop being such a snowflake.’ 

Hermione gave her a gentle smile and walked over to her own bed. ‘None of this will matter in a few weeks, you’re just a late bloomer and really believe me when I say you’re not missing out on much. You’ll be complaining along with the rest of us soon enough.’ 

Tracey was placated and left Hermione to her beauty sleep soon after this, she slept soundly with dreams of swimming in a deep ocean and was awoken by a gentle tap from Daphne.

‘Merlin she’s really out. Hermione? Granger wake up!’ 

Hermione’s eyes snapped open.

Daphne’s blonde hair was neatly pinned back in an elegant bun today. ‘There she is. Thought I was going to have to summon a true love to kiss you awake.’ 

Hermione smiled. ‘How long have I been asleep?’ She rubbed sleep from her eye and sat up.

Daphne returned to getting ready, she’d gotten into the habit of doing makeup the muggle way recently, apparently there “was more fluidity” whatever that meant. Hermione, not very girly, kept up the two-minute tradition of pointing her wand at her face for a quick beauty spell. 

‘Well Tracey said you were in here before dinner and it’s just clicked half seven so about thirteen hours. You’re not ill, are you? Stay away from me if you are.’ Daphne answered as she applied a light cover of mascara and eyeliner.

Hermione swung her legs over the side of her bed, there had been a dressing gown placed over her at some point and it fell lightly to the floor as she stood and stretched. 

‘I’m not ill, just tired.’ Hermione told her blond best friend, well her blond female best friend, as she walked into the bathroom to brush her teeth.

She didn’t have very long to get ready, they usually left for breakfast at ten-to so they could be there when the doors opened at eight. Breakfast ran for an hour before classes but Hermione and her friends always used it as an opportunity for some socialising and in some of her friend’s cases, catching up on late homework. Harry and the other Gryffindor’s would usually stroll in at about quarter past followed by Fred and George at the last possible moment to grab a quick bite before classes. Luna would usually start down with the Slytherin’s at eight and then make the rounds at her friend’s tables as they entered. 

The girls met the boys in the common room and they all walked up together. Blaise and Draco were jostling on the stairs on the way up until Blaise nearly fell down the stairs and Daphne had scolded the duo.

Breakfast was pancakes and happiness until the mail arrived.

‘I’ve never seen that bird before?’ Hermione turned to Draco as the large tropical bird landed before Draco.

‘Me neither.’ Draco replied as he pulled the scroll form the bird’s leg. 

The magnificently coloured bird immediately took flight again. ‘Well, it’s not waiting for a reply. What’s the letter say?’ Hermione turned to Draco and saw his frown as he read and re-read the letter.

Everyone on the table was leaning in, Draco noticed this and addressed them all with a bored expression. ‘It’s just from my mother, she’s visiting the Cuban Minister and her Owl wasn’t up for the flight.’ 

With the news that it was just a letter from his mother the rest of the table returned to their regularly scheduled conversations and Luna made her farewells to join Ginny at the table of lions.

Hermione leaned into Draco’s left side. ‘Your mum’s not abroad?’ 

Draco’s answer was to slide the letter to him inside his potions book with a loud and obvious ‘could you check my answer?’ 

_Draco Malfoy_   
_It has come to my attention that you have bonded with the Sword of Atune._   
_I will be with you soon to train you how to use it properly when I am finished with current business. _   
_Good day._   
_Aloise. _

Hermione looked up to Draco in surprise to see his equally befuddled expression.

They shared a shrug and a nod that said “we’ll talk about this later” and continued with their breakfast. Draco turned to Blaise to talk Quidditch practice and Hermione turned to Daphne on her right who was sketching in a new book.

‘Why are you drawing a knife?’ Hermione asked. ‘It’s gorgeous.’ 

Daphne looked up from her drawing of a large golden knife with a jewelled hilt to shrug at Hermione. ‘I can’t get it out of my head. Thought I’d draw it.’ 

‘Well, it’s very pretty.’ Hermione mused, she finished off her pancakes quickly before Fred and George could collect her for Potions.

The three of them wandered down to the dungeon classroom where Hermione was even more surprised that Snape didn’t chew her out for missing yesterdays session, he even gave her a pitying glance and told her to get set writing an essay on the properties of Luna-dust in poisons while he set the OWL class off on a sickening potion. 

Snape had given her a light scolding for skipping her evening classes but his heart didn’t really seem to be in it. 

She settled in for her Luna-dust essay while Fred and George, who were stood and brewing, told her about their latest antics at Hufflepuff parties in which they had been spending the night. 

‘So, this Hufflepuff girl, I forgot her name. Kate?’ Fred turned to his brother.

‘I thought it was Katherine?’ George asked. 

‘Whatever, so Kitty and I are going at it on the coffee table when the bloody leg snaps off the table.’ Fred groaned and Hermione laughed. 

‘Fecking Kylie lands on her ankle and then slaps me for the trouble!’ Fred rubbed his left cheek as if still feeling the bite for the open-palmed slap.

Hermione smiled and shook her head. ‘And where were you during this?’ She asked George.

‘I was upstairs with two blonds.’ George grinned. ‘Much more successful night than little Freddy here had.’ 

‘So, does everyone join in?’ Hermione asked.

‘Hmm?’ Fred looked down at her from his failure of a potion, he’d clearly added too many flies.

‘At the parties, does everyone join in?’ She asked, she tried and failed to sound casual.

George, to fix his potion was frantically added even more flies to the mix.

Fred shrugged. ‘I suppose so. At least, all the seventh and sixth years do. A lot more fifth years are getting in on it now though.’ 

‘And you were on a coffee table? In full view of everyone?’ Hermione raised an eyebrow. People watching her wasn’t something that much appealed to her, although she supposed she could understand the attraction to Voyeurism.

Fred smiled. ‘Not everyone gets it on in the common room, like George went upstairs. People like privacy sometimes and there’s lots of empty rooms, beds with curtains that kind of deal.’

George nodded; he was just throwing random ingredients into the cauldron now. ‘Like I’m not bothered but those girls I was with didn’t want people seeing them so we went upstairs.’

‘What about all the couples? Most of our seventh years are engaged?’ She asked, abandoning the pretext of nonchalance. Cheating, even for a “religious rite” was definitely not something she could get on board with.

Fred shook his head. ‘Oh no, they just stay with each other. Because it’s for Vutris the sex doesn’t really count if that makes sense, but once you’re in a relationship it does so you can only stay with your partner. And married couples don’t stay for the orgy – I mean religious festival.’ 

Hermione frowned. ‘There aren’t any married couples at Hogwarts?’ 

Fred nodded. ‘Yes, there are. There’s three, no Slytherin’s I suppose you wouldn’t know them. Two Ravenclaw power couples and one Hufflepuff couple that really make me believe in love.’ Fred teased.

George lightly punched his brother’s arm. ‘Don’t be such a girl. He is right though they are adorable.’ 

‘Where do they live?’ She asked. ‘I can’t imagine them going back to their common rooms.’ 

‘Married couples’ corridor on the fourth floor.’ George told her. 

‘Oh. You need to stop stirring that or it’ll explode.’ 

… Meanwhile …

Divination was ridiculous. Madam Sybil was still predicting death for half the classroom and apologising to Draco for the great suffering he would endure. 

Draco and Harry, usually their teacher’s worst predictions, shared a table so they could share eye rolls. Neville and Blaise on the table next to them were being apologised to by Madam Sybil for their tragic losses yet to come. 

‘Want to just make it up again?’ Harry whispered to him, not seeing anything in the crystal ball.

Draco nodded and picked up his quill. ‘Erm I’m going to say I see fire and burns indicating- a broken hand? Because of the position of Mars?’

Harry nodded, ‘and I see a savage Flobberworm-’

‘-You put that last week.’ Draco told him. 

‘Oh right, thanks. Erm. A storm, I see a storm. That indicates indecision to go forwards or backwards because erm – the North Star is dim?’ 

Draco shrugged. ‘Sounds the right level of bull to me.’ 

Once they had written their hopeless futures down Harry turned to joke about with Blaise and Neville while Draco rested his head on his folded arms and stared into the empty crystal ball in front of him. 

Only, it wasn’t quite empty. Was that a smudge? Draco raised a thumb to wipe at the ball in front of him but the dark smudge didn’t go, if anything, it was getting clearer.

It was a tree. ‘Er Madam Sybil?’ He called, but she was busy telling Nott he would need to be very brave.

He looked back to the tree in the ball, its twisted limbs showing him exactly which tree it was. 

‘Potter, can you see the Whomping Willow in that ball?’ He asked in a high voice.

Harry turned back to him with surprise in his brow, he glanced down at the ball. ‘No? Its empty.’ 

Draco shook his head. ‘No, it’s right there.’ He put his finger on the ball and was suddenly transfixed. 

The image of the ball showed clearly the Whomping Willow before the black limbs of the tree swirled and morphed into the form of a great black dog and a very familiar wolf he knew as Hermione, barring their fangs at him. When both animals lunged, Draco fell backwards out of his seat. 

His breath was hitched and he felt an intense fear, downstairs Hermione felt a dull ache in the shared mark on her wrist. 

He wiped tears from his eyes and looked around frantically, the entire class was staring at him. 

‘Dude, you were screaming.’ Harry told him as he suddenly appeared to haul him to his feet.

‘You didn’t see that?’ He gasped. 

Harry shook his head. 

Madam Sybil appeared on his left. ‘You had a vision, my boy, they are not always pleasant. What did you see?’

Draco regained his composure. ‘The Whomping Willow, a large black dog and a wolf and they lunged for me.’ 

‘A vicious tree, a wolf known for being a predator and a possible Grim.’ She summarised. ‘I’d say it reads like a story. Beware of the tree and the wolf or your death you will surely meet.’ 

“Beware Hermione?” He thought. Not a chance. 

*****************************

Hey guys I hope you're all staying safe with corona knocking about. I live in England, which is on lockdown, so I'm staying in my house for three weeks. Good news is I'll get plenty of writing done. I'm going to write a little bit everyday because I know what I'm like and if I blast out a chapter a day I'll get sick of it and not write a word for a month. So expect slightly more regular updates but not every day kinda deal. 

In other news, I was planning a chapter that'll happen when they're seventeen and I scared myself to the extent I had to sleep with my lamp on. I'm 23 so that's quite a feat. Clues for this chapter you won't read for many moons is: "The Trial of Seven." I was inspired to write that from watching "As above so below" which I would recommend, it's more jumpy than scary.

Anyway, stay safe and follow your countries rules on the Corona situation.

I love all your kudos and comment, they sustain me.

E x


	55. The Dusman

‘So, we’re agreed?’ Hermione asked. ‘So, we’re agreed?’ Hermione asked.

Draco nodded, ‘yeah, I don’t think we have a choice.’

Hermione sighed. ‘Its just creepy down there.’ 

Draco smiled, ‘I’ll take the sword and keep you safe from the monsters if you want?’

Hermione lightly punched his arm just below where she knew his Basilisk scar to be. ‘Where have you put it by the way?’ 

‘I wedged it under my mattress. Should I bring it?’ He asked again.

She nodded. ‘Yeah, yes. I think so? Yeah, bring it. Can’t hurt, right?’ 

‘Right. So about twenty to twelve we’ll go down to the hidden Temple?’ Draco double-checked. 

She nodded. ‘Remember the knife. I hope things don’t set on fire or the castle will burn down.’ 

‘I wouldn’t mind hearing a God again, I can ask them to be a little more specific this time.’ Draco added. 

Hermione snorted. ‘Yeah, doesn’t work that way you get what you’re given.’

‘It should be interesting to see if there’s any difference.’ Draco mused. 

They had decided that this full moon they would descend to the ancient temple for a ritual to see if there’s any difference in result or strength. Hermione was secretly hoping she would be able to blast Parkinson across a room again.

‘What’s your first class?’ Draco asked as their friends surfaced for the walk up to breakfast. 

‘Runes and then Charms. Nice day. You?’ 

All friends accounted for they began to climb the stairs to the Great Hall with Hermione and Draco leading the way. 

‘Divination.’ He replied in a very sulky tone.

‘Oh. And how is that going?’

‘Don’t try and be coy. Just ask what you want to ask.’ He replied.

‘Me? I don’t have any questions. Although there are rumours going around that you started screaming and fell out of your chair last class. But I don’t have any questions.’ Hermione seemed to get this out that fast Draco barely caught a word, but he got the gist.

He sighed. ‘Who told you?’

‘Crabbe.’ She replied.

‘Hey!’ Came Crabbe’s voice from behind them.

‘Snitches get stiches Granger.’ Goyle voiced in his most menacing tone.

Hermione looked over her shoulder to give Crabbe and Goyle a very unimpressed look that rather reminded the pair of their nannies and was effective in silencing them.

‘So? You had an episode?’ She asked.

‘I did not have an episode!’ Draco declared.

‘You kind of had an episode dude.’ Blaise said from the middle of the train.

Draco gave him a glare.

Blaise held up his thumb and index finger in a tiny finger gesture. ‘Just a little one.’ 

Draco slung his head back and groaned. ‘Does the whole school know?’ 

His other friends shook their heads no as Hermione spoke. ‘Yes.’ 

The resulting glares from their friends were profound. ‘He’ll find out eventually!’ Was her resulting snap backwards.

Draco ran a stressed hand through his white hair. ‘Great. So, everyone thinks I’m crazy. Well I’m not. I have seers’ blood I saw what I saw, it was shit and I don’t want to see anything else.’

Hermione held her hands up in surrender. ‘What did you see?’

Draco glanced back at their friends who all busied themselves in loud conversation with each other at his gaze. 

‘I saw the Whomping Willow and then a Grim and you leaping to rip my throat out.’ Draco whispered to her.

‘Me?’ Hermione asked, with a raised brow.

‘As a wolf.’ He clarified. 

‘Why would I do that?’ She asked.

‘I don’t know, you tell me? You having any murderous thoughts towards me?’ He asked.

She shrugged and smiled. ‘No more than usual.’ 

Draco smiled and slung an arm around her shoulders. ‘Good to hear Kitten.’ 

‘Stop calling me that.’ She insisted, pushing his arm off his shoulder. ‘Think you’re going to see anything else today?’

They chatter of their nosy friends vanished behind them as they all strained to hear. 

‘I fucking hope not. It was terrifying, I couldn’t move or breathe or think.’ He shuddered.

‘Probably stay away from crystal balls then.’ Hermione told him as they reached the doors to the Great Hall just in time for them to open. Little Luna was waiting for them already at the doors.

‘Morning guys. Draco Malfoy your head is full of Wrackspurts!’

… 

Hermione spent her evening in the actual library, reading about Excalibur. As a result of this she discovered the dirty laundry of the Royal Family. 

She flipped to the next page of The Royal Family of Malfoy.

_Arthur Pendragon Malfoy (1025-1080) Was coronated in 1060 after the death of King Nicholas. Notable for his chief advisors Merlin and Morgana who often clashed for their opposing view on Muggle treatment. _   
_Arthur had briefly taken Morgana as his mistress and she bore him an illegitimate child, Mordred. She and her son were banished by the King after it was revealed that Morgana was the illegitimate child of Nicholas, making Morgana and the King half-siblings. _   
_It was during this time that the King was bonded with the Sword of Atune, which he called Excalibur and had inscribed on the blade. With this sword he slayed his evil sister._   
_Morgana and her unwed son led the infamous rebellion against the King and spent the remainder of his life living outside the law. Mordred was ultimately slain by the Kings legitimate son Audric. _   
_Mordred did kill Arthur at the battle of Camlann but his victory was short lived as not two months later King Audric took vengeance against his half-brother. With his fathers sword he ran him through and then hid the sword saying that “only the worthy would be able to free it from its bonds” in a time of great need. _

Hermione turned the page on Arthur. Okay, so Draco had some casual incest in his family tree. 

_Audric Malfoy did ascend to his father’s throne 1080. As a Prince and early King his life was bogged in civil strife caused by the wars of his father. After proving himself on the battlefield and quashing all remaining rebellion raised in the previous reign the King turned his talents to magical advancements. He even penned a book of spells, now a rare volume. Then, to further the peace, he married the granddaughter of Merlin, his father’s main advisor and known advocate of Muggle rights. The final years of his life were spent leading the world in unity under the peace his father had onced hoped for before dying 1156 at the age of 115. _

Hermione smiled. That sounded a lot better than the casual incest of the last page. 

Hermione then skimmed the next page on Nicholas II who mostly just continued his father’s work and took a lot of mistresses. He was one of those Kings Draco had told her about that had to legitimise his oldest bastard as his Queen was barren. 

Unable to stop herself, she flicked through the page on the legitimised son. Cedric Malfoy lived under a time where it was hard to do the right thing. According to the book, a poor muggle-born child Obscurus was burnt to death by his own family before the Wizards could get to her. The King then had to spend the rest of his reign stamping out a surge of Muggle hunting and didn’t have much time for reform. He only managed to have an heir extremely late in life at the age of 102. 

Hermione flicked to the back of the book to the index, following the page order she flicked to the chapter called Royal Artefacts. 

There was a small line about the coronation sword, once owned by Vutris, but there was an entire page on Excalibur and the legendary deeds Arthur had performed with it. The sword has slain Basilisks and Dragons and had been owned by all the Kings of England before the Monarchs of the world unified under Armand I. The sword could apparently command an army of fearsome beasts as it had “moon power” whatever that meant. 

_During Arthurs reign the two other Gods swords were united, summoning a legendary Gods Power to decimate the opposing army. The sword of Ledur then faded into obscurity and is not recorded again. The appearance of all three swords is recorded by contemporaries (see references p990) as showing the Gods wrath at present events._   
_The sword of Atune was given to the Kings of England by Atune, who emerged from a lake of Mermaids. The sword was borne by these Kings in battle until Audric Malfoy hid it after seeing its monstrous power. _

Hermione placed the book in her bag. There was some good sword information that Draco needed to see, although she would have to be delicate with the incest topic or face the silent treatment.

‘No! Maybe it was Kamila?’ Fred posed from the table. 

‘Kamila?’ Hermione asked him with a disbelieving brow.

‘Kansas?’ Fred tried again.

George laughed. ‘No girls at this school named Kansas.’ 

‘Kronk?’ 

George slapped him over the back of his head. 

…

Hermione made it back to the common room at half eleven. Draco was ready, sword in hand and silver knife in the other. Hermione’s bag was full of offerings she’d freshly picked up from the Kitchen. 

‘Ready?’ He asked. ‘I sent everyone to bed so they won’t even notice we’re gone.’ 

Hermione smiled. ‘Lets go then.’ 

The journey down into the ancient temple went much more smoothly now that they actually knew it was there. 

The ladder was climbed down swiftly. ‘Why the hell is this underground?’ Draco asked as he took Hermione’s waist to lift her down onto the floor from the bottom step. 

She shrugged and batted his hands off her hips. ‘We need to get started it’s already twe-’

She didn’t finish her sentence however. The faded mural on the right wall of Atune near some water was missing some key stones.

‘Did that fall last time we were in here?’ She asked, pointing at the gap in the wall.

She went to step forwards to investigate but Draco placed a firm hand over her stomach to halt her. He looked down at her with a concerned face, ‘it might not be safe. I’ll go and look.’ 

Hermione mimicked the move and bunched her hand in the t-shirt he wore. ‘No, you won’t. As it stands you are the future King, I’m expendable. I’ll go.’

She stepped forwards only for Draco to grab her in return and spin them around to face back the ladder. 

‘No. You’re not expendable to me. You stay, I’ll go.’ He insisted.

‘We’ll both go.’ Hermione said. Holding out her hand which Draco took instantly. 

‘There’s no rocks on the ground.’ Draco pointed out as they neared the gap in the room.

Hermione was looking up. ‘The roof seems to be intact; I don’t think it’s going to collapse on us.’ 

Draco agreed, but he didn’t let go of her hand.

A torch burst to life through the gap in the wall. 

‘Secret room!’ Draco shouted. 

‘Really? You think so?’ Hermione quipped in her most sarcastic voice.

They stepped through the momentary blackness to find themselves in a well-lit chamber. 

‘Is that a Mermaid?’ Draco asked.

Hermione nodded. 

The room was a small square, a small crack in the rock above were letting in a tiny flash of moonlight from a crack in the grounds far above. From above a crack would be too small to see or fall through but the rather sculpted looking gap was letting in a direct beam of moonlight that was hitting the empty space of the wall behind them.

But the two kids’ attention was drawn steadily ahead of them. There was a six foot-ish hole in the ground full of water sitting directly under a mural of the most beautiful woman Hermione had ever seen, and Hermione had seen murals of actual Goddesses. 

She had long red hair that hung about her waist, eyes bluer than the most crystal sea, and petite features to her face. They weren’t really looking at her face though, more at the tail that began where her legs should have. A true Mermaid, not some half-breed Merperson but a woman who could walk the land or swim the seas. Her tail was as red as her hair and stood out against the grey rock she sat upon. 

Hermione dropped her bag full of offerings and began to stare down the well of water, wondering how deep it went. Draco grabbed her arm. 

‘I won’t fall in.’ She said without looking up.

Draco began to pull her by the arm back the way they had come and Hermione looked up to see why. There was a massive stone column sliding out of the wall across the gap. 

‘Shit!’ 

They both ran across the gap just as the door slid shut, leaving no trace of the secret room within. 

‘It’s a celestial door.’ Hermione said as she placed a hand back over the wall that didn’t even show a crack or mark to show where the entrance was or had ever been. 

‘English?’ Draco asked. He seemed to be looking up the trapdoor as if to check it was still there and hadn’t sealed shut too. 

‘I think it only opens with the light from the full moon.’ She told him. ‘Oh no! I left my bag in there!’

Draco, tense from preventing the pair from being trapped in a stone room for an entire month burst out laughing at her sour expression. 

…

‘How did your ritual go?’ Daphne asked over breakfast the next morning.

Hermione shrugged. ‘We didn’t get around to it.’ 

The boys soon headed off to Divination class for the millionth morning in a row it seemed.

Harry and Draco sat together as usual, Draco staring anywhere but his crystal ball and Harry was inventing his predictions (Poison, betrayal, Pluto’s position) as usual.

‘Oh, my dear boy.’ Madam Sybil grabbed Neville’s hand.

This was a unusual move for their teacher, since she usually didn’t try to comfort the prophesised victims of horror. 

‘My poor child. Your blood will soon be tainted. But strength will be found in your friends and your true love will appear. You will not suffer alone. But loss will strike again and you will never find a love like this again. My poor boy.’ 

Neville shared a startled look with Blaise on his table as the teacher moved off. 

‘Well that was cheerful.’ Harry muttered to Draco. 

‘At least he’s not dying, he’s faring better than half the class.’ Draco sourly replied. 

…

The boys were off fencing, or as Blaise called it “getting our butts kicked by Draco Malfoy” sourly each time they met. 

Hermione had a quick practice of her Animagus form, she could turn with much greater ease now. Decided she’d nailed it, she returned to human form and walked out to the lakeside for a painting lesson with Daphne.

They were drawing scenes of the lake, Daphne’s favourite subject. Hermione was taking some liberties with the scene though, she liked adding in a few extra trees and clouds. This time she seemed to be adding some merepeople and their pups, which would be hatching soon in real-time. 

Her painting lessons now were less about learning how to wield a brush with proficiency than they were just painting together and having Daphne critique her work after.

‘Yours is amazing.’ Hermione told her friend once they had finished. She had perfectly captured the scene down to the beams of light escaping the trees that bordered the scene. 

‘I’ll make a fine wife one day. I get above average grades but most importantly I’m skilled in the arts. A husband would rather a fine singer and painter than someone with independent thought.’ She scathed. 

Hermione gave her a blank look of shock; it wasn’t like Daphne to complain about anything at all really. Even though she was in a tough place with tough choices ahead she always bore it so well.

Daphne took a deep breath and then smiled. ‘I suppose my husband and I could share a mistress.’ She joked. 

Hermione smiled at the dark humour and Daphne waved her off to begin her commentary and suggestions of Hermione’s piece. 

Fencing had been scheduled earlier that day as the final Quidditch match of the year was to take place the next day and the players all needed their beauty sleep. 

Hermione and Tracey were the last girls still up when the boys returned to the common room that evening and they soon bid them goodnight. 

Draco watched Hermione disappear down the girls corridor until Blaise waved a hand in front of his face. 

‘Dude. Just ask her out.’ Blaise told him.

Draco silenced his friend with a look. ‘Don’t you think I want to? It’s not that easy. There’s stuff you don’t know.’ 

With that he huffed off to bed and threw himself, quite literally, into his bed. 

…

To win the league, Gryffindor would need to beat Slytherin by two hundred points. To do this they would have to get the Quaffle from the power team of Malfoy, Zambini, and Knott. Flint had made the move from Chaser to Keeper this year and his skills were a decent rival for Oliver Wood. The formidable Slytherin beaters: Montague and Bletchley were probably the only beaters capable of putting Fred and George through their paces. 

The players walked on to the pitch to thunderous applause. 

Draco craned his neck to scan the crowds, of course he was always looking for one witch in particular. He found her quickly, he just had to look for the one girl that would bring a blanket to a summer match. 

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Potter in his scarlet robes yawning. 

‘Dude, better shake yourself or this match will be an even easier win for us.’ He teased him.

Harry gave him a glare. ‘I woke up last night and there was a fecking Grim outside.’ 

‘A Grim?’ He asked, ignoring Dumbledore giving the usual start of match talk suited for the final game. 

Harry nodded. ‘I think I’m losing it. I keep seeing one.’ 

‘I saw one in that crystal ball remember? Just ignore it.’ Draco told him. 

The two boys mounted their brooms and flew upwards to join their teams at match-height. 

Harry moved to the edge while Draco, Blaise, and Theo all moved to the middle. Draco gave Neville a firm stare down that would have worked if they were enemies off the pitch.

Both teams had been practicing at all hours. Literally, in the Slytherin’s case, Flint had woken them up at two am a week ago for an unexpected drill. Draco would readily admit though that Potter was having a harder time than he was preparing for this match. 

He couldn’t catch the Snitch unless Gryffindor were fifty points up or risk losing. There had been a private agreement though between Capitan and Seeker that if Slytherin got too many points ahead for them to catch up he would just catch the Snitch and end it. Flint had put his Chasers under strict orders to make this order necessary.

It was five minutes in when Theo took a Bludger to the arm and took him out. No matter, Blaise and Draco could hold down the fort. It was twenty minutes in when Blaise was knocked off his broom.

Draco shot Flint a panicked glare. 

There was no way that Draco could score all those points on his own, it was hard enough for him to get the ball at all from the Gryffindor team now without his wingmen. 

Gryffindor started racking up points after a shamefully targeted attack on the Slytherin Chasers. Even Jordan, the commentator, hadn’t much to say on the taking out of two team members by Fred and George. 

‘If you two gingers hit me with one of those things, I swear to all three Gods I’ll have you thrown in prison for a week.’ He hissed as he paused in front of them.

‘Shouldn’t you be getting the ball from Neville?’ George asked.

The Gryffindor's cheered as Neville put the ball past Flint again. 

‘Not much I can do is there?’ Draco huffed. 

He tried to breathe in deeply and winced, he hadn’t checked but he was willing to bet his ribs were covered in bruises on the right side. The Bludger that got Theo had rebounded into his chest and he was starting to get a little woozy. 

Flint had a time out called and turned on Draco. 

‘You’re not even trying anymore!’ He roared. 

‘I think everyone can see there’s not much I can do now! We’re two men down!’ He roared back and then stumbled as blackness entered the corners of his vision.

‘Oh Gods. You’re hurt, too aren’t you?’ Flint sighed. 

Draco winced and nodded as he pulled his top up. He didn’t look down himself but he knew from the faces of his remaining team members that it didn’t look good. 

‘Can you still play?’ Flint asked. 

Draco pulled his top back down and nodded through the pain. 

‘We got that many points in the first five minutes if we get the snitch now, we can still win.’ Draco told him. 

A new strategy devised; the teams kicked back off the ground. Montague and Bletchley set about evening up the field and took out Katie Bell. But it wasn’t enough, Fred and George took out Flint and without their keeper the opposing team raked in the points. 

Draco lived to see the Gryffindor's get fifty points ahead before Fred “accidentally”, which actually was an accident, hit him in the head with his bat and down he went.

He woke up in the hospital wing that evening with a headache and taped up ribs to the news that Gryffindor had scraped a victory. Though the news that nobody was very happy with Wood for using underhand tactics was a little comfort to him. The fact he woke up to Hermione nursing his mopping his brow also comforted him.

‘Pomfrey said you could go when you woke up. Well, she wants to check on you before you go. I’ll go get her.’ She said. 

Given the all-clear by his Matron, Hermione escorted him from the hospital wing. They had stopped by Theo and Blaise’s beds, of course. But Theo was still unconscious and having his brow mopped by Tracey and Blaise was chatting with Neville about the match, Blaise seemed to be taking the defeat well and was laughing with the boy.

‘Slytherin is still second, that’s an honourable finish.’ Hermione consoled him. 

He smiled down at her; his right arm had been attached to a sling to wear overnight. ‘Thanks Kitten. I’m a loser but at least it’s honourable.’ 

Hermione restrained herself from punching him in the ribs in his injured state. ‘You’re not a loser. Everyone thinks you carried the team.’ 

‘I did carry the team.’ He grumbled. ‘And my poor ribs paid the price.’ 

Hermione rolled her eyes. ‘Don’t be such a sourpuss, you’ll be good as new by the time you wake up.’ 

‘Fancy keeping me company?’ He asked as they approached their common room.

‘Fine, but only because you look so pathetic.’ She smiled. 

He glared. ‘I’m surprised you didn’t have to fight Pansy off to tend me at my sickbed.’ 

Hermione rolled her eyes. ‘Oh, I did. Pomfrey kicked her out for yelling.’ 

‘Bet she liked that.’ 

‘Oh, made her night, I’m sure.’ 

…

When Draco woke up the next morning Hermione was already gone. Draco sighed, turning the pillow on the empty side of the bed vertical and hugging it tightly. 

He drifted off again hugging the still warm pillow and woke up to Theo returning from the Hospital Wing.

‘Are you hugging your pillow?’ He asked. 

He looked a little worse for wear, the entire right side of his face was black with bruises and his cheekbone was horribly swollen. 

Draco pushed the pillow away from him as he sat up. ‘How have you been released from hospital? You look shit.’ 

Theo gave him a stern look. ‘Cheers mate. You really know how to perk a guy up.’ He rubbed his jaw and winced. 

‘How much Skele-Grow did you have to drink for her to let you out?’ Draco asked, swinging his legs out of bed and pushing himself up. 

‘I stopped keeping track after thee fourth cup. She wouldn’t let me leave with a fractured jaw.’ Theo huffed. 

‘Yeah but Tracey was there with you right?’ Said Draco with a cheeky grin that implied much.

Blaise picked up the object to him, a glass paperweight, and lunged it at Draco’s hand. 

Draco avoided the incoming object and it shattered on the wall behind him. A house elf popped into reality to clean up the mess in moments and popped out again. 

‘So, you do like her then.’ Draco called lightly over his shoulder as he walked into the bathroom. The impact of another object on the door was his answer. 

…

Classes had reached an end now for OWL and NEWT students so they could do nothing but revise for the upcoming exams, Draco was still suffering through classes. 

He was walking down for dinner from class with his usual crowd when a group of first years ran by them and shoved them aside. 

‘Watch it!’ Blaise called; he had been shoved into poor Neville next to him.

Just as the group straitened themselves, they were shoved again by a further crowd. 

‘Where’s everyone going in such a hurry?’ Millie asked. Crabbe and Goyle helped her pick up the belongings she had dropped. 

They all shared a glance and broke out running along with the crowd. 

They joined the rear of the crowd in the courtyard. Draco could just about see over the heads of the fourth years in front of them to see Dumbledore arguing with a small teenager with dark hair and tanned skin. It seemed particularly heated; he even had his wand in his hand. 

‘What the hell is going on?’ Theo asked him. 

‘Some girl is yelling with Dumbledore.’ He told them. 

Teachers began to herd students away. 

‘All of you go on now! The Headmaster is managing the situation!’ Sprout called from their far left. The crowds were thinning, not enough that he could see Hermione but she was probably in the library and unaware of this unexpected visitor.

It was a sunny day in early June, sure, but this girl was definitely dressed for a warmer climate. She wore dark shorts that ended mid-thigh and an equally dark fabric top that ended over her midriff. Her hair was pinned back away from her face revealing her dark eyes. She wore no trims or fluff. The only accessory she bore was a short blade strapped to her waist and a long staff strapped to her back. Draco knew this wasn’t a woman to mess with when he got the chance to step closer and saw the marks on her body, she was littered in what could only be called battle scars. Any space not scarred bore a Gods mark just like he had Hermione had on their wrists. 

Her head snapped away from Dumbledore just as Draco stepped forwards to meet his eyes. She raised a finger and her mouth moved the word “you”. She probably said it but he didn’t hear over the dispersing crowd.

The Headmaster sighed and summoned Draco to come forwards. 

‘What the fuck is going on Drake? Some Royal thing?’ Blaise asked. 

‘No.’ Came Tonks voice. She’d emerged from the corners in which she usually dwelt watching and keeping him safe to stand next to him. Her wand was also out. ‘I have no idea who that is so you will stay where I can see you. Got it?’ She looked down at him. Her bubble-gum pink hair fading into brown marked the seriousness of the occasion. 

‘Got it.’ He said. He nodded farewell to his friends and began the slow march forwards with his guard on his flank. 

‘Draco, this girl says she has come for you.’ Dumbledore said with a sigh. 

‘This girl is several thousand years old. I am called Aloise. I have been sent to train him and if you don’t stow your wand this second you will see why my kind are so feared by Demons.’ Said the stranger. 

‘Your kind?’ Tonks asked. Dumbledore had stowed his wand but Tonks still had her pointed firmly at the woman’s chest. 

‘The Dusman.’ She told Tonks. Then she turned to Draco. ‘I assume you received my letter?’ 

Draco nodded, not knowing what else to do really. 

‘I am Aloise of the Dusman. I have been sent to train you.’ She told him; her accent was foreign but she spoke perfect English. 

‘Train him in what?’ Tonks asked. 

Aloise took a look at Tonks wand pointed firmly at her and sighed. ‘If I wanted him dead, I’d have done it by now. For a starter I wouldn’t have walked in the front gates and asked to see whoever was in charge.’ 

Tonks didn’t lower her wand.

Aloise sighed again and took the staff from her back, with a single impressive spin Tonks was flat on her back. ‘Don’t point that at me again or next time, I’ll use the sword.’ 

Tonks stood back up and brandished her wand but Draco held up a hand to stop her. With a clear disdain, Tonks placed her wand up her sleeve.

‘You still haven’t said what you’re training him in.’ Tonks said bitterly. 

‘And how do I know you are Dusman?’ Dumbledore asked. 

The young woman smiled and turned to Draco, her eyes flicked to the marks on his wrists. 

‘How many Gods marks do I carry?’ She asked him.

Draco raked his eyes up and down her body, counting as he went. ‘I count forty.’ 

‘That’s more than the High Priestess.’ Tonks said. 

‘My point is the Gods trust me, they have sent me to train him and it is not your business in what.’ She stated. 

‘Would you be willing to swear an unbreakable vow not to harm him?’ Tonks asked. 

‘No.’ The girl replied lightly. ‘Since I do very much intend to harm him. It is the best way to train as quickly as he needs to.’ 

Tonks went to get her wand back out but Draco put a hand on hers to halt her. 

‘How did you know to write to me?’ He asked. 

‘I felt it.’ She told him. ‘Quite inconvenient too I was in the middle of a hunt.’

‘The hunting of creatures is illegal.’ Tonks said, reaching for her wand again.

Draco stopped her once more.

‘Not these creatures.’ 

Dumbledore smiled in disbelief. ‘Ah yes. The “Demons” your kind hunt.’ He even raised his fingers to do the quotation marks.

‘You’re both doing a good job of offending a woman who’s come far to help me.’ Draco found himself saying. 

Aloise pointed at her many scars, ignoring Draco she faced the Headmaster. ‘I’d like to see you go up against one.’ 

The Headmaster held his hands up in surrender. ‘Draco, you have corresponded with this woman?’ 

Draco nodded. 

‘And you trust her?’ 

Draco didn’t even know her, but he nodded. Aloise was right, a person with that many Gods marks could be given the benefit of the doubt. 

‘Very well. I give you permission to stay in this castle. I will have a room prepared for you. Do you know how long you will be staying?’ The Head asked.

‘Not more than five days. I’m passing through on my way North.’ She told him. 

The Headmaster nodded and walked off to make the arrangements. 

‘Tonks. I’m safe. Don’t worry.’ Draco told her. 

‘What is she training you in?’ Tonks asked again. 

‘That’s none of your busi-’ Aloise began.

‘I imagine how to use an ancient sword. I found one and I’ve been marked on my wrist. I’m not telling you any more than that and please don’t include it in your report. Just say I’ve got a private fencing tutor or something.’ He pleaded, giving his cousin his “pretty please” face that had worked when he was little.

‘I don’t want you alone with her.’ Tonks said firmly.

‘I’ll keep Hermione with me!’ He offered. ‘Hermione’s the best dueller in the school she keeps beating Flitwick!’

Tonks thought for a moment. ‘Deal.’

…

‘So, are you really a Dusman?’ Hermione asked as she looked the young lady in front of her up and down. Tonks had gone to the library and gotten her before leaving the three of them to it. 

Alosie had sent Draco off to get his sword along with the words “if you ever put a sacred relic under your mattress again, you’ll get to experience my hunting skills” that had sent Draco running with pale face and frantic heart.

Aloise nodded. 

‘Are you really thousands of years old? How old are you?’ Hermione asked, not at all caring for subtlety she pulled out her notebook to record her answers.

‘I don’t know. They didn’t record time like they do now. I remember the sinking of Atlantis, the building of the ancient temples, and the forging of the great swords.’ Aloise told her.

‘And you never age?’ Hermione asked, noting as she went.

‘Do I look like I age?’ Aloise replied in a dry voice. 

‘We must look so tiny to you.’ Hermione said. 

This actually made the hunter smile. ‘The opposite actually. We don’t feel like you do, we lost that part of itself over the years, we think very highly of mortals.’ 

‘How many Dusman are there?’ Hermione asked. 

The hunter gained a mournful expression. ‘Just me now. There used to be more of us but my sisters are all gone now.’ 

‘I thought you were immortal?’ 

‘We don’t age or get sick. We can still die.’ The Dusman told her sadly. 

Hermione saw in her face that this wasn’t a subject she could press further. 

‘Can I ask you a more personal question?’ Hermione asked. Her research had led her to this conclusion and now she couldn’t stop herself from asking.

‘You will anyway, so go ahead.’ Aloise pulled the sword from its sheath at her hip at the sight of Draco returning, longsword stuffed into his cloak. 

The whole school, their friends included, had been told Aloise was a foreign sword master the King had taken on for Draco since he was so advanced in his fencing classes. It was a bit high and mighty, but believable and somewhat true. 

‘Was your blood used in the creation of the Philosophers stone?’ 

Aloise dropped her sword and stared at it laying in the grass for a moment in shock. She bent down to pick it up. ‘Would you believe me if I said no?’ 

Hermione looked up from her frantic note taking. ‘Not now I wouldn’t. Don’t worry, I don’t want to make one.’ 

Aloise let out a breath. ‘Good.’ 

‘Was Salazar Slytherin trying to find you at the time of his death?’ Hermione asked again. 

Aloise cocked a quizzical brow at that one. ‘Yes. How did you know that? I was on my way to his residence when he died, I never found out what he wanted me for.’ 

‘What are you two talking about so intensely?’ Draco asked, coming to stand beside them slightly out of breath.

‘I think if we mix her blood with the Sano potion it will heal Matilda.’ She told Draco. ‘That is why Slytherin was looking for you.’ 

‘Slytherin was looking for me to cure a girl that wouldn’t be born for a millennium?’ She asked in a very weary tone.

‘Not her. But the curse that was used, he was trying to develop a cure and believed the answer lay in your blood.’ Draco answered. Hermione had, of course, shown him the passage before she had sent it off. 

‘I see. Slytherin did me a favour once so I probably would have given him a few drops.’ 

The young pair shared a hopeful look. ‘Will you spare a few for us?’ Draco asked. Hermione could see the hope of freedom in his eyes. 

‘If you manage to cut me, you can keep whatever comes out of me.’ She brandished her sword and gestured for Draco to step forwards. 

‘I hear you’re already proficient with a blade.’ Aloise said casually as she and Draco began to step in circles around each other with blade in hand. Hermione backed out of the way. She was already planning her letter to Matilda with the good news they had cut a mythical being for her blood, she hoped she’d be able to make it sound better than that. 

‘Who built the ancient temples?’ Hermione found herself asking just as they moved to attack.

Aloise instantly knocked Draco to the ground with a new slice on his bicep and turned to answer Hermione. ‘They sprang into being overnight.’

‘Are you saying the Gods built their own sights of worship?’ 

‘Naturally.’ Aloise said, knocking Draco down as he tried to get up again. ‘You have three seconds to get up or I’ll cut you again.’ 

Hermione watched them drill for what felt like, and probably was, hours. 

Draco managed to land a lucky shot across her shoulder.

‘Wait!’ Hermione called and ran forwards with the reinforced vial she’d dug out of her bag about two hours ago. 

‘You did say we could keep whatever came out of you.’ Draco said, and then he heard what he’d said. ‘I mean – blood… From an injury.’ 

Aloise rolled her eyes but extended her arm to Hermione, who skilfully gathered up the three drops of blood. 

‘Your blood is white.’ Hermine stated as she examined the wound on her arm. 

‘Things touched by a God are always marked by something white. Haven’t you heard the songs? The White-Haired Maiden? The White Mirror? The White Harbour?’ Aloise asked. ‘What are they teaching you in schools these days?’ 

While he was looking to Hermione, Aloise brandished the butt of her sword to Draco, whacking him on the head and to the ground again. ‘Don’t get distracted.’ She said without looking at him.

Draco stood up, missing a swing of the sword as he came up to match the blow with his own sword. 

‘I don’t know what training we’re doing!’ Draco snapped. ‘I am a capable enough swordsman.’ 

‘I know that.’ Aloise told him. ‘I need you to unlock the abilities of this sword.’ With a snap of her wrist she had disarmed Draco and sent his jewelled sword into the tall grass surrounding them.

‘And how exactly do I do that?’ Draco snapped, wiping the sweat from his brow. He shot a glance at Hermione, who gave him a sympathetic smile in return.

Aloise saw this interaction and smiled. ‘Like this.’ 

She turned on Hermione and brought the blade down to strike, Hermione didn’t even have time to flinch. 

Draco blocked the blow, sliding his sword under that of the warriors. 

Draco didn’t seem to realise what he had just done, though Hermione and Aloise did. 

‘Well, that worked.’ Said Aloise with a satisfied smile.

‘Are you crazy? You could have hurt her!’ Draco roared. 

‘Draco.’ Hermione was staring wide eyed at the blade in his hand. 

‘What?’ His head snapped to her.

‘That sword wasn’t in your hand a second ago.’ Aloise told him. 

Draco looked down at Excalibur in astonishment, as if just remembering he had been disarmed not a minute ago. 

‘Wha-how?’ He turned to Aloise seeking explanation.

Aloise, smug face unhidden, smiled. ‘Magic duh. It’s a Gods blade. You summoned it, called it to you, whatever you would call it.’

‘It just sort of, leapt into your hand.’ Hermione said. ‘Try it again!’ 

Aloise had to swing for Hermione five more times before Draco managed to summon the blade without her being under threat. 

‘As flattering as it is that you want to save me, I don’t want a sword swung at me anymore today thank you.’ Hermione had muttered to him after the fifth attempt. 

Once Draco could open his hand and have the sword leap into it on close quarters, a skill he admitted would be frightfully helpful in a duel, Aloise had him call the blade over more exaggerated distance. This was to the point that Hermione found herself stood atop the Astronomy tower holding the blade over the edge while Draco was stood at the edge to the Forbidden Forest with Aloise. 

He turned to the Dusman. ‘You can’t be serious.’

‘I trained King Arthur how to use this blade too. He could call it across oceans.’ Aloise told him. ‘You can manage a mile.’ 

‘I wouldn’t say it’s a mile.’ He told her. 

‘Exactly. Now call it.’ 

Draco sighed and shut his eyes, envisioning the blade with its colourful stone. “Excalibur” He thought. 

He thought he heard a high-pitched squeal and a moment later he felt the blade slam into his hand. 

Hermione appeared a few minutes later, Aloise had thrown the blade into the lake and ordered him to summon it from its depths. 

‘That blood sword nearly pulled me over the edge with it!’ Hermione grumbled.

‘I did tell you not to hold it too firmly.’ Aloise said. 

The sword arose from the lake and slammed into Draco’s waiting hand.

Aloise declared this skill as “mastered” and said they would duel for the rest of the day and meet again tomorrow.

Hermione was able to add a few more drops of white blood to her vial from the resulting duel. It helped that if Draco was disarmed by the Dusman that his sword would literally jump back into his hand a moment later. 

…

_Matilda,_   
_I’ve acquired a few drops of Dusman’s blood. I hope this helps._   
_Hermione._

…

The next day they had gone into Gryffindor’s secret training room upstairs. Hermione was sat making flashcards for her upcoming exams while Draco and Aloise duelled. 

‘Are you revising the Dark Arts there?’ Aloise asked.

Hermione nodded. 

‘Good. Come up here, bring your wand.’ 

Hermione frowned but obeyed. 

‘Fire a spell at Draco please.’ 

Hermione raised a brow at Aloise. ‘Come again?’

‘Time for the next ability. Fire a spell at Draco.’ Aloise instructed. 

‘Just do it.’ Draco sighed. Altering his stance and brandishing the blade.

‘A simple stunning charm will do for now. I want you to deflect the spell with the blade. Now, depending on the spell the damage will either be absorbed or it will ricochet.’ Aloise told them.

Hermione nodded. ‘Oh, this room does that too!’ 

Aloise waved a hand to silence Hermione. ‘I don’t have time for this, I leave tonight. Fire a spell at Draco please.’ 

‘Stupefy.’ Hermione pointed her wand at Draco’s sword. 

The blade glowed at the impact but the spell was no more. 

‘Oh. That’s cool.’ Hermione said. 

‘Wait until you see this next bit.’ Aloise smiled. ‘Shield at the ready Hermione.’ 

Aloise took Draco’s arm quickly and pointed the sword right at Hermione. She barely had time to create a shield before her own stunner flew back out of her.

‘Wow.’ Draco said, looking very impressed with his favourite new toy.

‘I know.’ Aloise let out a rare true smile. A smile of happiness, an emotion she hadn’t felt much of since her sisters perished. 

‘The jewel in the blade can hold most spells it absorbs for thirty seconds, if you don’t send it back out the jewel in the hilt will – erm. Kill it? Negate it? You get the idea.’ 

‘Right. How do I shoot spells back at someone, you kinda did it for me then.’ Draco readied his sword in front of him to absorb another spell from Hermione.

‘Just point and think. You and the sword are linked, it should do whatever you want.’ Said Aloise.

Draco nodded. ‘Alright Granger. Hit me with your best shot.’ 

Hermione smiled and pointed her wand. 

Draco stood up out of his stance. ‘Well, not your best shot.’

‘Don’t worry Your Highness, I’ll try not to hurt you.’ Hermione teased.

‘What kind of spell do you want me to use on him?’ Hermione asked Aloise.

Aloise shrugged. ‘Take your pick.’ 

Hermione spent the next hour revising for her practical Defence Against The Dark Arts OWL exam by shooting whatever curses and hexes she could think of at him and then blocking them when he sent the spell back from the tip of his sword.

‘That is enough. You get the idea; you can practice when I’m gone.’ Aloise told them. They had rather gotten into it; Draco had rather forgotten the presence of his new master. 

‘I thought you were staying for a few days.’ Draco said with a childish pout that didn’t suit his rapidly sharpening facial features.

‘Well now I’m leaving tonight. Duty calls I’m afraid.’ Aloise sighed. Hermione couldn’t help thinking that in the many hours these last two days she had seen the Dusman rigorously training, this was the first time she looked weary. 

‘We could come with you!’ Draco said excitedly. 

Aloise actually laughed. ‘A wizard against a demon? You’d be torn to shreds in thirty seconds.’ 

‘Demons aren’t in any books. They are supposed to by myths.’ Hermione said. Hermione was used to the feeling of her beliefs being wrong by now, this had been shaken by the discovery of the Gods, and decided that she would now look at being wrong as the opportunity to learn something new instead of digging her heels in. ‘Could you describe one for me?’ She asked, pulling out her notebook. 

She’d filled a few pages now with the words of the ancient warrior. Draco had asked a few questions about what his old relatives were met. Apparently the Dusman had been present at the coronation of Armand I and Arthur, she’d been passing through at the time apparently. She’d also spent further time in the court of Armand I at his request, she’d accepted and used the Palace as a base for her hunts for several years. Aloise said the ancient king was “A good man” which filled Draco with warmth.

‘Big. Black. Fangs. Claws. Demonic powers. They’re all different, depends how old they are.’ Aloise told her, she’d engaged Draco in another duel while she spoke to Hermione. 

‘What kind of Demonic powers? How come wizards never come across them?’ Hermione continued her frantic note taking.

‘Picture a Demonic power and I’ve seen it, like I said, they’re all different. And Wizards do come across them, not everyone comes back out of the shadows.’

Hermione shivered at her words but still wrote them down.

‘Is there anything else I need to learn about this sword? Any more special powers?’ Draco asked as the lesson drew to a close. 

‘Well. Arthur used it to control the creatures of the moon.’ Said Aloise as casually as one discusses the weather. 

‘Creatures of the moon?’ Draco asked.

‘Creatures of Atune.’ Hermione clarified. ‘Right?’ 

Aloise nodded. 

‘If Atune made it, you can control it.’

Draco raised a brow. ‘Didn’t Atune create you?’ 

‘Yes. But I would like to see you try and control me. I’m not like her other creatures, you’ll have an easier time controlling the half-breeds, the shapeshifters, those who are of two worlds.’ Aloise told him. 

Hermione continued her note taking. 

‘Cool. How does that work?’ Draco asked. 

‘Just point and think.’ Aloise told him as they left the training room for the grounds.

The sun was nearly lost over the lake now. 

Aloise turned to look back at the young pair before her. 

‘I do wish I could have stayed longer. But I must go.’ Aloise said.

‘Do you want to borrow some warmer clothes?’ Hermione asked without thinking. She’d been trying to ask her for the last two days. 

Aloise looked down at her shorts and top and then back up. ‘No thanks. Easier to fight in this.’ 

‘I could get some leggings for you or something?’ Hermione asked. 

Aloise snorted. ‘I’ll pick up a new wardrobe next time I go shopping.’ She said with heavy sarcasm. ‘Really, I don’t feel the cold I’m fine.’ 

‘What if I need you?’ Draco asked.

‘Oh!’ Aloise reached into the back pocket of her shorts and pulled out a piece of dark potters with the Greek written upon it. Hermione recognised the identical A but nothing else. She pressed the pottery into Draco’s hand. ‘You can call for me with this. Just hold it tight and think of me and I will feel it.’

‘What does it say?’ Hermine asked.

‘It’s my name. It’s a piece of Ostraca from Athens. Oh Athens, fond memories.’ Aloise smiled. 

‘Do you have anything from this century? Or Millennium? I’m scared I’ll break it.’ Draco said, lightly running his thumb over the curved edge. Draco stopped talking at the sharp look from his sword master. 

‘Only call me if it’s a matter of life and death though. I’m a busy girl.’ 

‘What if we need you quickly though? We might not have time for you to get here.’ Hermione asked.

Aloise smiled. ‘I can get wherever I want fairly quickly. Here, watch. It was nice seeing you both, odd seeing you this young though… You two should step back.’ 

Aloise raised her hand to the sky and was met with a rumble from the clouds. 

A flash of light and a bolt of ferocious lightning hit the ground where Aloise had been stood. Hermione and Draco were blasted from their feet from the impact, but neither were burned surprisingly. 

Aloise was gone.

‘Did she just ride away on a lightning bolt?’ Draco shrieked. 

  
*************************************

So. There's a hidden room within the hidden temple. We've met the Dusman. The Blood has been sent to Matilda for her healing potion. What do you guys think will happen?  
I love reading all your plot guesses especially when my countries on lockdown and I can't leave my house.

E x 


	56. Sine Dolore

Hey guys I’m going to try indenting paragraphs. Let me know if it’s easier to read this way or the other way or if you don’t care.  
…  
The decision had been taken that Aloise the Dusman had indeed ridden away on a bolt of lightning.

‘I suppose it’s a reliable travel method when you don’t have a wand.’ Draco had said after the shock had vanished from his face, an act that took several days to accomplish.

The knowledge that there was a badass ancient warrior who regularly hunted and killed Demons, that could apparently rip a wizard in half in under a minute, and travelled around the world on a bolt of lightning was forced from their minds by exams.

In Draco’s case, third year exams flew by over a week of intense last-minute prep with his friends and he came out feeling he’d put on a respectable show in some exams and gotten top marks in the others. All that was left was his Divination exam, and that wasn’t for another week. Scheduling made it necessary for the OWL exams to take place first.

In Blaise’s case, he rocked up for his third-year exams and hoped for the best. He left each exam partly not caring for the result, but confident he’d done well. 

In Percy’s case, he had been kicked out of the Gryffindor common room he’d annoyed everyone that much revising for his NEWTs. He did leave the exam halls feeling that he couldn’t have done any better. This feeling lasted after Marcus Flint tripped him over for being a stuck up nerd.

In Daphne’s case, she had revised properly and went into her third-year exams with shaking hands but was able to answer every question happily although she did fluff her practical charms exam when she overdid her cheering charm and Millie had to be escorted from the room until she’d stopped her hysterical laughter.

In Fred and George’s case, they had been slightly forced into revising by their more academically inclined friend. They knew they hadn’t gotten straight O’s in the intense OWL exams but they had at least passed their courses. 

In Hermione’s case, OWLs were two weeks of intense stress. Though she was as prepared as one could possibly be, she kept having stress nightmares. Daphne had shaken her awake the night before her Charms exam because she’d been screaming, her nightmares usually started the same, she’d been in the bath and hands would grow from the sides of the tub and pull her under. The next night she’d slept in the safe space that was Draco’s bed, he’d had to wake her up from the same dream and send her off for her Defence Against the Dark Arts exam with bags under her eyes. Still, she knew she’d probably gotten straight O’s. She’d even given herself a mental extra mark, she’d corrected a question on her Ancient Runes paper. 

Draco’s birthday unfortunately fell in the middle of exams, this was the eternal struggle of being a June baby. He still couldn’t receive gifts from his friends due to the dumb royal rules, but thankfully Hermione didn’t follow the rules and Draco awoke on the fifth to Hermione sat on the end of his bed holding his present.

‘Oh, Bronte’s good. How did you know I liked her?’ He asked as he handled the volume of muggle classics Hermione had gifted him.

‘You told me. Well, you mistook her for Austen but I got the picture. You’ve dabbled in muggle literature.’ Hermione smiled. ‘I hear Matilda got the blood I sent?’

Draco smiled. ‘Eh, close enough. It was a part of my rebellions phase; my dad really would kill me if he found out I was reading muggle literature. And yeah, they’ve started mixing it into the Sano potion.’ He placed the volume gently on his bedside table. ‘How long until breakfast?’ He asked.

‘It’s only just gone seven.’ Hermione told him.

Draco smiled and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her down to lay beside her so he was spooning her. ‘Perfect.’

‘Drake.’ Hermione sighed, beginning to wriggle free.

‘It’s my birthday.’ He complained and her wriggling stopped. Hermione settled down next to him.

‘Fine. But I want to read my flash cards before Transfiguration.’ She told him. Hermione reached into the pocket of her robes and pulled out her cards.

It was then Draco said the most attractive words he had ever said to her. ‘Do you want me to quiz you?’

‘Shouldn’t you be revising for your own exam?’ Hermione asked, though she did this while handing the cards to him.

‘Oh please. Its Divination. I’ll make it up.’ Draco told her, ignoring her judgemental glare.

After full quizzing, every answer answered correctly, the pair left for breakfast in the usual manner.

The hall was cleared for the final OWL exam and Draco and co left for the tall tower for their final exam and the one they had all dreaded the most, or not cared about the most, Divination.

Hermione’s OWL Transfiguration exam was a breeze. Her practical even more so, vanishing spells were a favourite of hers, although some of her classmates certainly seemed to be struggling with them.

Upstairs things weren’t going so well for Draco. He’d walked up the marble staircase with his friends, wondering what Madam Sybil could have in store for them. They’d discovered quickly, and thankfully, that they would all be seen separately. Many were sat on the spiral staircase trying to cram for whatever they faced next. Draco and Blaise stood with Harry and Neville not bothering to open a textbook, they stood discussing the Quidditch fixtures for this summer that would result in the world cup.

Once people started filtering in and out of the room, all refusing to say what their exam was under vague threats from their teacher, Neville began flicking through Unfogging the Future half-heartily.

Ron Weasley was in the corner alone; he’d really run out of friends now due to his constant attacks on innocent geniuses. If people found out he’d been hurting his little sister he’d probably start getting attacked in the corridors.

Lavender Brown emerged from the classroom with a satisfied grin. ‘I saw loads of stuff!’

‘Crystal Balls then.’ Draco muttered to his friends.

‘But I’ve never seen anything in a Crystal Ball!’ Neville complained, flicking to his page on those artefacts.

‘Just make it up.’ Harry muttered to him as Neville was called forwards to face his test.

He emerged a few minutes later shaking his head at his friends. ‘I’ll wait for you down there.’ He said before sulking off.

Blaise went next, he emerged very quickly and unable to hold in his laughter. ‘I started describing this hag I could see but it was just her reflection!’

Harry was called in for his turn still laughing at Blaise’s blunder. He emerged about fifteen minutes later and shrugged to Draco.

‘I made loads of stuff up. Don’t think I convinced her. I started going on about this dark shadow but it was just a smudge.’ Harry mumbled. ‘I’ll go find the others.’ He walked off to join the other boys down the corridor.

The remaining students thinned until it was only Draco left. His name finally got called and he went in after Ron.

‘I hope you didn’t mind I left you until last.’ Madam Sybil said as Draco sat down in front of him. ‘I didn’t want to look like I was placing a royal in a favourite position.’

Draco rolled his eyes. ‘Weren’t you calling everyone else in alphabetical order?’

Madam Sybil ignored this. ‘If you could kindly gaze into the Orb.’

Draco frowned. ‘You’ve never called it an Orb before.’ Draco pointed out. Then sighed at the look his teacher gave him and looked into the Crystal Ball on the table, staring into the fog it contained.

‘What do you see?’ Sybil asked, notes and quill at the ready to write down anything he said.

He didn’t see anything. He opened his mouth to take the same approach as his friends, making it all up.

‘I see a shadow.’ He began, but then a dark shape did appear. ‘Not a shadow.’ He corrected. ‘It’s a dark, blob?’

‘A blob?’ Sybil asked with an expression that showed her patience was nearly all gone from a day of witnessing obviously false prophecy. ‘Look closer and it might take form.’

Draco took her words literally and moved his face closer to the ball, he didn’t see his teacher rolling her eyes at him.

‘It looks like – oh no.’ Draco said. This was the same vision he’d had in class. ‘A black dog and a wolf. The Whomping Willow.’ He listed things as the images morphed.

Then a new image took form and Draco felt a chill run down his spine. ‘A Dementor.’

‘What is the Dementor doing?’ The teacher asked, she was excitedly scribbling notes as he spoke. She didn’t seem to care much that Draco was shaking and his skin was rapidly chilling.

‘It’s lowering its hood.’ He whispered.

‘Do you see its face?’ The teacher asked, a very worried expression on her face.

Draco shook his head. The image had changed into a comforting sight. ‘No, it’s gone away. I see a sword. My sword.’ This was replaced with the image of the full moon.

‘This is excellent.’ The teacher says as he sits back. ‘I think you’re a true prophet. Those marks on your wrists probably help.’

Draco’s eyes shot up from the ball, where he was trying to understand why he was looking at what appeared to be a cave filling with blood.

‘You can see those?’ He asked. The knowledge that only those with a Gods mark could see those on another.

‘I’m the Priestess of Prophecy from the Temple of Vutris. I have collected a few marks in my time.’ She gave him a gentle smile that made Draco feel a little bit like an idiot.

Then her smile vanished, her eyes went unfocused and she opened her mouth. _‘It will happen tonight.’_

Draco had read about this phenomenon. He’d been doing some research into Seers since his first vision in a crystal ball. So much for her being a fraud.

She had gone rigid in her chair, eyes unmoving as she stared ahead of her. ‘_The servant that has been chained these twelve years will be freed at long last tonight. She with two forms shall fall at the stroke of midnight and the pure blood will be tainted. The Dark Lord will return with the aid of his servant, more terrible and powerful than before.’ _

Draco didn’t know what to do, he was frozen. Should he run and get help?

Then her eyes snapped to Draco, she suddenly lunged forwards to grab his wrist in a vice like grip he was sure would bruise. ‘_The way out is below. She will think it done, but you must know. The way out is below.’ _

Then she slumped back into her chair. Another moment and her head raised normally and she cleared her throat. ‘Sorry dear lad. Very hot up here. I drifted off.’

‘No, you didn’t. You went weird. You made a prophecy, well two prophecies. You talked about Voldemort returning and the way out is down?’ Draco said urgently.

Madam Sybil looked startled. ‘My boy, that’s not something to joke about! Now run along.’

‘But!’

‘I said, run along! And I won’t deduct marks.’

Draco huffed and climbed down the ladder from the Divination classroom. Had that just been her inner performer trying to end the final exam with a flourish or had it been one of those true predictions he had read about.

Moments later he came across his friends at the end of the corridor. ‘I need to speak to Hermione. Come on, her exam should be out by now.’

He told the boys, who were shocked, what had happened as they hurried down the stairs.

Hermione’s exam had indeed gotten out of her exam. Draco raced forwards with new theories that perhaps his visions and Sybil’s vision were somehow linked. He opened his mouth to first, ask how her final exam had gone, and b, tell her his shocking news. He didn’t get far when he saw the letter in her hands and the tears in her eyes.

He pulled her in for a tight hug instantly. ‘Holy shit. What’s wrong?’

Hermione passed him the letter and he placed her in the warm embrace of Neville while he read the letter. He groaned as he read it.

_Lost appeal. They're going to execute at sunset. Nothing you can do. Don't come down. I don't want you to see it. Hagrid_

Draco and Hermione along with Harry went off to comfort Hagrid regardless of the letter. Blaise and Neville went off to dinner. Hermione had fetched Harry’s invisibility cloak from where he had stored it in the secret tunnel that led to Hogsmeade. She walked free while Harry and Draco were hidden under the cloak. 

They half-ran to Hagrid’s cabin, Hermione knocked. 

‘It’s us!’ Harry called from under the cloak.

Hermione turned to the empty space his voice had come from. ‘What’s the point of you being under that thing!’ She scolded.

‘Yeh shouldn’ve come!’ Hagrid said, but he gestured them inside as Harry and Draco emerged from under the cloak.

Hagrid was shaky but not hysterical. He seemed to either be resolved or in shock. Hermione put a pot of tea on the fire. A good cup of tea would calm everyone down.

Draco sent her to sit down while he poured. Hagrid did indeed calm down after a large mug of bracing Earl Grey.

‘Where is Buckbeak?’ Harry asked hesitantly.

‘He’s outside.’ Said Hagrid, ‘I tethered him in me pumpkin patch. I wanted him to be able to see the trees.’

Hagrid dropped the milk jug he was carrying. Hermione instantly whipped out her wand and vanished the spill and fixed the jug before Harry had even registered the jug had been dropped.

‘Can’t Dumbledore do something?’ Harry asked.

‘He’s tried! But he ain’t got no power ter overrule the Committee. He even had Scamander try and they both got inter trouble!’ Hagrid wailed.

‘Newt Scamander?’ Hermione asked, a million questions about the true founder of modern Magizoology popped into her head but Draco waved her off.

‘Can’t my uncle do something? Or my cousin?’ Draco asked. He already knew the answer.

‘Dumbledore tried to get The King on the stand but he has no power over the Committee.’ Hagrid dried his eyes.

‘He’s the King. He owns the Committee.’ Draco frowned. 

‘Apparently it would have been an “abuse of his powers” to get involved. The public wouldn’t like it.’ Hagrid said. ‘Yeh know what your fathers like Malfoy. Threatened the entire panel I reckon, and the executioner Mcnair is an old pal.’ Hagrid took a deep breath and steeled himself. ‘It will be quick for him, that’s something.’

Draco sniffled very quietly beside Hermione to low in sound for anyone but her to hear. ‘I’m so sorry Hagrid. This is all my fault.’

‘No, it ain’t. Don’t want you thinking like that.’ Hagrid slapped Draco on the shoulder in a move that was supposed to be consoling, but in reality, it sent the young Earl flying.

The three teens drank their tea, not knowing what to say anymore and Hagrid stared out the window at the setting sun.

‘Dumbledore’s gonna come down when it happens. Said he wants ter be with me. Great man, Dumbledore.’ Hagrid said.

The room chorused with nods and a few comments of “yeah, great man.” And then they fell silent again.

‘We’ll stay with you too.’ Hermione began but Hagrid shook his head.

‘Yer just kids! I don’t want yer seeing somethin’ like that!’ Hagrid protested.

Hermione didn’t argue, it took a fair bit of restraint not to remind him that in first year she’d split open Voldemort’s face and then had Quirrell die in front of her, never-mind the horrors of second year. 

‘Ye’ll all be in big trouble if yeh get caught out the castle. Specially you two!’ He pointed between Potter and Malfoy.

Then he turned to Hermione with a sudden spark. ‘That reminds me! I heard you’d had a spot of bother with Ronald Weasley over the fate of his rat?’ As he spoke, he went to a cupboard and produced a large metal tin. He handed it to Hermione.

Hermione snorted when she opened it. ‘Typical.’

She passed the package to Draco who also laughed when he saw the struggling rat that living inside before he shut the lid again.

‘I figure if you’re the one ter return Scabbers to him he might lay off yeh.’ Hagrid smiled gently.

This was one of the reasons Hermione loved Hagrid dearly. Even when he was about to lose a dear friend in Buckbeak, he was still looking out for them.

‘Wow. He’s really struggling.’ Harry mused.

‘Has been since I found him.’ Hagrid said. 

Scabbers looked awful. He was extra thin and had massive tufts of fur missing as if he had ripped them out. 

Hagrid leapt up suddenly, looking out the window. ‘They’re comin’. 

The three teens whipped around. A group of men were indeed walking down the castle steps in the distance. Hermione could make up Dumbledore leading the way with his silver hair gleaming in the setting sun. Next to him was the Minister for Magic, then an old man Hermione took to be a Committee member. Bringing up the rear was Macnair and his axe.

‘Out the back way.’ Hagrid ordered. Every inch of him was shaking now and he was sweating heavily.

Draco shoved the tinned rat into Hermione’s hands while he opened the back door. They followed the distraught man into his back garden. It felt very unreal and blurry to see Buckbeak sitting peacefully amongst the massive pumpkins. Buckbeak seemed to know that something was wrong and was digging at the ground nervously.

‘We can tell them what really happened!’ Draco insisted. ‘They’ll have to listen to me!’

Hagrid had said no and sent them away. He hurried back into his cabin just in time for Dumbledore to knock on the front door.

They had no choice. Harry threw his cloak over the three of them and they hurried back up the steps to the castle as if in a horrified trance.

Scabbers was squealing wildly in his tin case, Hermione wasn’t proud of what she did to silence him but she wasn’t exactly in her right frame of mind. She vigorously shook the tin can and the poor rat inside until it was silenced. Draco reached over with both hands to her, in one he took the rat from her and the other took her hand.

There was a collection of male voices they couldn’t pick out. Then a sudden thud of an axe and the flight of all nearby birds to the air.

Hermione hid her face into Draco’s neck and sobbed. ‘They actually did it!’ 

...

Fred was trying to cheer Hermione up over dinner by continuing to guess the name of the girl he’d slept with at the Hufflepuff party. Todays guesses were: Karla, Kendra, and then Kaiser. That final guess brought a slight twitch to the corner of her mouth, George slapping his brother over the back of his head caused her to smile full on. She felt deeply sad, but it was done with now. It wasn’t like they could go back in time and fix it.

True happiness came with an evening owl. The Kings personal bird always drew attention and it landed in front of Draco at the Slytherin table. He undid the letter; the grand bird had a bite of bacon from his plate before setting off again.

Draco watched it go and then broke the seal on the letter and scanned its contents. His expression became more frantic as he read and then re-read the letter.

He shot out of his seat and quite literally ran to the Gryffindor table Hermione had sat herself at. He ignored every question people asked and grabbed Hermione’s arm. He was too excited to speak as he dragged her to her feet and out of the room, still pulling her by the arm. He read the letter a final time as he pulled her down the corridor to the Slytherin common room. It was thankfully empty because he seemed to have completely forgotten himself and dragged her openly into his bedroom and proceeded to literally fling her at his bed. He shoved the letter at her, still too overwhelmed to speak.

Hermione ordered him to take some deep breaths and then turned her eyes to the letter. 

_Dear Dragon (And presumably Hermione when you read this)_

_The blood of the Dusman mixed with the Sano potion has proved effective. The healers are astounded but Matilda is cured. Sadly, the blood curse remains intact but we think this mix may have even granted her many more years._

_Dragon, I doubt now that you will ever be King. Matilda is able to have an heir of her own to follow her in her throne. For your help and love I am investing you as Duke of Abington and all the titles and rites that accompany this position. One of those rites is the Abbey in Lancashire you may live at when you are of age._

_Hermione, I know Draco will show you this letter. For your help and the fact that you pretty much single handily found all these answers and gathered the healing blood, I’m going to reward you and if you don’t like it tough. You are to receive a Services to the Royal Family Knighting. In Muggle terms, I’m making you a Dame. You already have the Queen Blythe Award so I’m elevating you to the peerage. I wanted to name you Marchioness of Priory, but Matilda said you would resist and argued me down._

_My sincere thanks to you both. You have brought hope to my heart._  
_Your Loving Uncle,_  
_Armand._

Hermione leapt off the bed and found herself in Draco’s arms. They were both making some very excited noises that came from deep within them.

‘Are you in here Drake?’ Blaise’s voice came from the door.

He didn’t have time to say anything about Hermione being in the room, he too was pulled into the hug. He went with it though. 

Once they had calmed down, which took a while, they both wrote letters to the King and Matilda offering thanks and congratulations.

Draco summoned Dobby, his loyal elf, and sent him off to the Lancashire Abbey. ‘Denshaw Abbey, Sir?’ The house elf had asked.

Draco nodded. ‘I have just been gifted it. But I think I’m right in saying nobodies lived there since The Queen passed. I need it doing up, you have two years before I move in but I would like to come and have a look over summer.’

Dobby had been thrilled to have a restoration project and popped out of the room to get started.

‘Oh Dobby?’ Draco called when Hermione elbowed him.

The adorable elf popped back into the room holding colour charts. ‘Master?’

‘I want you to hire two more elves to help in the manor. They’ll be under your supervision.’ Draco told him.

‘My supervision, Master?’ The elves wide eyes look up to Draco.

‘Well, as temporary controller of the household you’ll need staff to delegate to.’ Draco told him.

The elf burst out in tears. Hermione was prepared and offered him a tissue.

‘Me? Temporary controller?’ The elf wailed.

Draco smiled gently at the elf and calmed him until he popped off again.

‘Temporary controller?’ Hermione asked with raised brow.

‘Controller of a Duke’s house will be a wizard who’s trained for the role. Then Dobby will report directly to him, he’ll still be in charge of all the other elves and get more pay and better holiday.’ Draco said quickly.

Hermione sighed. ‘I guess that sounds fair enough.’ Then she smiled and Draco beamed back. They couldn’t stop hugging and jumping in excitement.

‘You’ll be The Lady Granger.’ Draco teased with a light elbow to the ribs.

‘Well you’ll be His Grace, The Duke of Abington.’ Hermione teased with a slightly harder elbow to the ribs.

‘It’s much more tolerable than His Royal Highness, The King.’ This comment resulted in more delighted giggling, hugging, and jumping.

There had been some tears too, on both sides. Uncontrollable tears of pure joy and relief.

This manic attitude lasted in both of them for the rest of the night. They had gone to the Kitchen to gather celebration supplies otherwise known as alcohol when they bumped into Snape. He also received a hug, then they both received detention.

Hermione and Draco sat in a secluded corner of the common room with their drinks, their friends all giving them a wide birth after seeing their new mania.

‘So, what rites do your new Dukedom come with?’ Hermione asked as she took a sip of her Bubble-gum Fizz.

‘Right of Trial. I’ll be able to pass judgement in court. Which is pretty cool. Denshaw is a half magical village so I’ll be in charge of all the Witches and Wizards that live there and I have to keep them all safe and all that. Automatically makes me a royal advisor but doesn’t give me a seat on the council, which I’m happy about the council is a chore and I’m only fourteen. Let’s see, well I’d own all wizarding property kind of, I own the land its on at any rate so… I basically get a big old vault full of gold.'

‘Congratulations, My Lord.’ She batted her lashes at him.

‘That’s right Kitten.’ He winked back.

Hermione prevented herself from launching her body at him. ‘Stop calling me that, I hate it.’ She huffed.

‘Of course you don’t.’ Draco said. Then, as if a light had gone off over his head he jumped up. He looked at his group of friends with wide eyes and then plunged back into his seat across from Hermione. ‘I could break up with Pansy.’ He whispered.

Hermione didn’t expect him to say that.

‘Well it doesn’t matter if my father kicks me out now. Or give me orders. Technically my Dukedom is worth more than his, I think. I’m free Hermione.’ He was looking at her with wide eyes. He wanted to hope, but he couldn’t quite let himself do so just yet.

‘Is that smart right now?’ Hermione asked, she too was too scared to hope after three years.

‘Okay. Let’s see how it goes. We won’t stir the pot with him any more at the moment. I’m sure he’s angry enough I’m a Duke now.’ Draco sighed. Then he gained a determined look. ‘But when things have calmed down with my father, I will break up with her. I promise.’

Hermione sighed and glanced to the rest of their friends sat laughing around the fire. Pansy was among them gossiping happily and glaring at Hermione angrily.

‘You don’t have to promise me anything.’ Hermione practically whispered.

‘I know we’re too young for that kind of thing, or you think we are at any rate. But I hope when we’re older things will work out between – you know.’ Draco trailed off.

‘Us?’ Her breath caught.

Draco nodded. ‘Would you like that?’

Hermione rolled her eyes. ‘Draco, I sleep in your bed three nights a week. Don’t turn into a moron.’

Draco’s usual smile returned. ‘Yeah, I can’t keep you away.’

Hermione gave him a dry look.

They were both still terribly sad about Buckbeak, but the days news had done a lot to lighten the mood. Draco had announced the news to his friends that he was going to be made a Duke and that Hermione was going to become Lady Granger for services to the royal family, but they decided they wouldn’t tell them what for. Even though she was cured, Matilda still deserved her privacy.

Draco shifted in his seat. ‘Do you feel as confined as I do right now?’

Hermione nodded. The day had simply been too eventful for them to sit calmly. ‘Want to go for a walk?’

Draco nodded and stood, just as Pansy retreated to her bedroom. ‘Hey, we’re going for a walk. Want to come?’ They asked the remaining group.

None of them took the offer, all about to retire for bed. They hadn’t had the on-the-edge day that they’d had.

As they stood up Draco itched at the sword mark on his arm. Hermione frowned. ‘Never seen you do that before?’

Draco shrugged. ‘I might take it with us.’ He held his hand out and in a flash the sword arrived.

‘What, you’re just going to carry it?’ Hermione frowned. ‘It’s a bit conspicuous.’

Indeed, the entire common room that hadn’t gone to bed was staring at Draco holding his mighty blade aloft. He shrugged in return.

Hermione sighed and waved her wand at the sword. ‘What are you doing?’ Draco asked.

‘Getting an impression of your sword.’ She responded. She picked up a nearby leather jacket. ‘I’m sure nobody will miss this too much.’ She looked in the collar and saw it belonged to one Pansy Parkinson. ‘Perfect.’

With an elegant wave of her wand the leather jacket was transformed into a perfectly sculpted scabbard and sword belt. She handed it to him and earned a beam and thanks in return before they left the safety of their common room and ventured up into the corridors, aware a teacher could catch them at any time. As they walked, Draco finally got to tell Hermione about his off exam with Madam Sybil.

Hermione had, of course, brought Scabbers with her in the hope they would bump into a Gryffindor that might be sneaking around after hours as they were.

This was an act that didn’t take long at all. They came across Neville, Ginny, and Harry outside the Great Hall. Or rather, the Gryffindor's scared the daylights out of the Slytherins by speaking to them unannounced from under Potter’s invisibility cloak. Draco had brandished Excalibur and hit the cloak; this caused a very peculiar reaction as the cloak wasn’t cut by the blade.

‘What’s in the tin?’ Young Ginny asked.

‘Your brothers rat.’ Hermione held it out to the youngest Weasley.

Ginny didn’t take the offered tin. ‘Urgh. Flush it down the toilet.’

Hermione sighed and dropped her arm to her side. ‘What are you three doing out then?’

‘We wanted some air. It’s been a long day.’ Harry said, he hadn’t received the same joyful news that Hermione and Draco had, so he was still thoroughly blue.

Draco nodded. ‘We were going to go for a walk of the grounds. Want to come?’

The three Gryffindor’s nodded and together the quintet left through the front door. ‘You would think security would be tighter with Black breaking in twice.’ Ginny mused as they began their walk of the grounds with no sign of teachers or guards, they couldn’t even see a Dementor off in the distance.

It had been a rather strange day. The end of exams, serious exams in Hermione’s case, a freaky exam in Draco’s case. The failure to protect Buckbeak and his summary execution, the thud of the axe could still be heard in their minds. The news that Draco wouldn’t be King, and peerages given out. Some good, some bad, some weird.

Then the days events took a turn for the worst.

Ronald Weasley was sat by the edge of the forest near Hagrid’s hut alone. He spotted them as they spotted him and leapt to his feet. Draco’s hand moved to rest on the hilt of his sword on instinct.

Before anyone could get an insulting word out Hermione marched forwards and thrust the tin containing the rat to Ronald. ‘Here. Hagrid found your rat.’

Ronald didn’t thank her or apologise as he took the rat out of its tin. ‘What did you do to him? He won’t stay still!’ He attempted to shove his beloved pet into his pocket. ‘You dumb rat- OUCH! He bit me!’

‘Well he is a feral garden rat.’ Ginny said bluntly. Ever since Crabbe and Goyle had begun their boxing lessons with her, Ginny’s confidence had soared. Also, it probably didn’t hurt that Hermione had taught her a few curses ranging from “you’ll get detention” to “twenty years in Azkaban”.

There were still lights on in Hagrid’s nearby hut. Hermione briefly saw the outline of Dumbledore at the window and shushed the group, pointing the headmaster out. He must have remained to comfort Hagrid. They could see the now empty pumpkin patch at any rate.

The rat in Ron’s hand was plainly terrified, he was writhing with all effort to escape his owners grip.

‘Oh no.’ Harry’s voice came.

Hermione turned and sighed. ‘Crookshanks! Leave the rat alone.’ She said to her beloved ginger companion. But the cat continued to stalk forwards, low to the ground and yellow eyes glinting.

The rat managed freedom; Ron gave chase. Crookshanks was hot on his heels after the rat; Hermione ran after her pet and the others ran after her. There was a loud thud in the darkness ahead.

The group almost fell over Ron, who had dived in a successful attempt to scoop his rat up from the ground.

That’s when they saw the dog. ‘It’s exactly as I saw it in the ball.’ Draco whispered to himself, though everyone heard.

But then it was running for them with such speed that nobody had time to act. The dog made a leap and knocked Harry and Draco to the ground, the others rushed to their aide. The dog had taken out the greatest physical threat true, but Hermione was brandishing her wand. But before she could get a spell off, the great dog had bounded to Ronald and sunk his fangs straight through his leg. The Weasley’s scream of pain was deafening, in the distance Hagrid and Dumbledore rushed from his home but couldn’t see what was going on with the distance and the dark.

The dog began dragging Ronald as if he were a rag-doll. Draco looked to Hermione. ‘Do something!’ He yelled over the screams.

But the dog was dragging him too fast. ‘I can’t! I might hit Ron!’

They ran quickly after the dog. Hermione illuminated the tip of her wand to light their way. The dog was dragging Ron with amazing speed towards-

‘The Whomping Willow!’ Draco and Neville groaned at the same moment.

‘There’s nowhere for him to go now!’ Harry shouted to them as they approached the menacing limbs of the dark tree, which was springing to life at the approaching crowd, no doubt all the screaming from Ronald and the shouts from the following swarm of students had awoken it.

But they had chased too close to the tree, and they were in the reach of its longest and more violent limbs. Neville was hit first, across the face, he was knocked into Ginny and the two went down together. The same branch then carried on and hit Hermione, it got her across the chest and she felt the air forced from her lungs as she fell, Draco caught her. Harry had managed to duck under the branch and had set about pulling Neville off Ginny.

Poor Neville had a large gash upon his cheek that was streaming blood down his face and neck to be absorbed by his white shirt, Ginny was looking a little roughed up by the force of the fall but she looked to be alright as Harry pulled her up. Hermione suspected she may have injured a rib or two and would have a few nasty bruises, but she’d had worse and there were more pressing matters as Draco pulled her up. Their injuries were nothing on Ronald after all, he would be lucky not to lose that leg from the force of the bite.

Hermione’s wand had been knocked from her hand, she quickly picked it back up and relit her wand. The massive dog and her own cat had somehow made it to the thick base of the tree. Ron was fighting to be freed but every movement he made only served to twist his leg further. The dog dropped Ron’s leg for a moment and turned to the roots of the tree, a moment later the tree seemed to freeze as if caught by a great gale. The dog picked Ron back up, by the arm this time, and continued dragging. Ron’s screams had stopped and Hermione and her friends suspected he may have passed out either from the pain or the blood loss, either way it wasn’t a good sign.

The dog began pulling his body down through a large gap in the roots and into the blackness below, his limp body followed but his foot seemed to have been caught on one of the roots. The dog pulled at his prey and there came a great snapping sound. Ron’s poor mangled leg couldn’t take the strain anymore, the bone had snapped. His foot now hung at a sickening angle and the dog was free to pull his body down into the abyss.

‘We’ve got to go after them!’ Harry shouted.

Ginny stood next to him. ‘I say we let the dog eat him.’ Harry gave her a look and she held her hands up in mock surrender. ‘Fine, lets go save my idiot of a brother.’

But the tree had come free again and its branches were bearing down on them. Twigs clenched like knuckles and ready to attack. Harry wasn’t lucky enough to miss the tree’s aim this time, he took a blow to the back of the head and rose a moment later with Neville’s aid clutching his now blood-stained head. A stream of blood began gushing down the back of his neck and onto the collar of his brown t-shirt. His top colour thankfully hid the blood quite well, everyone could plainly see how much blood Neville was losing however on his white top.

Hermione’s cat seemed to appear then at the roots to the tree, which paid him no mind, what threat was a cat when there were five wizards and witches trying to get by? The cat placed his front paws on a knot in the trunk and the tree stilled again, even its leaves froze.

‘How did he know to do that?’ Hermione asked as the fivesome ran forwards, seeing their opportunity.

‘He knows that dog! I’ve seen them together!’ Came Harry’s reply.

The group covered the distance in seconds and followed the cat down through the large gap in the roots. Harry went first, wand out. Followed by Draco who was clenching his now drawn sword with white knuckles, followed soon by Hermione and Ginny and Neville brought up the rear just as the tree sprang back to life.

They were in a very dark and low earthly tunnel. ‘Well this is just great.’ Hermione heard Draco mutter to himself, Hermione couldn’t help noticing through their many ventures down into Hufflepuff’s secret tunnels that Draco wasn’t a fan of confined spaces, she placed a reassuring hand on his arm for a moment before they all began hurrying after the dog. It was an easy trail to follow, they just watched for the large amount of bloody pawprints.

‘Where does this tunnel come out?’ Neville asked. Ginny was attending to the cut on his cheek as they walked, she had a knack for healing spells. She had managed to halt the blood flow but the nasty cut remained. Hermione had waved her wand at Harry’s head and done the same for him. There was nothing she could do about the pain in her own ribs however.

Hermione couldn’t answer that question absolutely, the destination wasn’t on the now confiscated map in Lupin’s possession. All Hermione could do was guess. ‘I think we’re heading for Hogsmeade.’

The group ran as fast as they could hunched over as they were, especially in the taller boys’ cases, the trail of blood and Crookshank’s tail leading their way. Draco had now noticed Hermione was in pain, she was running with a hand pressed against her ribs and drawing in sharp painful gasps.

‘Don’t you know any numbing spells?’ Draco asked as they hurried along.

Hermione nodded. ‘I’ll fix myself in a minute. We don’t have time to stop.’

Just then the tunnel began to rise and twist and they could see a dim crack of light coming from a small opening. Wands were lit and they found themselves to be in a very decrepit room, paper peeling from the rotting walls and almost every piece of furniture was smashed. There were no windows or doors to the outside. Hermione and Draco shared a look, they knew exactly where they were.

‘Do you think all of this is an illusion? Or did they really furnish the place?’ Draco asked. Hermione shrugged and then winced at the movement. ‘We’re not going anywhere until you fix yourself.’ He told her firmly.

She shook her head. ‘I don’t know what’s wrong, I might end up making it worse.’

‘Numb it then. You’re no good to anyone like this.’ Harry said firmly. This earned him a glare from Draco but Hermione quietly agreed.

Hermione extinguished the tip of her wand and pointed it at her painful ribs. ‘Sine dolore.’ She muttered. A delightful warmth spread through her side and she found she could breathe easily.

‘Can you hit me with some of that?’ Harry asked. Neville spoke up and asked for the same.

After the three injured teens were pleasantly numb, a matter that delayed them by only a minute, they followed the trail of blood up the alarmingly frail staircase. Draco led the way with Excalibur aloft. ‘Hermione, if we all get knocked on our asses you should turn into a wolf, you’ll be bigger than him.’ He whispered to Hermione, who nodded her agreement.

To be telling the truth she wasn’t entirely sure she would be able to transform with the ease she was coming to master, she felt a little high from her numbing spell. She must have cast it a little too enthusiastically, a glance to Harry and Neville showed them to show the same slightly giddy state. At least she hadn’t knocked them out, which could happen, she’d gone for the strongest anaesthetic spell she could think of. It only occurred to her it was what healers cast when they were performing amputations as they walked up the stairs. Meh, they would be able to take a decent hit and come out fighting at any rate.

‘We’re in the Shrieking Shack, right?’ Ginny asked as they crept up the stairs. Hermione nodded.

At the sight of an old armchair at the top of the stairs that had quite literally been ripped to shreds, Harry shuddered. ‘Ghosts didn’t do any of this damage. What did?’

‘A Werewolf.’ Hermione said matter-of-factly. Draco nodded at her words and the two pressed on, ignoring the more than alarmed expressions of the other three.

They came to stop on the dark landing. ‘Nox.’ Came a common call as the five lit wands extinguished. All five wands, and in Draco’s case a sword in the other hand, were ready to attack or defend.

Harry kicked the only closed door open. On a magnificent four-poster bed with an intricately spiral carved frame and shredded dark hangings, lay Crookshanks who purred loudly at the sight of Hermione.

On the floor at the foot of the bed lay Ron. Hermione hurried to his prone form and began a series of complicated wand movements over his mangled right leg. Harry didn’t catch the spell she used but blood seemed to run backwards up his savaged leg and back into the wound, which partly sealed itself. His leg was horribly broken, probably in multiple places, the bone was poking out of his calf and his knee looked a little too much to the side to be right. She then turned her attention to his right arm. It was mangled at the shoulder where he’d been dragged through the tunnel and no doubt up the stairs. She could see bone and ligament but tried her best at healing him up. A final numbing spell, sine dolore, and she revived him. He woke with a snap but was still incredibly out of it from the trauma and blood loss, never mind the powerful numbing spell.

Satisfied he wasn’t about to die Hermione stood and turned to the rest of her friends, who were all pointing their wands, and sword, at another corner of the room with terrified expressions.

‘Not a dog.’ Ronald moaned from behind her.

‘He’s an Animagus.’ Neville whispered.

A mass of filthy and matted hair hung to his elbows, he was that thin it looked as if his bones would rip through the weak and pale skin. His shining dark eyes were the only feature that showed him as a living being and not an animated corpse here to end them.

Sirius Black was stood in the corner of the room, five wands and a Gods sword pointed at his chest. He bared his yellow teeth into a grin.

...………………….

So did you guys find that easier to read like that or do you prefer the other way?


	57. The Victim

The haggard man held Ronald’s wand tight in his grip, probably the first wand he’d held for twelve years. He pointed it at the group.

‘Expelliarmus!’ He croaked. Everyone’s wands, bar Hermione who performed a perfect shield charm, were ripped from their hands. The wands he’d managed to get landed on the floor between them. 

‘I thought you would come and help your friend.’ Black said, his voice hoarse. ‘Your father would have done the same for me. I’m grateful you didn’t run for a teacher; it’ll make this much easier.’ 

Hermione and Draco shared a glance, so much for him being an innocent, his speech was clearly indicative of his plans to massacre them.

While Hermione and Draco were sharing their look, a boiling rage was erupting in Harry, this rage overwhelmed and smothered any fear he had left and for the first time, but not the last, he wanted to use his wand to strike a man down. He wanted to hurt Black, to kill him, to leave his broken body on the floor. 

He stared down at the pile of wands on the floor and sprang forwards, but Neville and Draco were unfortunately faster than him and grabbed an arm each. 

‘No, Harry!’ Came Neville’s calming voice in his ear. ‘This isn’t a fight you can win alone.’ 

‘If you want to kill Harry, you’ll have to kill us too.’ Said Draco calmly, the sword in his hand glinted menacingly at Black. 

Some emotion flickered in Black’s eyes as he bowed to Draco mockingly. ‘There will be only one death tonight, Your Highness.’ 

Hermione wished Draco hadn’t made his presence as known, The King had thrown Black in Azkaban without a trial due to the overwhelming amount of evidence against him, Hermione couldn’t imagine the royal family were among Black’s favourite people.

‘Why’s that?’ Harry spat at the man before him. He wrenched himself free of his friends grasp. ‘Didn’t matter to you much last time, did it? You slaughtered all those Muggles to get at Pettigrew! Did you get a new respect for life in Azkaban?’ 

‘Harry. Be quiet!’ Hermione hissed at her despairing friend; she never took her eyes from Black. Draco and Neville regained their grip on the boy just as he moved to lunge at the mass murderer without so much as a wand. 

‘He killed my mum and dad!’ Harry roared, struggling to break free with huge effort. 

‘I’ll knock you out if you don’t calm down Harry.’ Hermione said gently. ‘Take a deep breath and get a hold of yourself. Hysterics help nobody here. Notice he hasn’t tried to kill any of us yet?’

There was a yell of protest at that from Ron at the rear of the room, but they all ignored him.

‘You don’t know the whole story!’ Black managed to get out. He tried to step forwards but his eyes flicked to Hermione and her wand and Draco with his sword and stepped backwards.

‘The whole story?’ Harry repeated, a furious pounding in his ears. ‘You sold them to Voldemort! That's all I need to know!’ With this he leapt at Black, breaking free from his friend’s grip. His hands moved to wrap around Black’s throat as he wrestled the older man to the ground. Draco shoved his sword into Hermione’s hands as he and Neville leapt forwards to pull Harry back up. They each got an arm under his and yanked him up, Ron’s wand was clasped in Harry’s fist now.

He now unarmed Sirius Black retreated more into his corner, if that was at all possible. He remained there, at Harry’s mercy. Hermione began wondering if Harry knew the necessary wand movement for the Killing Curse. Probably, she thought, it was etched onto his forehead after all.

‘Harry?’ Came Ginny’s soft voice. 

His head whipped around at the sound of her voice, the one voice that mattered, he’d clearly forgotten she was there. He instantly felt ashamed at his actions, he’d lunged at a madman and tried to choke him. The raging fury was still there, but with Ginny’s presence he could feel it dulling around the edges. This was then instantly replaced with a new fear, Black could very easily hurt her even without a wand, he snapped his eyes back to Black and kept his newly acquired wand trained on him. Hermione meanwhile, had her eyes trained backwards at Scabbers who was trying more than ever to break free from Ron’s grasp.

‘He’s innocent!’ Hermione suddenly declared, stepping forwards to Harry. ‘He didn’t betray your parents! Or kill those Muggles! He did!’ She declared, pointing to the rat.

‘Me? You daft bint I was only one!’ Ron bellowed. He’d managed to prop himself into a seated position at the foot of the bed and was doing a very good job of not looking down at his truly mangled leg. 

‘I’m right? Aren’t I?’ Hermione asked, snapping her head back to Black. 

‘Indeed, you are, Miss Granger.’ Came a new voice. It was Lupin, by his side was Snape. In Lupin’s hand was the Marauder’s Map. 

Harry lowered his wand. ‘What the hell is going on?’ He asked openly to the room. Neville and Ginny appeared just as confused as he did, Ron more so. 

Lupin did not answer though, he had spotted Black in the corner and instantly went to his side. The two men embraced as brothers.

‘How did you know?’ Black asked his friend.

‘Granger found him on the map, I did too and followed you all down here with Severus.’ Lupin answered honestly, they still hadn’t broken apart from their embrace.

Though at the magic word of “Severus” Black did let go. ‘Snape?’ He asked with an expression of disbelief. His eyes flicked to Ron’s form on the ground as that is where Snape now was, doing more to heal Ronald’s injuries. The arm seemed healed enough as Ronald was now able to move it a fraction, his leg was still torn open below the knee. 

Snape stood once his medical check on Ronald. He turned to Black. ‘He’ll be lucky if he doesn’t lose that leg.’ He said harshly.

Whatever snide comment lingered on Black’s lips died at his words as he looked down at Ron, who had blanched at Snape’s words. ‘That was never my intent. I just needed to get the rat.’

‘Will somebody please tell me what is going on!’ Harry roared. Nobody paid him any mind. 

Snape stepped towards Black. 

‘Snape has been a great help in finding you, Sirius. He’s potions professor at the school now. He’s been brewing Wolfsbane for me all year.’ Lupin told his old friend. The children in the room didn’t hear that last comment.

Black swallowed childish pride and extended his hand at his old nemesis. ‘Thankyou.’

Snape looked down at the offered hand for a moment before he took it. ‘Pettigrew is here?’ He asked.

Black nodded. 

Snape smiled, it was cold and menacing. 

‘Let’s get him.’ Lupin said. The other two men nodded. 

‘Wait.’ Hermione spoke clearly. She retrained her wand on the trio and Black chuckled in shock. 

‘Are you going to strike us all down?’ Black asked, stepping forwards. 

Lupin held a hand in front of Black to stop him and shook his head at his with an alarmed expression. The message in Lupin’s eyes was clear: “yes she most certainly will strike us all down”. 

‘Pettigrew is-’ Snape began.

Hermione held up a hand to cut him off. ‘A monster and you can do whatever you want with him. But you need to explain to Harry first.’ 

‘I’ve waited twelve years!’ Black shouted.

‘Exactly!’ Hermione shouted back. ‘What’s five more minutes?’ 

The three men turned to a very confused Harry Potter and co. 

‘She’s right.’ Came Lupin’s voice. 

Snape moved to stand in front of the door, blocking the escape route. 

‘Fine. But then we kill him.’ Black stated. 

‘Fine with me.’ Hermione said and then gestured towards Harry. Although she was praying to any gods that may be listening that these three men wouldn’t murder anyone tonight, she thought it best to go along with their plan for now and see if she could get them calmed down. 

‘Where should we begin?’ Black started.

‘Probably with Lupin being a Werewolf.’ Hermione stated coolly. There were many shouts from the other students about this, apart from Draco whom already knew. Harry’s eyes bulged and he moved to stand in front of Ginny without thought. Neville scooped his wand from the floor and pointed it directly at Lupin’s chest. 

‘Guys, chill it.’ Hermione addressed her friends. ‘He’s not a wolf right now is he?’

Neville and Ginny did stand down and relax at Hermione’s words. Well, as much as one could relax with an escaped convict in the room. 

‘How long exactly have you known?’ Lupin asked Hermione.

She blinked at him. ‘Oh, all year. I’ve been helping to brew your potion with Snape.’ 

This was apparently news to Lupin, who looked at Snape in shock. Snape shrugged in reply. 

‘You let a child brew such an important potion?’ Black bellowed. 

‘She’s competent.’ Snape said. 

‘Again, that’s not sounding like high praise.’ Hermione muttered. 

‘Hermione Granger is a Merlin-level genius, Sirius. She is capable of brewing my potion.’ Lupin spoke. 

‘Who cares about that?’ Harry was angry again. ‘Tell me what I don’t know!’

The others had all picked their wands up from the floor now, everyone was armed except Ron, Harry held his wand along with his own.

‘From the start?’ Lupin asked. 

Harry nodded. 

‘I was infected as a child.’ Lupin began. ‘The potion Snape and Miss Granger have been brewing for me is a very new discovery, it wasn’t an option when I was a boy. So, Dumbledore had this place built for me the second he found out about the attack. He let me come to school.’ Lupin’s eyes were years in the past. 

‘He made the passageway to the Shack and planted the Whomping Willow over it so no curious students could come across me. Once a month I was smuggled out of the castle to transform safely and there was no risk of anyone coming across me.’ 

A pained expression crossed Lupin’s face. ‘My transformations back then were – awful. It’s an incredibly painful transformation anyway but I had nothing to do when I was locked in here, so I attacked myself. That’s why everyone thinks this place is haunted, they could hear the noises I made and Dumbledore encouraged the rumour.’

‘But for the first time in my life, I had friends. Three amazing friends. Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, and James Potter. But my new friends noticed I kept disappearing. It was your father, Harry, that put it together and figured out what I was. I thought they would abandon me, but they didn’t. They became Animagi.’

‘You’re an unregistered Animagi?’ Hermione asked Black. A lecture began to form in her mind but Draco’s swift elbow served to remind her that she too, was breaking the law in the same way. ‘That sounds fair.’ She trailed off in a high voice. 

‘My dad could turn into an animal?’ Harry asked. 

Lupin and Black nodded. 

‘It took them a good three years to accomplish it.’ Lupin said. 

Hermione tried to repress her accomplished smirk. She failed.

‘Peter needed the most help. He wasn’t nearly as gifted as James or Sirius.’ Lupin stated. ‘But they managed it in fifth year and they kept my company during my transformations. They weren’t humans so I didn’t attack them, and James and Sirius were big enough animals that they could keep me in check.’ 

Lupin smiled. ‘They would sneak out of the castle under your father cloak.’

‘Hurry up.’ Sirius spoke. He and Snape were both watching Scabbers with a horrible expression of vengeful longing.

‘Right. So, we could go and roam around the woods together, we wrote the Marauder’s map to aid in our sneaking around.’ Lupin pulled it from his pocket. ‘From what I understand, it ended up in Filches possession until Fred and George Weasley stole it from him and then they gave it to Hermione here.’ 

Hermione looked at Harry. ‘I was going to give it to you at the end of the year.’ 

‘But I felt so guilty for betraying Dumbledore’s trust.’ Lupin continued. ‘I was breaking the rules he had set down for mine and others safety, and trust me, there were a lot of near misses.’ Lupin shuddered. 

‘All year I’ve been debating whether or not to tell Dumbledore that Sirius could turn into an animal, it was obviously how he escaped from Azkaban-’

‘-It was.’ Sirius butted in. 

‘But I didn’t. Because it meant that I’d have to tell him I’d betrayed him at school.’ Lupin sniffed. ‘I just couldn’t. He let me come to school as a boy, he gave me employment.’

‘But then I figured out what was going on.’ Snape butted in coolly.

‘Professor Snape was at school with us.’ Lupin continued, ignoring Snape’s comment. ‘He came around after I proved Peter was still alive.’ 

Snape nodded to this.

‘He, understandably, didn’t like us. Sirius here played a rather cruel prank on him.’ Lupin said. Black had the goodness to look ashamed at this.

‘I could have killed him. If it weren’t for James he would be.’ Black spoke up.

‘Or I could have been infected.’ Snape said.

‘He figured out what was going on each month.’ Lupin continued. ‘He saw me going down the passageway one evening and Sirius made a dumb plan. He told Snape to hit the knot under the tree and he could come after me. He tried it, thankfully James found out and pulled Snape back just as he glanced sight of a fully grown Werewolf.’ 

‘I was forbidden by Dumbledore from telling anybody.’ Snape said, frustration was still clear in his voice decades later. 

‘So that’s why you hate me?’ Harry asked Snape with anger. ‘Because my dad saved your life?’ This wasn’t helping Harry’s anger. The words died on his tongue at Snape’s sharp look of fury. 

‘I’m over it now.’ Snape said vaguely to the room. ‘Sirius tried to kill me with a Werewolf, could have happened to anyone.’ 

‘You don’t sound very over it.’ Hermione chimed without thinking. 

Snape glared at her. 

‘Years later.’ Lupin spoke loudly. ‘When Lily and James realised Voldemort was after them, they took Harry and went into hiding.’ 

‘I know this bit!’ Harry declared. ‘They made Black the Secret Keeper and he betrayed them.’ 

Black shook his head. ‘No. We changed at the last minute and I’m ashamed why.’ 

Lupin patted him on the back. ‘It’s alright.’

‘We thought that Lupin might have turned. Voldemort was promising a lot of Werewolf rights, it made sense that the mole in the order would be him.’ Black said. ‘So, James and Lily switched to Peter last minute. Nobody but the four of us knew.’

‘And then they died.’ Black’s voice took a dark turn. ‘I came to the wreck of the house just as Hagrid got there, he had you Harry. I realised what had gone on, I decided that if he gave you to me, I would keep you safe at my house. But he didn’t, and I went after Peter.’ 

‘Why didn’t you just go to the Auror’s or Dumbledore?’ Ginny asked.

‘Because I went into the house before I left. I found James’ body; he was on the stairs. He didn’t even have his wand. Then I found Lily, she was prone in front of your crib.’ He looked to Harry with tears of raw pain. ‘I moved them both to their bed, it had survived the blast. Told the Auror’s on the scene I’d moved them and I left. I found Peter in a street of Muggles but he was prepared for me coming. He started yelling that it was me, he’d planned it all, then he severed his own finger and blasted the street apart. Then he was gone and I was taken away. The King sent me straight to a cell and there I stayed, because I was the one who suggested Peter. I as good as killed them myself.’ 

He took a deep breath and composed himself. ‘Then the Minister and The King came for an inspection of the prison. Then Fudge gave me his paper and I couldn’t believe my eyes, Peter the rat was on the front page. He was at Hogwarts, in the same dorm as Harry. I knew I needed to get out and find him. I needed to avenge my friends.’ 

‘Of course.’ Black looked down at the ginger cat at his feet. ‘I didn’t expect an ally. That’s a clever cat you’ve got there Granger.’

Hermione beamed with pride at her pet. 

‘How do I know any of that is true?’ Harry asked. But he knew it was, he could feel it in his bones. He knew the pain in Sirius’ voice was true.

‘Like this.’ Black replied. He and Lupin moved as one towards Ron who clutched his rat in his good hand.

He passed the rat over willingly to Black unsurprising with the tale he had just heard. ‘What are you going to do to him?’ 

Black squeezed the rat in his hand. ‘Force him to change. If he really is just a rat it won’t hurt him and I’ll give him straight back.’ 

Scabbers eyes were bulging. ‘Ready, Lupin?’ Then as an afterthought. ‘And you Snape?’ 

Both men nodded. 

A flash of blue light erupted from Lupin’s wand and Scabbers hit the floor hard. Limbs began to sprout and the form of a man began rapidly growing. It was nowhere near as graceful as Hermione transformed, she suspected it was because he’d been a rat for so long.

Left in the rat’s place was a short man. Draco was much taller than him, he was even smaller than Harry. He was losing his hair on top of his head and it was greying despite his fairly young age. His skin was grubby and baggy which gave him the appearance of rapid, unhealthy, weight loss.

His beady eyes flashed around the room at the appalled expressions that surrounded him. 

‘Yeah. That pretty much proves it.’ Harry said. 

‘Can I kill him now?’ Black asked. 

‘Can I help?’ Snape asked. 

Peter attempted to escape as the details of his murder were planned, he leapt for the best hostage in the room, the nephew of the King. This was a foolish move since Draco was holding a sword, Peter ended up with a large slash to the arm that had tried to wrap around Draco’s neck. 

‘Hello there, Peter.’ Lupin said in a false-pleasant tone, as if he truly were pleased to see an old friend.

‘My old friends.’ Came the squeaky voice of the rat. ‘You wouldn’t really hurt me?’ 

‘I would.’ Came Snape’s cool voice. Hermione imagined her mentor had the words “avenge her” tattooed upon his heart. It was good there was someone here taking vengeance for her, Black and Lupin were here for their friend James. 

Peter took in the unmoving faces of the adults in the room and turned to the children. 

‘Ron? I was a loyal pet for years! Don’t let them hurt me!’ He begged.

Ron looked horrified. ‘You’re a grown man! You slept in my bed!’ 

He didn’t try turning to Malfoy for help, his bleeding arm was evidence he’d find no sympathy there. 

He turned to Neville. ‘Snape was a Death Eater! Think of what the Death Eaters did to your poor parents and get me out of here!’ 

Neville punched him in the face with all the strength he’d gained as a Chaser, which was considerable, and he was knocked backwards. 

His next choice was Ginny. ‘Sweet girl. Would you let them hurt me?’

‘Yup.’ Was Ginny’s short and sweet reply. ‘Black can even use my wand if he wants.’

‘Nobody will help you Pettigrew.’ Hermione stated. 

‘Actually.’ Harry began. All eyes turned to him in surprise. ‘No, don’t get me wrong. I want to kill him myself. But we need him alive to prove your innocence.’ 

‘His dead body would do.’ Snape said.

‘But then you would all go down for murder.’ Hermione said. 

‘Who cares about that?’ Black asked. 

‘Not me.’ Snape said. 

‘Yeah, me either.’ Lupin said. 

Harry gave Hermione a desperate look that screamed “fix this so they don’t all go to prison!” 

Hermione did some incredibly quick thinking, the idea came to her as she shivered in the cold room. ‘Dementors!’ She shouted.

This, fairly, gained her some odd looks. 

‘I mean! Pass him to the Dementors. They’ve been given the authority to administer the kiss! If they get him in custody after what he’s done, they’ll give him the kiss.’ Hermione said hurriedly. 

‘Can we watch?’ Black asked. 

Hermione elbowed Draco. He understood the prompt. ‘I’m sure I can have my uncle arrange something. He does owe you.’ 

‘I’d rather kill him.’ Snape said. 

‘Yeah. Easier and more satisfying.’ Black agreed. 

Hermione sighed and did the one thing she never thought she would, she stepped in front of a murderer to defend him. ‘I’m sorry. I can’t let you become murderers. We’ll hand him over to the authorities.’

Only two of the men had a wand. 

‘You can’t defeat us both Hermione.’ Snape said gently. 

Hermione gave him a look. ‘Says who?’ 

‘And she’s not alone.’ Draco stated. ‘And I have a sword.’ 

Harry came to stand in front of him too. ‘I don’t want my dad’s friends to become killers.’ 

‘Harry, he is the reason you don’t have parents!’ Black snarled. ‘He would have seen you dead too!’

‘I know. I think that means I should get to say what happens to him. And I say, we hand him over to the Dementors.’ Came Harry’s firm and collected voice. 

It took a moment but none of the three men could argue Harry’s point. 

‘Hey! I was made a Duke today!’ Draco declared suddenly.

‘Congratulations?’ Lupin said, incredibly confused at the seemingly random outburst. 

‘No, you idiot. I have the Right of Trial. I can pass judgement.’ Draco announced. Then he turned on Pettigrew. ‘I am the Duke of Abington, and after the evidence I have seen today I declare you guilty. You will be handed over to the authorities.’ Draco spoke with the full weight of the royal title he held, even if he hadn’t technically been given this title properly yet, this seemed to age Draco.

‘Fine. We will hand him over.’ Snape said. 

‘But if he tries to transform, we kill him.’ Black stated. ‘Is that agreeable with His Lord Justice?’ 

Draco looked to Harry, who nodded, Draco nodded back to the room. Pettigrew witnessed this entire exchange and began sobbing. 

‘Can someone get me to the Hospital Wing now?’ Came Ron’s voice. 

He was easy enough to move, Snape was given the task of levitating Ron out. This job was given mostly to keep his wand busy. 

Lupin kept his wand guarded on Pettigrew. Black led the way with Potter. Hermione and Draco were in the middle along with Ginny and Neville.

Harry had never been part of a stranger group. 

‘Do you know what this means for me? Turning Pettigrew in?’ Black turned to Harry.

‘You’ll be a free man.’ Harry smiled at him.

‘Do you know I’m your godfather?’ He asked Harry. 

He did, and nodded.

‘So, your parents made me your guardian, if anything happened to them they wanted me to look after you.’ Black said awkwardly.

Harry could only stare at him.

‘I would of course understand if you would rather stay with your aunt and uncle. But I thought I’d offer.’ Black began to twiddle his thumbs, an act that made him appear his actual age rather than his old hardened prisoner.

Hermione smiled to Draco as they very obviously eavesdropped along with everyone else in the tunnel. 

‘I could leave the Dursleys and live with you? Yes please! When can I move in?’ Harry began excitedly. 

‘You want to?’ Black seemed incredibly shocked at this. 

Harry nodded. Black’s face broke into a true smile of joy, the first he’d had in many moons. 

They had reached the end of the tunnel just as Ronald began to struggle, he was losing his small amount of patience at the situation, and to be fair to him his leg had been mauled.

The group began to climb out of the tree, the knot had been pressed by Crookshanks for them so they could get out safely. They emerged into the now incredibly dark grounds; it was nearing midnight.

Once the group, plus Peter who was tied up and being held at wand-point by Snape, were out in the open they began to head off to the castle. Pettigrew was fighting every step of the way.

Hermione could see the corner of the amazed smile on Harry’s face, he couldn’t believe he was going to live with Sirius Black. 

They were doing a very skilled job of moving the prisoner through the grounds. But their luck couldn’t last.

A cloud shifted and the entire group was bathed in the light of the full moon. 

Lupin froze, he’d gone rigid. 

‘He never drank his potion!’ Snape suddenly remembered and yelled. He’d gone into his office with the final Goblet of Wolfsbane but he’d never drank from it. 

Black froze and held a hand up to halt the rest of the group. Everyone was staring at Lupin, he’d done rigid. Then his entire body began to shake.

‘Run! All of you!’ Black hissed at them. 

But they couldn’t run. Snape and Neville were both tied to Pettigrew’s ropes so he couldn’t run off. 

Harry and Draco moved forwards as one to help free their friends but Black shot out an arm in front of them. ‘Leave it to me. Run now!’ 

There was a sudden and terrible snarling noise. Lupin’s head was lengthening and forming a snout. His entire body was stretching, the bones audibly breaking and reforming to his new shape. Hair began to sprout all over his form and his hands began to curl into paws. The nails were being pushed out by longer and sharpened claws and blood ran freely down his new formed paw. 

Ron began screaming. 

Snape biffed the boy over the back of the head. The transformation was still happening. Snape levitated Ron and the group began to ran. Everyone bar Sirius and Hermione. 

‘What are you doing? Run! Only an Animagus can help now.’ Sirius barked at her. 

‘I know. That’s why I stayed.’ She said coolly, though her hands were shaking with fear. She could hear Draco calling her name as he was dragged away from the scene by Neville and Harry. 

Hermione closed her eyes and thought of her wolf form and transformed. 

‘Oh. Yeah that helps.’ Sirius said. Then he bent over onto all fours and transformed too. 

The transformation was nearly over. Gone was Professor Lupin, in his place was a massive Werewolf. 

Snape was herding Ron, Harry, Neville, Ginny, and Draco up to the castle along with Peter who was now struggling against his bonds in earnest. 

A transformed Sirius and Hermione were approaching the wolf, the hope was to herd him into the woods like they used to in the olden days, but they could tell it was too late. Lupin had caught the scent of humans.

Hermione was the bigger of the two Animagi but Black was the first to leap at his friend. The wolf snapped its long jaws at the black dog that bounded at his chest, he swiped it aside with a heavy bat from his clawed. The black dog was flung to the side and hit against a tree heavily. Hermione pounced; Draco screamed. Thanks to her massive size as a brown wolf, she knocked Lupin off his feet.   
However, his claw swiped up at her as he fell. She felt it swipe across her throat but she felt no pain. She knew she had been injured badly, but the numbing spell she’d cast on her ribs meant she felt nothing but the warm blood running down her front, it mixed into her brown fur and stained it black. 

But Sirius had gotten back up in the time it took for Hermione to attack and bounded after the Werewolf with his teeth bared. 

The three animals were fighting viciously, fangs and claws ripping at each other. All three were horrifically wounded and covered in blood but the Werewolf was still trying to get up the path the humans had disappeared up. After a brutal swipe at Sirius’ side, there was a sickening crunch and Hermione suspected he was joining her in the broken rib category. 

Up the pathway, Ronald was still screaming his head off. His screams were a mixture of “Werewolf!” “Sirius Black!” “Wolf!” “Grim!” and “Ouch my leg!” Neville, Ginny, and Snape were working hard to keep him silent while keeping Pettigrew in check. They finally silenced him by returning his wand to him. Harry shuddered at a sudden cold. 

He and Draco seemed to look up the sky as one in horror. Ronald’s screams had attracted the Dementors and they were heading back down the pathway and into the tree line where Hermione and Sirius had worked hard to force the snarling Werewolf.

Before Snape or their friends could grab them, the two boys had raced back down the path and into the treeline. 

‘Oh no you don’t!’ Snape yelled, grabbing both Ginny and Neville’s shirts so that they couldn’t run after them as well.

‘Do you know the Patronus?’ Harry yelled as they ran. 

Draco shrugged. ‘I saw Hermione cast it! I know what to do!’ 

They ran through the trees and found the scene of the fight. Three bloody animals were fighting as if they were going for the kill. 

‘Dementors!’ Harry yelled. 

The Werewolf made for them and the wolf and dog had to leap in front of him. 

The Dementors appeared. 

‘Expecto Patronum!’ Harry yelled, pointing his wand to the sky and thinking of going to live with his godfather. 

There were that many Dementors that they were blocking out the stars and the moonlight, leaving the group in darkness only to be lit from the mist coming from Harry’s wand. Draco was trying too, thinking of the possibility of freedom with Hermione, and a thick mist erupted from his wand in a massive and shapeless form. And so, this continued. Three animals fighting for their lives and two young wizards were trying to fend off at least one hundred Dementors. 

Up the pathway was further chaos. 

Peter had gotten an arm out of his bounds and grabbed Ronald’s wand. Ginny was the closest to him and dived at the older man without thinking. He pointed the wand at her. 

A slashing movement and a purple flash and Ginny was unconscious on the cold ground, she seemed to be extremely bruised all of a sudden and her breathing was raspy. A stunner was sent at Snape, it blasted him off his feet and he went head first onto the stone floor below. Pettigrew turned the wand on Ron and knocked him out with a simple stunner. 

Neville dove out of the way of the curse sent his way and watched in horror as Pettigrew transformed himself into a rat once again. He winked at the boy as he shrank down. Neville dove down in an attempt to scoop the rat into his hands, but he was too fast. Neville watched, distraught, as the rat disappeared into the trees of the Forbidden Forrest. 

He grasped his wand and pointed it to the sky. ‘Vermillious!’ He yelled and with a great eruption red sparks flashed in the sky. He couldn’t put into words how happy he was Hermione had been tutoring him. He saw the door to the castle open and two figures hurry out, definitely tall enough to be teachers. 

He glanced down at the unconscious crowd around him and checked that all three were, in fact, breathing. He needed to go and help his friends. He needed to tell them Pettigrew had escaped. 

He set off another set of sparks over their position and ran into the forest, he set off sparks constantly so they could see him run into the woods and hopefully follow after him. 

Back in the woods, the battle waged on. 

Hermione’s wolf form was now limping with a clearly broken front leg, perhaps that would be her arm? She didn’t have time to think and she couldn’t feel the pain of her numerous injuries. This put her in a better position than Sirius Black, who could indeed feel the pain, but to his credit he kept on fighting. 

Harry and Draco were doing all they could to keep the swarm of Dementors at bay. Draco was picking up the charm quickly with Harry’s help and the happy thoughts of the day, but they were slowly losing the battle against the multitude of cloaked monsters. Draco’s bond mark with Hermione was telling him conclusively that she was in real danger from her injuries.

That’s when the situation took a turn for the unimaginable. 

Neville ran out of the trees. ‘Pettigrew has escaped! He cursed-’

He never got the chance to finish his sentence as the Werewolf behind him pounced.

Fangs sunk into his neck, deep, and he let out an almighty scream before his eyes rolled back into his head.

……………………..

The no-indents have it!

You'll notice I took a lot of this chapter directly from the book. This was needed for the obvious reasons. 

Hope you like it, I'm going to immediately start writing the next two chapters. 

In other news we're nearing the end of part one, which could probably be rated as like teen and up. Onto part two, with is where this work gets its rating from.

E x


	58. Seven Turns

‘No!’ Came a horrified cry. Nobody was sure if it came from Harry or Draco, perhaps it was both.

Hermione and Sirius had already moved to drag him off the limp boy caught in his mouth. 

Harry and Draco raced forwards as the Werewolf dropped his prey due to the massive wolf biting into his back, they dragged the pale body away from the fight. 

‘Oh my god! What do we do?’ Draco asked. He was pressing his hands to the savage wound at Neville’s neck to try and stop the gushing blood. Neville was rapidly losing colour.

Harry whipped out his wand and used the same blood stemming spell that had been cast on the back of his head and Neville’s cheek earlier. Nothing happened.

‘It’s a cursed bite! That won’t work!’ Draco told him.

‘Then we do it the muggle way!’ Was all Harry could say.

He tore a long scrap from Neville’s no longer white top and pressed it to his neck as gauze. Draco tore off another strip and began shoving it under his head.

‘We can’t tie it too tight or he’ll choke!’ Harry shouted over the roar of the fighting animals beside them.

‘We need to fasten it tight enough to stop it!’ Draco snipped back as he fastened the makeshift bandage as tight as he could.

Blood was still seeping out to run down his neck, but he seemed not to be at great risk of bleeding out imminently.

It was at this small success that the last of the white Dementor repelling mist dissipated. The Dementors swarmed and swooped down. ‘Expecto Patronum!’ Both the boys yelled with their wands.

The spell was much harder to cast now, when they were both covered in the blood of a dear friend who was likely to die if help didn’t come soon, and how could help come? They didn’t know Neville’s final act had been to put their location in the sky.

The brown wolf let out a cry of immense pain, Draco’s wrist burned. She’d been severely hurt this time, he knew it. But she leapt back into the fight, Draco turned back to fending off the soul sucking monsters. Harry’s spells were weakened with worry over Ginny’s fate too.

The Werewolf knocked the black dog into a tree, where it didn’t move again. The brown wolf was knocked to the ground and the Werewolf raised a clawed paw to swipe at it.

Suddenly, the Werewolf straightened up. It cocked its pointy-eared head to the side as if it was hearing something in the distance. The sword mark on Draco’s arm started to tingle and he pulled the sword from the scabbard, ready to take on the Werewolf. But he didn’t have to. The monster turned and ran into the trees.

Draco’s eyes instantly flashed to Hermione; the brown wolf was eerily still for a moment before a great shudder ripped through her and she turned back into a human. Off at the side, Black turned back into a man again even though he wasn’t conscious.

Draco gasped in horror at the sight of her. She was beyond battered. Her face was covered in cuts and at her neck was a jagged slice that was gushing blood, leaving her breathing strained and hollow. Her left arm was turned awkwardly to the side, clearly broken. Her top was rapidly filling with dark, hot blood coming from the many wounds to her torso. The main injury was clear at once, it looked like her right side had been ripped open, it was gushing blood from the site of a fang passing through skin like butter. He’d bitten her as a wolf.

He dropped to her side and pressed his hands frantically over her wound, her blood flowed through his fingers. She had obviously passed out from the blood loss; her skin was becoming alarmingly pale and sickly.

The Dementor’s broke through the weakened shields.

Draco passed out first, he landed by Hermione’s side, his hand still over her wound.

Harry still had a hand pressed over the makeshift bandage on Neville’s neck while the other hand gripped his wand and was trying and failing to cast a Patronus Charm.

The Dementors were right by him now, he was the last man standing. One swooped down and with its rotting hands, it began to lower its hood.

There were no eyes, only empty sockets covered by sickly scabs of long dead skin. The shallow skin revealed the skeletal features of the monster. But Harry’s eyes weren’t busy taking in these eerie features, his eyes were trained in horror at the gaping hole where its mouth should have been.

He began hearing the now familiar screaming of his mother dying in the back of his mind. He didn’t want them to take him, but he felt so very weak.

A pair of blackened, rotting hands with necrotic fingers that bore no nails at all gripped Harry’s face.

The hands were forcing his limp face upwards. A fog was entering the edge of his vision, he felt himself becoming light headed as consciousness drifted from him.

His mother was screaming in his ears. Would this be the last thing he ever heard? “What a shit way to die” was the incredibly odd thought that he had.

Then, in the corner of his eye, he saw a silver light growing incredibly bright. The hands disappeared from his face and Harry found he could take a deep breath that he didn’t realise he had been unable to take. He fell over Neville’s prone form.

Something was driving the Dementors back. Two forms were circling the beaten and broken group, one of them large and one of them absolutely massive.

The air felt warm again.

Harry managed to lift his head over what could possibly be his best friends’ corpse to see the two figures retreating across the lake. One figure that looked a little bit like a Unicorn to him was returning to a figure that welcomed it with an outstretched hand. He wasn’t sure if it was the lack of oxygen or the fact that a Dementor had just attempted to suck out his soul, but he could swear he saw a massive dragon.

He didn’t understand. The last of his awareness faded and he collapsed heavily atop his friend.

The scene was immediately disturbed by the two teachers following Neville’s red sparks.

‘Holy mother Atune!’ Dumbledore gasped.

He and McGonagall rushed forwards to bodies of their students.

…

Draco’s eyes snapped open. He was in the Hospital wing.

He flicked his eyes to the side. Harry was unconscious in the bed next to him. His head turned to the other side. Hermione’s broken body lay in the bed next to her.

He wasn’t aware of how he left his bed, only that the next thing he knew he was stood over Hermione in her bed.

She was absolutely battered. Nearly all of her body was covered in a thick layer of bandage. Her neck was covered in gauze and dried blood covered her face and chest.

Madam Pomfrey appeared by him with a hot bowl and a cloth.

‘Oh good. You’re awake.’ Pomfrey began.

‘Is she okay?’ Draco asked.

Pomfrey nodded. ‘She’ll be okay in a few days. She’ll always have a scar on her hip from the bite but for some reason she hasn’t been infected, the healers were curious about that one.’ She asked with a

confused expression. ‘Could you say why that is?’

‘Er – no?’ It was obviously because she wasn’t in human form at the time but he didn’t want to get her in trouble. ‘Professor McGonagall should know; you should ask her.’

He took the bowl of water from Pomfrey and ignored her protests as he began mopping the dried blood from her exposed skin. The water in the bowl was a disturbing colour when he’d finished.

‘Where is Neville?’ He asked the nurse as he cleaned her up. Pomfrey had given up on trying to get him back into bed.

‘Saint Mungo’s.’ The matron replied, her voice hitched with emotion.

‘He’s been infected?’ He asked with a hollow voice. 

The matron nodded. 

'Any new news on his condition?'

She shook her head.

‘And Sirius Black? He’s innocent, where is he?’ He asked.

Pomfrey didn’t comment on his pronouncement. ‘He’s been arrested again. I had to patch him up before he woke up. You all got very roughed up.’ 

He noticed a curtain had been drawn around the end bed and figured Ronald Weasley would be behind it. A Saint Mungo’s healer stepped out from behind the curtain just as Molly and Arthur Weasley were escorted inside by Dumbledore. They paid no attention to Draco stood over Hermione; they probably didn’t notice.

‘Is it over?’ Mrs Weasley asked, she had a white-knuckled grip on her husbands’ arm. 

The healer nodded. ‘I’ve left him sedated, but the procedure was a success.’ 

Dumbledore noticed Draco at that point, but didn’t draw attention to him until the Weasley parents were behind the curtain with their son.

‘Your uncle is on his way from Russia.’ The Headmaster told him. ‘Your mother is already here, she’s with McGonagall now.’ 

‘Black is innocent.’ Draco told him. ‘Peter Pettigrew is the one you want. Ask Snape.’

‘I can’t.’ Dumbledore said, as he gestured to another bed that bore an unconscious Professor Snape. ‘He hit his head.’ 

‘Well listen to me then. He is innocent of everything and he fought a Werewolf to try and keep us safe.’ Draco told him. 

‘I know. I heard from him. He also chewed Ronald Weasleys leg to the point they’ve had to amputate it and grow him a prosthetic.’ Dumbledore told him firmly. 

‘Oh.’ Draco got out. 

Harry sat up in the bed behind them just as the Minister for Magic entered with Kind Armand. He felt much improved, the wound to the back of his head had been fully healed.

‘Sirius Black is innocent.’ Harry and Draco said to the two men at once. 

‘Has Black Bewitched them?’ Fudge asked Dumbledore.

‘No.’ Draco answered. ‘He hasn’t.’

Fudge ignored him and turned to Dumbledore. ‘So, everyone was unconscious when you found them?’ 

Dumbledore nodded. ‘One of them got off some red sparks. We found Severus, and Miss and Mr Weasley on the trial up to the castle. But there were more sparks so after Pomfrey arrived we followed into the forest and found them all.’ 

Harry was squinting at the scene, Draco passed him the glasses that had been placed on his bedside table and went to stand in front of his uncle. 

‘Uncle. I’m not cursed or Bewitched. He. Is. Innocent.’ He said clearly. 

Harry appeared next to his side. ‘I know how it sounds but it’s true, Sir.’ 

‘Shouldn’t you both be in bed?’ Fudge asked the two boys while frowning at the matron.

The King turned and gave his English Minister a blank look. This look was effective in silencing the man.

Pomfrey left the room and returned with two of the largest bars of chocolate Harry had ever seen, she thrust one at either boy. ‘I want you both to eat these while we go and observe Mr Weasley.’ 

‘We’ll continue this discussion in a moment.’ The King said, he’d gained a few more grey’s since Draco last saw him.

The two boys sighed and opened their chocolate bars as the adults disappeared around the curtain that hid Ron, they heard the Minister gasp. 

Harry frowned at him, looking for an answer. 

‘They had to cut his leg off and make him a new one.’ Draco told him between bites. 

‘Shit.’ Harry’s eyes widened. 

Draco hummed his agreement, shit indeed. 

Harry glanced to the bed that held Ginny, she was very bruised from the unknown curse, but she certainly wasn’t the worst person in the room. She had certainly faired better than her brother. 

Both boys moved to pick their wands up from the respective bedside tables. Draco picked up his sheathed sword from the floor beside his bed and fastened the belt around his waist again.

‘We need to convince them Pettigrew is alive.’ Harry said. ‘Without a spec of proof.’ 

Draco smiled. ‘We have proof.’

Harry frowned. ‘No, we don’t, he got away.’ 

‘We have me.’ Draco told him. 

Harry suspected Draco may have been given a head wound when the teachers reappeared from the curtain. The Weasley parents remained behind the curtain with their son.

They went to stand in front of Hermione, all with looks of disturbed horror. The Kings eyes flicked from Hermione to Draco and back. 

‘Throat cut open, cracked skull, broken ribs, left arm broken, massive trauma to the left hip. She’s very lucky she isn’t dead.’ Pomfrey spoke. Draco felt sick at her words. ‘That side wound, it’s clearly a Werewolf claw or fang that’s done it. I don’t know how she hasn’t been infected.’

The King glanced to Draco again with a raised eyebrow. 

They moved to Ginny. ‘Unknown curse. It affected her blood flow, the common remedy fixed her up but it’s slow working. Black must have cursed her.’

‘The Dementors will be administering the kiss any moment now.’ They heard Fudge saying to the King. 

‘What?' Harry roared.

‘Pettigrew cursed her! Not Sirius!’ Draco told them firmly. 

‘Peter Pettigrew is dead!’ The Minister snapped at the boys. 

‘Minister, I want you to wait for me in the Headmasters office while I deal with my nephew.’ The King said. 

The Minister bowed and left the room, leaving them alone with The King and Dumbledore.

‘What proof do you have?’ The King asked. 

‘None.’ Harry said. 

The King sighed. ‘Then I don’t have a choice but to let the Dementors administer the Kiss.’ 

‘Actually, we do have proof. Pretty conclusive actually.’ Draco told him. ‘I condemned him.’ 

The King looked at him in disbelief. ‘You condemned who?’

‘Pettigrew.’ Draco said.

‘You can’t condemn people!’ Dumbledore said, equally in disbelief. 

‘Actually, I can. I was made a Duke today.’ The young man said.

‘But you haven’t been invested yet.’ The King pointed out. 

‘Doesn’t matter. Intent is all I needed.’ Draco said, crossing his arms. 

‘Where on earth did you get that from?’ The King asked his young nephew.

Draco nodded at the unconscious Hermione’s form. ‘I have it in writing that you intend to make me a Duke, and Hermione has read a lot of law books this year.’ Draco said.

His clothes were still covered in a mixture of Neville’s and Hermione’s blood, it had been cleaned from his skin though. He wondered if his mother had cleaned him up when she’d been shown to his sickbed, the idea was so comfort to him. The day felt rather alien, it was good to feel a soothing presence.

‘What does this matter? So what? You said he was guilty, how is that evidence?’ Harry asked.

‘What exactly did you say, son?’ The King asked. 

‘I am the Duke of Abington, and after the evidence I have seen today I declare you guilty. You will be handed over to the authorities.’ Draco quoted himself.

‘Oh.’ The King and Dumbledore said together.

The King pulled out his wand and waved it in an odd combination and a worn scroll appeared in his outstretched hand. 

He scanned down it with his eyes and they widened. ‘Well, I’ll be damned.’ 

He passed the list over to Dumbledore. ‘I see.’

Dumbledore passed the scroll to Harry. 

_Condemned Persons:_

There were many pointless names on the list otherwise knows as “The Most Wanted” but there at the bottom was the one name that mattered.

_Peter Pettigrew_

‘Your name can’t appear on that list if you’re dead.’ The King said.

‘See! It proves Black is innocent!’ Draco said excitedly.

‘Yes, it does. Of killing Pettigrew. It absolves him of nothing else.’ The King said.

He ignored the protests of the two boys and turned to Dumbledore and they shared a nod. ‘I’m going to leave now. I’ll be in your office.’

Now the two boys were befuddled and Dumbledore turned on them.

‘You can’t let them administer The Kiss, sir!’ Harry begged.

‘Why did my uncle just leave?’ Draco was frowning.

‘Because we’re about to break the law and he can not be involved. Black told us the truth of it all when he woke up in the tower and you’ve just perfectly confirmed it, and offered a drop of evidence. But we still can’t free him.’ Dumbledore said. ‘Not legally.’

‘But-’ Harry began.

‘Sirius Black has not acted like an innocent man. He broke out of Azkaban, he broke into Hogwarts twice, and now he’s mangled an innocent boy’s leg. With or without Pettigrew, we have no chance of freeing Sirius before the Dementors can perform the Kiss.’

‘But you and the King believe us?’ Harry asked.

Dumbledore nodded. ‘But I have no power to override the Minister for Magic and if The King does for such a publicly condemned man? It’ll be seen as an abuse of his powers. Actually, people will think he’s lost the plot.’

Both boys realised at this point that their heroes couldn’t do anything they wanted. It was a peculiar feeling that made Draco’s tummy feel oddly empty.

‘If only we had more time.’ Dumbledore said, looking at Draco.

‘Oh.’ Draco said, getting the point from the very obvious look in his Headmasters eyes. ‘What do you need me to do?’

‘Listen closely. Sirius Black is locked in the highest cell of the dark tower. If you do this right, you may spare more than one innocent life. You know the rules, you can’t be seen. I’ll lock you in behind me. It is half one in the morning, seven turns should do it.’ Dumbledore said.

‘Seven!’ Draco was stunned. That would put them at half six, when they were at Hagrid’s hut. ‘Can it even go that far?’

Dumbledore nodded. ‘That one you have has a twelve hour limit.’

‘When I was given it, I was told it had a five-hour limit!’ Draco insisted.

‘Oh. We lied to you. Sorry. We didn’t want you jumping about in time that far. There weren’t any five-hour ones left when I applied for one to give you.’ Dumbledore did look awkward about being caught in a lie. ‘But after this I want you to forget it can take you that far back, there’s more risk to you the further you travel.’

‘Alright. We’ll try our best.’ Draco told him.

Harry had absolutely no idea what was going on. Had Dumbledore also sustained a head wound?

‘Good luck.’ Dumbledore said. He turned and left.

‘What the hell was that all about?’ Harry asked.

Draco didn’t answer, he’d walked over to Hermione’s prone form.

Draco stroked a stand of hair from Hermione’s battered face.

Harry came to stand behind him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Harry’s clothes were still covered with Neville’s dried blood, though it had been cleaned from his hands and arms now.

He’d probably been cleaned by Pomfrey as she checked him for injuries.

‘They said she’ll be fine in a few days, right?’ Potter asked him.

Draco didn’t look up from Hermione’s sleeping face. ‘Yeah, but it doesn’t make seeing her like this any easier.’

‘Any word on Neville?’ Harry asked him.

Draco tore his eyes from Hermione and shook his head at his friend. ‘He was lucky not to bleed to death.’

Harry nodded. ‘I know, I’ve never seen that much blood in my life.’

He turned to walk and stand at the end of an unconscious Ginny’s bed, she was by no means as battered as Hermione, but he didn’t like seeing her like this any more than Draco did Hermione. He couldn’t help comparing Ginny’s prone form here to seeing her last year down in the Chamber of Secrets.

‘So, what do we do now?’ Harry asked.

Draco’s eyes shot up to meet Harry’s. ‘This.’

Draco reached down the front of his top and pulled out a long golden chain that held an hourglass at the end with beautiful circles of gold fitted around the edge.

‘Harry, this is a Time-Turner. It can send us both back in time, one hour per spin. Got it?’

Harry nodded. ‘Time travel is real?’

‘Yes. We’re going to go back seven hours and save Sirius Black. Got it?’

Harry nodded. ‘Why do you have that?’ He asked as Draco.

‘It’s so I can get to all my classes, I’m taking every available option. Although I’m not very impressed they lied to me about it’s capacity.’ Draco seethed that last part.

He gestured for Harry to follow him and led him into Madam Pomfrey’s medical supply closet.

‘We’ll re-appear in our exact place so it’s best we do it some place private.’ Draco told him as means of explanation.

He threw the chain around Harry’s neck. ‘Ready?’

Harry nodded. ‘Ready.’

Draco turned the hourglass over seven times.


	59. Free

Harry had the sensation that he was being pulled backwards by the scruff of his neck, it made him feel a bit travel sick. Draco was used to this awful sensation now, and even he had to say if felt worse than usual. It must be because they had gone so far back, they’d rewound their entire evening.

Draco took the chain from around Harry’s neck and tucked the Time-Turner back down the front of his shirt and poked his head out of the door.

‘Coasts clear.’ He whispered and the two boys stepped out into the empty room. The cots that had displayed the mangled bodies of their friends were now empty. The curtains that hid Ronald were tucked away at the corner of the room, there were no patients to need privacy now.

The room was lit with the evening sun, it was half six again. Both boys felt quite woozy from the journey; Draco understood why he’d been told he could only go back five hours, it was a little like being hit in the head with a brick and they hadn’t even reached the capacity of the object.

‘Why didn’t you tell any of us you had that thing?’ Harry asked as they snuck through the Hospital Wing.

‘I wasn’t allowed. Nobody knew, well except-’

‘Hermione?’ Harry interrupted.

‘Lucky guess.’ Draco said.

‘What do we do now?’ Harry asked.

Draco shrugged. ‘I think we should stay near ourselves. We were at the heart of the action all day.

Harry nodded. ‘Then we need to get going to Hagrid’s hut. I really don’t want to see Buckbeak executed again.’

Draco’s head snapped up from examining the way ahead for any prying eyes. ‘More than one innocent life.’ He mumbled to himself, too low for Harry to hear.

‘You two!’ It was Flitwick. ‘What are you doing lingering – Oh Gods! Why are you covered in blood?’

The boys nearly leapt out of their skin. They shared a panicked glance.

‘Fencing accident?’ Harry said, though it came out as a very obvious lie.

Draco didn’t give their Charms Professor a chance to question them. ‘We’re all patched up now and we want to get cleaned up before dinner. May we go?’

Flitwick sighed and waved them away, Draco thought he heard him muttering about “masculine idiocy” under his breath.

‘I thought we couldn’t be seen?’ Harry hissed as they speedily walked away.

‘We can’t.’ Draco said. ‘We need to be more careful. Bad things happen to wizards that meddle with time, if someone just saw past us and then we rock up covered in blood?’

Harry nodded. ‘Alright. We’ll be more careful.’

As they hurried through the castle, Draco began using the reflection of his sword to look around corners. He couldn’t help think that the last time someone he loved had used a mirror to look around a corner, she’d nearly died.

They caught sight of themselves sneaking down to Hagrid’s hut, or the sight of Hermione he should say, they followed at a safe distance and kept dramatically diving behind the cover of trees.

‘I think Dumbledore wants us to save Buckbeak. Draco told him as they watched themselves pull the invisibility cloak off and step inside.

Harry frowned at him. ‘How will that help Sirius?’ Then his eyes widened in understanding. ‘He’s in the highest tower. He needs to fly away.’

Draco nodded. ‘Although how we’ll manage any of this without being seen, again, I don’t know.’ He scrunched his nose in frustration for a moment. ‘We’ve got to try.’

‘Then we could go into the forest and help against Lupin!’ Harry suggested.

‘No.’ Draco said firmly. ‘We can’t be seen. Especially not by us. There’s nothing we can do to help ourselves.’

‘But Neville! We could stop him being bitten!’ Harry protested.

‘Then our timeline would cease to exist. One of us could end up getting bitten or we could die! I’m sorry but Neville has been infected and he must stay that way. We can not help.’ Draco said finally.

Harry had to wipe at his eyes for a moment but he understood.

They crept through the tree line that was obscuring them from the view of Hagrid at the window.

‘How are we going to get Buckbeak if Hagrid keeps looking at him?’ Draco hissed. He wasn’t looking forwards to telling Dumbledore and his uncle that they had failed.

Hagrid glanced away. ‘Now?’ Harry asked, he moved forwards. Draco grabbed him and pulled him back into the trees.

‘No! The Committee people need to see him first! And we do too! He was still there when Hagrid snuck us out.’ Draco said.

‘We’ll have to get him after he’s snuck us out while the adults are all inside Hagrid’s.’ Harry realised.

‘That won’t give us a massive margin for error. We’ll have like a minute, or less. And that bird hates me.’ Draco said. He gripped the scar on his arm where Buckbeak had slashed him.

There came the sound of breaking chine from inside Hagrid’s cabin and the movement of past-Hermione repairing the damaged jug.

That was when Harry looked through the window to see the metal tin that contained the reason his parents were dead. Draco had to grab him again.

‘No!’ Draco told him; he’d had to throw Harry back into a tree to stop him. ‘We are literally breaking several laws right now! We can’t be seen!’

‘It’s Pettigrew!’ Harry roared. Draco was incredibly surprised nobody in Hagrid’s had heard them.

‘If you go bursting in there Hagrid will think you’ve gone mad! Or everyone might think there’s some Dark Magic going on, do you want to duel Hermione? Because I don’t.’ Draco hissed. ‘When they gave me this,’ He pulled the Time-Turner out from his top and waved it about Harry’s face. ‘They told me how things can go wrong, do you realise how many time travellers ended up being killed by their past selves? It’s a lot.’

Harry seemed to deflate at this news, there really was no hope of him catching Pettigrew. Draco, meanwhile, was dwelling on the prophecy Madam Sybil had told him and despairing as he realised it was coming true. The words “more terrible and powerful than before” were playing on a loop in his mind. Some of it had already come true “she with two forms shall fall” and Hermione had indeed fallen, it was a miracle she’d survived.

Dumbledore and his crowd were approaching. The glint of Macnair’s axe was glinting in the setting sun, a menacing reminder of their limited time.

‘We’re about to come out.’ Draco said and they both ducked behind the trunk of a particularly thick tree.

They watched themselves go back up the pathway to the castle. ‘This is, without a doubt, the strangest thing we’ve ever done.’ Harry pointed out, as he watched himself disappear under the invisibility cloak.

‘Do you still have that on you?’ Draco asked.

Harry shook his head. ‘They must have taken it out of my pocket, it’s probably under my bed in the Hospital Wing.’

They then turned to watch the execution crowd inspect that Buckbeak was indeed chained up before retreating into Hagrid’s for “important document signing”.

They could hear Fudge reading the official notice of execution.

‘Right. Now!’ Draco hissed at Harry as he shoved him forwards. Buckbeak may not be a fan of him but he liked Potter well enough.

Harry vaulted the fence to the pumpkin patch and approached the tethered beast. He could hear Fudge droning on.

‘It is the decision of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures that the Hippogriff Buckbeak, hereafter called the condemned, shall be executed on the fifth of June at sundown.’

Draco could hear him too. The auditory reminder that it was still the fifth of June, his birthday, was startling. It felt like days since Hermione had given him his present before the final exams of the day.

Harry, meanwhile, was bowing to the Hippogriff. Buckbeak sank to his scaly knees in return. Harry began to fumble with the knot of rope that bound the Hippogriff to the fence.

‘Hagrid, perhaps it will be better if you stay inside.’ Came Dumbledore’s voice. The rope came loose and Harry began to pull the beast from the yard.

‘No! I want to be there for him. I don’ wan’ him ter be alone.’ Hagrid protested.

‘Buckbeak, move!’ Harry hissed as footsteps could be heard approaching Hagrid’s front door. Harry put his full weight behind the next pull and the Hippogriff began to walk, he ruffled his wings in frustration.

Draco joined them, keeping a good space between him and Buckbeak, they hurried to the safety of the tree line.

‘Hurry! Hurry!’ Draco said frantically, the front door was opening and Dumbledore was stepping out. He joined Harrys side and picked up the rope, helping to drag Buckbeak into the woods.

The boys looked over their shoulders at the shocked shouts that were coming from behind them, but they were completely blocked by trees. Draco thanked his ancestors that they had decided to build their school next to the creepy woods.

‘Search the skies if you must-’ They heard Dumbledore saying, his voice faded into the distance as they ran deeper into the thickening forest. The last thing they heard was the thud of an axe, the executioner must have swung at a pumpkin in frustration, and Hagrid howling ‘Gone!’

Buckbeak started to pull against the ropes at Hagrid’s voice, trying to return to his masters. It took both boys pulling on the rope to keep him in place.

The two boys remained still and in silence for a few minutes.

‘Now what?’ Harry whispered.

Draco shrugged. ‘I suppose we need to stash Beaky here somewhere safe for later. Past us will all be at dinner now. We’ve got about an hour before we all come back out the castle.’

‘Let’s go and stash him then.’ Harry said. ‘Where can we hide a Hippogriff for, what is it, five hours?’

Draco was smiling.

‘What?’

…

‘How exactly did you and Hermione find this place?’ Harry asked.

‘We found a secret tunnel. Long story, we need to get back.’ Draco said.

The rope that held Buckbeak was securely looped around the tall stone that bore the inscription:

_“On this sight in the year 990, the sight of Hogwarts was decided.”_

It had taken them a good forty minutes to find this site through the woods, but Draco had a rough idea of direction and had managed to get them there in one peace.

‘So, we hang out here until midnight. Then we fly him up to the tower and get Sirius?’ Harry asked.

Draco nodded and took a seat to enjoy the view.

Harry fidgeted until Draco sighed. ‘What is it?’

‘I think I saw my dad. Before. When the Dementors were attacking us?’ Harry said this that quickly he had to repeat it for Draco.

Draco felt very awkward. ‘Well Dementors make us relive our worst experiences, it’s possible you were hallucinating him.’

Harry shook his head. ‘No, you don’t understand. He was the one who sent them away. He cast the Protonus that sent them away.’

‘Harry. Your dad’s gone. There isn’t a spell or ritual that can raise the dead. I’m sorry but you didn’t see your father.’ Draco looked on at Harry, he had begun to pace.

‘Then who did cast it? Who fought them away?’ Harry asked, the hope of it being his father was fading in his eyes as he accepted the truth in Draco’s words.

Draco pushed himself up and then frowned. ‘That’s a good question.’

‘Want to go and have a look?’ Harry asked sheepishly.

‘It’s an awful idea and we should stay here out of trouble.’ Draco began. ‘But yeah, let’s go.’

Harry was beaming at him and then began to look around.

‘Can we take this little path back?’ Harry had asked.

Draco shook his head. ‘No, it goes into Hogsmeade. We’ll have to go back the way we came through the woods.’

‘Well, what about the secret tunnel you were on about?’ Harry asked, he was keen not to go into the woods again.

‘It lets us out into the dungeons, and it’s the slower route. It goes under the lake. We need to go around the lake.’

But then Harry was frowning. ‘Why can’t we go into Hogsmeade? That’s where we’ll be right? In the Shrieking Shack?’

Draco realised he was right and the two boys set off at a run down the little pathway. They arrived, funnily enough, right by the Shrieking Shack. The little pathway took them right through the forest that bordered it.

‘Are we in there now do you reckon?’ Draco asked.

Harry nodded. ‘Yeah, we need to get a move on.’

They ran faster than they ever had in life before until they arrived at the edge of the Hogwarts boundaries. The full moon was still hidden behind the clouds, this was a good indicator of time for the two boys, they hadn’t come across the Dementors until after Lupin had transformed after all.

Once they were through the Hogwarts gates, which they’d had to climb over at great effort and annoyance since it was so ridiculously tall and pointy. The annoyance was added to once they touched back down on the Hogwarts side and found that the gate hadn’t been locked in the first place.

Off in the distance the two boys could see the pink hair of Tonks approaching the gates quickly, they dived into the trees, she had relocked the gates and then moved on with her patrol while muttering about incompetent security staff while a mass murderer is on the loose.

They remained hidden behind their tree and watched until her pink hair couldn’t be seen. Then Harry looked at Draco. ‘We need to move. We need to get to the Whomping Willow and follow ourselves.’

Draco nodded in agreement. They never left the safety of the treeline as they approached Hagrid’s hut where they saw Dumbledore bid Hagrid a goodnight and head up to the castle.

They moved through the border of the forest until they could see the Whomping Willow, they were both still terribly out of breath from the fact they’d basically just run about six miles beyond Hogsmeade and back. They arrived at an impossibly convenient time, just as past-them were beginning to come back up the hidden pathway.

‘Do you see Sirius talking to me there?’ Harry whispered to Draco from behind their hiding spot. ‘He’s inviting me to come and live with him.’

Draco smiled; Harry had told him some of the horror stories from living with the Dursleys, the King had sent a member of the royal guard over to threaten them over their poor treatment once. ‘That’s great Potter.’

Harry beamed. ‘There’s no way that the Dursley’s won’t give their permission for the move, they’d be thrilled to be shot of me.’

‘And if anyone in government kicks up a fuss about it, I’ll have my uncle give his permission.’ Draco said, then he had a surprising thought. ‘Or I could give you mine as a Duke, that’s going to take some getting used to. Potter, I give you full legal permission to live with Black after his pardon had gone through.’

Harry understood the practicality of that, he hoped that after a quick investigation Sirius’ name would be cleared.

‘You might have to spend this last summer with the Dursley’s.’ Draco told him honestly. ‘But you basically live at Neville’s anyway. Didn’t you spend like, a month with him last summer?’

Harry had to give him that one, he could handle two weeks at Privet Drive. Two weeks of suffering in exchange for a lifetime of freedom, it seemed like a good deal.

Draco glanced up at the sky just as Harry frowned. ‘This is our second year in a row we’ve done something mad and dangerous.’

Draco was watching the cloud that was going to move aside and show the moon momentarily. ‘Let’s not make it three for three.’

Harry was getting antsy beside him. ‘Pettigrew is right there.’

‘How do you expect to find a rat in the dark?’ Draco snapped. ‘Accept that he gets away and focus on helping Sirius.’

The moon appeared from behind its cloud. ‘Look at Lupin, he’s transforming.’ Harry pointed out. They dove back behind their trees and began to follow the battle between the now three transformed animals.

‘Did you know Hermione could do that?’ Harry asked as they watched her transform and leap at a monster.

Draco nodded. ‘Yeah, I think she’s probably broken a record for fastest transformation. It normally takes years to manage it and she did it in a few months.’ Draco told him as they hurried through the woods following the sounds of the fight.

They stood to the side watching the fight, both boys had to hold each other back when Neville rushed onto the scene and was bitten. The Hermione wolf was thrown to the floor.

‘He’s meant to run away now.’ Harry said.

The werewolf took a step closer to Hermione on the ground.

“What would Hermione do?” Draco thought, then his sword brushed against his leg through the scabbard Hermione had crafted for him.

He pulled the sword out and pointed it at the Werewolf and thought hard. _“Turn around.”_ The sword mark on his arm tingled on his wrist as he did this and he knew it had worked.

Mainly because there was a Werewolf running at him.

He leapt in front of Harry and pointed the sword at Remus Lupin.

‘What the hell did you do?’ Harry hissed; the werewolf was coming straight at him.

‘Erm. This sword is Excalibur, it’s Atunes sword and it can control certain species.’ Draco was stood with the tip of the sword pointed at the oncoming Werewolf.

_“Stop!”_ Draco thought.

The Werewolf stopped in front of him, the jewel of the sword was glowing at his command.

‘Wow.’ Harry said from besides him. ‘How are you doing that?’

Draco shrugged, partly in disbelief. ‘Just point and think.’

Harry nodded. ‘Great. Can you point and think him away from us?’

‘I’ll give it a go.’ Draco muttered. _“Run deep into the woods.”_ He thought, his eyes shut in concentration.

When he opened his eyes again the Werewolf was gone and Harry was dragging them towards the swarm of Dementors, Draco placed his sword back in its home.

They burst into the clearing just in time to see Draco pass out next to Hermione. ‘Am I really that pale?’ Draco asked, more to himself than to Harry which was good as Harry ignored him. They continued that days tradition of ducking behind trees. ‘This clearing is really familiar.’ Draco continued, but he couldn’t put his finger on when he’d been here before this year. Had he and Hermione done a ritual here or something?

Harry was busy looking, not at the Dementors, but he was scanning the area in front of them for the mysterious spell caster. It was a miracle past Harry hadn’t seen them, he was pretty much staring right at them, thank the Gods for the tree they’d ducked behind.

In the centre of the clearing, the last wisps of Patronus charm faded away, and the Dementors crashed down upon them.

‘Come on dad, where are you?’ Harry muttered. Draco was giving him concerned looks. Nobody was coming.

The Dementor had its hands gripping past Harrys face. It was time for his rescuer to appear – but nobody was coming – this revelation hit him hard. Just as Draco had interfered with the Werewolf, he was going to interfere here.

He leapt out from behind the tree. ‘Expecto Patronum!’ Out of the end of his wand burst a magnificent and massive silver animal. It was a deer, galloping at the Dementors.

He heard Draco mumble ‘fuck it’ and then he was casting the spell next to him. A massive silver dragon burst out the end of his wand.

Both boys leapt back at the same time at the eruption from Draco’s wand. ‘Fuck me.’ Draco gasped in shock.

The deer charged the Dementors on the ground while the fierce dragon swooped around the circular clearing. The Dementors were falling back now, retreating into the darkness and taking the coldness of the air with them until they had all vanished into the night. They saw young Harry collapse.

Draco acted quickly. He grabbed Harry by the scruff of his collar and dragged him back behind their tree just as Dumbledore and McGonagall burst onto the scene.

It was only as they were hurrying back towards the towering gates that marked the edge of the grounds that Draco realised why that clearing had been so familiar. It was where he and Hermione had faced down the masked Voldemort in first year and Hermione had cursed his face, leaving a grisly scar. How had neither of them clocked onto that fact immediately he didn’t know, perhaps Hermione had though; she had been an animal incapable of speech when they had been there after all. 

They climbed back over the school gates; Draco caught his leg on the spikes that topped it this time leaving a grim slice in his right thigh. He fell from the top of the gates and hit the ground, hard. He groaned in pain.

Then Harry was there pulling him up from the ground. ‘Shit, you’ll be fine! Er – it’s not that bad – you can barely see the muscle!’ Draco fell back to the ground at this and gave him an appalled look, he hadn’t seen the wound yet, the fact he’d ripped down deep enough to expose muscle was a nasty prospect, how was he going to explain that?

‘Numb me!’ Draco managed to get out, his leg as burning in pain and he hadn’t done his back any favours by falling on it, he’d definitely done some damage.

‘Oh right.’ Harry fumbled for his wand. ‘Sine Dolore!’

Draco managed to stand again; he threw an arm over Harry’s shoulder to support himself. His leg didn’t seem to able to support much weight before it would collapse, he was using Harry heavily as a crutch as they hurried the three miles to where they had stashed Buckbeak.

‘Why didn’t we just tie him up in the forest!’ Draco moaned at mile two.

Harry huffed with effort. ‘It was your idea!’

Harry dropped Draco to the ground outside the Shrieking Shack and hurried away up the pathway where they had stashed Buckbeak.

He returned a moment later with the creature and breathing heavily. Thank the Gods he was a Quidditch player and at the fittest he’d ever been, he’d just had to lug Draco three miles while avoiding being seen. ‘Get on his back.’ He told Draco.

Harry had to help the wounded boy up, literally picking him up at the waist and throwing him over the back of the animal. Draco hooked his good leg around Buckbeak so he was straddling him. ‘Well, that was emasculating.’ Draco mumbled.

He reached his hand down to Harry and helped pull him onto the back of the beast. Harry swung his leg over and gripped Buckbeak’s mane. ‘You’re going to want to hold onto something.’ Harry looked over his shoulder at Draco.

‘I am not holding your waist!’ Draco protested.

Harry smiled. ‘I’m not too hot on the idea either, but its that or plunge to your death.’

Draco sighed and wrapped his arms tightly around Harry’s stomach.

Draco looked at his pocket watch, ‘it’s nearly time. We’ve got half an hour before Dumbledore locks us in.’

Harry leaned forwards and spoke to Buckbeak. With a great gallop, that painfully jostled Draco’s open wound, Buckbeak soared straight into the dark air. Harry's numbing spells weren't that potent it turned out.

Harry gripped his flanks with his knees, Draco did the same. But then Buckbeak opened his great wings and they were soaring over the grounds of the school. ‘This is amazing.’ Draco said. Flying over the school was always a beautiful and humbling sight.

‘Look! Who’s that?’ Harry asked Draco, pointing down at the ground.

‘A smudge? How the hell did you even see him? Who is it?’ Draco asked.

Harry grinned. ‘Seeker, remember? I think it’s Macnair.’

‘He’s gone to get the Dementors!’ Draco shouted. ‘We need to move now!’ The man on the ground was running towards the great gates of the castle.

Harry directed Buckbeak to the tallest tower and they landed there not a moment later. ‘He’s there!’ Harry hissed.

Sirius Black had been chained to the wall of the highest tower. The two boys leapt from Buckbeak; Draco hissed in pain as his injured leg made contact with the ground.

Draco pointed his wand at the cell door. ‘Alohomora!’ But the door didn’t budge.

‘Bombarda!’ Harry tried next; the door just deflected the spell. Sirius was aware they were there now, but he seemed too shocked to speak.

‘We need a stronger spell, Macnair must have warded the door.’ Harry stepped back to look at Draco expectantly.

Draco thought for a moment and pointed his wand at the door. ‘Excindo!’ The metal door shrieked with pressure and then crumbled, taking the arch of the stone wall with it.

‘Where the hell did you learn that?’ Harry gasped as the dust of thousand-year-old stone settled around them.

‘Hermione talks in her sleep.’ Was his shocked answer, he hadn’t been expecting such destruction either.

The two boys rushed into the cell; Harry was supporting Draco again.

‘How?’ Sirius asked.

This time a simple unlocking spell worked on the chains that bound Sirius.

‘We need to hurry.’ Draco told the pair. There was an unsettling chill returning to the air.

Harry took Sirius by the arm and the three figures ran from the dank cell. ‘Is that a Hippogriff?’ Sirius was astonished.

‘Yeah. No time to explain. Get on!’ Draco ordered Sirius.

The two boys helped Sirius mount the Hippogriff and he in turn helped to pull them up.

Draco leaned forwards to speak with Buckbeak again and the Hippogriff leapt off the tower.

It was a fast yet graceful decent towards the grounds. They landed near the front door to the castle and the two boys leapt off, Draco actually crying out in pain this time from his leg.

‘You need to go!’ Harry looked back at the figure of his Godfather. ‘They’ll figure out you’re gone any minute now.’

Buckbeak pawed at the ground. ‘What happened to the others? The girl that fought with me? That boy I dragged?’

Harry and Draco exchanged a glance. ‘They’re fine.’ Draco lied smoothly.

Sirius smiled in relief. ‘I’m glad. How can I ever thank yo-’

‘Go!’ Both boys shouted at him in urgency.

Black grinned at the pair and wheeled Buckbeak around to face the open sky over the lake. ‘You truly are your father’s son, Harry.’ Then he looked to Draco and nodded in thanks. ‘Your Grace.’

Then he squeezed Buckbeak’s sides with his heels, Harry and Draco leapt backwards, the enormous wings rose once more and the Hippogriff took off into the air. The two boys stood and watched as Buckbeak and his rider became smaller and smaller on the horizon until they disappeared behind a cloud.

‘Harry!’ Draco was tugging at his sleeve; he was staring at his pocket watch. ‘We’ve got exactly ten minutes to get back!’

Running into the castle was much more difficult than running out of it. Draco was losing blood as it poured down his leg. Harry was having to take on more and more of the blonde’s weight. ‘Please don’t pass out.’ Harry prayed to the Gods.

Draco didn’t hear him; his vision was starting to get blurry around the edges and he felt more than a little sick. Harrys arm around his hip was the only thing keeping him up right now. The stairs were the hardest part, Draco fell on them constantly which only caused him further pain. The poor attempted at Sine Dolore by Potter had completely worn off now.

‘Draco, what will happen if we don’t get back in time?’ Harry asked nervously as they reached the top of the last flight of stairs.

‘I don’t want to think about that!’ Draco gasped, although this did seem to spur him on through the pain a little bit.

They reached the end of the corridor to the hospital wing entrance. ‘I can hear Dumbledore!’ Harry said in relief. They were going to make it.

Dumbledore’s eyes widened when they turned the corner, ‘what happened?’ He gasped at the state of Draco.

‘He cut his leg on the fence!’ Harry told him quickly.

Dumbledore was already waving his wand at Draco, he felt the oddest cold sensation on his leg, he didn’t need to look down to see it was no longer bleeding. ‘There, you’ll need Madam Pomfrey to have a look at it but I’ve healed over the deepest cut.’

Draco found his leg could support a lot more weight now, enough that he could walk with only a slight limp now.

‘How did it go?’ Dumbledore asked them.

Harry beamed. ‘He’s just flown off on Buckbeak.’

‘But sir, we were seen!’ Draco told him.

Dumbledore nodded. ‘Yes, by Flitwick. He told me as soon as he saw the two of you covered in blood and obviously lying to him. It gave me the idea to send you back.’

‘So, there’s no consequence?’ Harry asked.

Dumbledore shook his head. ‘Not this time. Flitwick just thought you were up to no good, we’re lucky he’s such a calm man. It put me on high alert too, good thing or I never would have seen the sparks you sent up in the forest.’ Then he listened at the door for a moment. ‘I think you’ve gone too, get inside and I’ll lock you in.’

But Draco was frowning. ‘We didn’t send up any sparks?’ He said as the two boys passed Dumbledore to enter the Hospital Wing.

‘Well, one of your group did.’ Dumbledore told them.

Harry and Draco shared a glance. ‘It must have been Neville.’ Draco realised. ‘Is there any news on his condition?’

Dumbledore shook his head. ‘You only asked me that twenty minutes ago, so no. They’ll still be working on him.’

With this he shut the door in their faces, they heard the lock click.

Madam Pomfrey reappeared from her office. ‘I want you two back in bed!’

They were, for once, willing to follow orders. It had been an incredibly long day. Harry glanced over to make sure Ginny was still asleep and then flopped into his bed to sleep.

‘Ma’am? My leg hurts, could you take a look at it?’ Draco asked as he sat back on his bed.

Madam Pomfrey had made quick work of his leg, and after a blood replenishing potion all he could feel was the tingle of his now numb leg healing itself rapidly and how impossibly tired he felt.

He was about to lay back and get some well-earned rest when Snape shot up in his bed.

The Potion masters eyes scanned his surroundings quickly, taking in the condition of Hermione with horror, before they settled on Draco. ‘What happened?’ He asked while swinging his legs over the edge of the bed.

‘Pettigrew attacked you and escaped. Hermione nearly died fending off a Werewolf. Harry and I went back in time and rescued Sirius, he’s flying away from Hogwarts as we speak. You’ll have to ask Dumbledore or detail.’ Unknown to him this came out as one big slur that Snape understood none of apart from ‘you’ll have to ask Dumbledore.’

Draco was asleep in his bed moments later; the numbing spell had removed any chance he had of fending off sleep.

Snape sighed and stepped towards the matron’s office. ‘Poppy?

…

The next day he and Harry were discharged, though neither of them left.

They began their day by peaking around the curtain that hid Ronald Weasley. He was, thankfully, still knocked out. Both boys gasped at the sight. His right leg was gone beneath the knee, in its place was a new metal limb that seemed to have grown out of his wound. The only hint that he hadn’t been born with the metal limb was the horrific scarring at the end of the flesh, it looked like it had been burned and mangled.

They both left that area quickly. ‘That’s not going to make him any nicer.’ Harry sighed.

‘Maybe it’ll humble him.’ Draco said hopefully, as he twiddled with the end of his hospital pyjamas.

Harry and Draco had both been given a set of hospital pyjamas. The clothes they’d had on had been burned by the matron outside just in case they’d had any “tainted” blood on them.

‘I very much doubt it. I’ll have to start sleeping with one eye open.’ Harry groaned. He went to sit at the end of Ginny’s bed. She looked much improved after a night’s rest and healing spells, Pomfrey was confident she’d be up and walking around that day. She just looked now like she’d come off worse in a fight, with heavy, dark bruises littering every inch of her.

Draco went to sit at the end of Hermione’s bed. She was unnaturally still, and she was that pale that if it weren’t for the slight raise and fall of her chest with each strained breath, Draco might think she were dead. She was still beyond battered. ‘Oh Granger.’ He said as he took her hand.

Visitors came to visit them soon after lunch, not long after Ginny had awoken shrieking into Potters arms. ‘It’s okay Gin! You’re safe! I’ve got you!’

It had taken a few minutes and a calming draught to calm the young girl down, she didn’t seem to realise she was no longer outside and facing down a murderous wizard with a stolen wand until she became aware of Harry’s arms around her.

Blaise and Theo visited first; news had spread through the school of the most astounding rumours. Each one was crazier than the last and yet none came close to the actual truth. Not that anyone in that room would admit to the events of the previous day. 

Millie and Daphne came next. Daphne was especially horrified at the state of Hermione. She had wanted to cast a glamour spell on Hermione stating that she wouldn’t want to be seen like this, but Pomfrey hadn’t allowed it. Millie had lightened the mood by announcing that she’d been accepted on the fashion course in France for the summer, the two girls left to add to the rumours about the injuries sustained by the involved parts. By dinner news had spread that Neville had been taken to the actual hospital, that Hermione was near death, that Ronald had lost a limb, and that the others had all been battered and sliced and cursed.

Crabbe and Goyle came in just before dinner, they went straight for little Ginny’s bed. Apparently, they had become good friends with their biweekly fighting lessons. They left only when they were confident that she would be discharged the next day and fighting fit by this time next week.

Luna popped in after dinner with cake for them all that she had smuggled past Pomfrey. She spouted a few lines of nonsense that did more to cheer the invalids up than any medicine and was sent on her way by Pomfrey for overexciting her patients.

At last came Fred and George. They came late at night, just before curfew. ‘Lupin’s been sacked.’ One of them said.

‘Is it true? Did he attack you all?’ George asked.

Draco nodded.

‘It wasn’t his fault.’ Harry interjected. Draco couldn't help disagreeing but he said nothing.

‘Dumbledore fired him?’ Draco spoke over Harry.

‘Well, he doesn’t work here anymore. He’s either been sacked or he’s quit.’ Fred said.

George chucked something down into Draco’s lap, he was still sat at the end of Hermione’s bed. Fred sat in the chair beside her bed.

Draco picked up the copy of the Prophet from his lap and couldn’t stop the grin on his face spreading.

_Sirius Black Escapes!_ Was the headline.

‘Good thing this werewolf thing came out now, the worlds busy reporting about that.’ Fred told him.

The article was an incredibly inaccurate but it got the general gist; Black had been captured at Hogwarts and then somehow his cell had been found partly demolished and he was gone. All of this had happened under the nose of Dumbledore and, more importantly and critically, The Minister of Magic.

Lupin being a Werewolf and attacking his own students took up page two.

The twins had left to make it back to the Gryffindor dormitory with Harry, all three promising to visit Ginny the next day if she hadn’t been discharged in time for breakfast. They left with Fred still trying to guess the name of the infamous Hufflepuff party girl: ‘Kira? Kylee? Kettle?’

His brother slapped him on the back of his head.

‘You need to go to bed too dear.’ Pomfrey told Draco. ‘Off you go.’

‘Er, no?’ Draco said, they’d have to drag him away from Hermione when she was like this.

It turned out that Pomfrey wasn’t opposed to doing that and Draco found himself on his arse outside the hospital door.

‘You can come and visit after breakfast.’ Pomfrey told him, then she slammed the door in his face.

Draco learned the next day over breakfast that the Dementors had been shipped off back to Azkaban, it was the days front page news. The Minister had wanted them to stay but The King had overruled him. The front page wasn’t a happy one.

_King Orders Dementors Back to Azkaban!_ Read the title. The King had given a brief statement the day before “_The Dementors were supposed to be a deterrent to keep Black away from the school. They attempted to administer the Kiss to an innocent child who I will not be naming for their privacy. They are returning at once to Azkaban. No further questions.” _

Tonks had waved him over after breakfast, she seemed a little shaken. Then she was whacking him with her duffle bag full of clothes. ‘Don’t you ever do anything like that again you absolute tit!’ She emphasised each word with a hit of her bag.

‘You’re my guard! Stop hitting me!’ He shrieked.

‘I’m also your cousin!’ She hit him again.

‘Why do you even have that?’ He asked, gesturing to the Duffle bag.

She looked down at the object she’d been beating her baby cousin with. ‘Oh. Black has been spotted heading south, apparently, he stopped for supplies in Spain before fleeing again. You don’t need your guard here anymore.’

‘You’re leaving?’ Draco asked, though he did make a mental note to update Potter on his Godfather’s position.

Tonks nodded. ‘I’m going back to the Auror office for now. I’ll see you in a few weeks for summer.’

Draco smiled. ‘But I won’t see you?’

Tonks gave her usual cheeky grin that matched her pink hair. ‘Only if I want you to.’

They hugged goodbye and she turned and walked through the open doors while he turned and walked to the Hospital Wing. He felt liberated and free, and safe knowing that Tonks would be watching from the shadows.

Draco was that interested in himself that he walked straight into Hagrid. ‘Oh Hagrid! I’m so sorry!’

Hagrid was beaming down at him. ‘I’m not! Have you heard the good news? I shouldn’t be this happy with Black escapin’ but I am! Buckbeak escaped! He’s free!’

Draco tried his best to act surprised. ‘That’s really great news.’

It took five minutes of conversation about the bravery of Hippogriffs and Draco trying not to laugh as Hagrid wondered aloud how his beautiful Hippogriff could have gotten himself free.

Finally, he was able to walk away from the overjoyed man and into the Hospital Wing where a very joyous discovery of his own was waiting for him.

‘Welcome back to the land of the living Kitten.’

…

I am sustained on your comments and plot guesses. Feed me.

E x


	60. The Final Secret Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 60 Chapters! This is going so fast for me! I feel like I started writing this last week but it's been nearly a year! Thanks for coming on this crazy ride with me.

The school year was almost over by the time Hermione was discharged; two more weeks and they would all b sent home. Everyone was grumbling a little, this summer wouldn’t feel as long as the extra time they had been given last year. 

Hermione had spent two weeks in the Hospital Wing recovering, every day she had been visited by her friends who seemed to have worked out some kind of rota to visit her; Draco and Daphne were with her the most. Ginny had been soon been declared fully recovered from the unknown curse Pettigrew had hit her with, and she and Harry came to visit her second-most. Her other friends seemed to be trading off days when they could see her, Fred and George had been banned from the visits for an entire week for trying to smuggle her out when she complained of boredom. 

Her parents had visited her once per week, each time accompanied by Dumbledore and The King. Pomfrey hadn’t allowed Hermione to look in a mirror that first week, she didn’t want to upset her. When Hermione saw her mother’s expression she understood why. ‘You should see the other guy.’ Hermione had tried to joke, the other guy being a now-missing werewolf.   
  
Blaise and Millie probably visited the least, but Hermione understood why she only spent an hour or two with them over the fortnight. Millie was preparing for the internship of a lifetime in France and she knew Blaise was still very upset and frail over Neville’s injury, she knew the pair to be close. News had reached them that morning that Neville was awake and responsive, his grandmother was with him, and he had been informed of the situation. Hermione had written to Neville from her sickbed and gave her love. Half an hour later Pomfrey had discharged her. During her confinement, Pomfrey had inspected her three times a day to track her recovery, all-time with the stern words that any decline in her condition would mean hospitalisation at St Mungo’s. Each inspection of her condition would lead to a concoction of foul-smelling and even fouler tasting potions being forced upon her. Snape had been grumbling to her that he’d never had to do so much brewing in his life, though the concern in his eyes for Hermione’s delicate condition removed the spite in his words.

It was in her second week that Draco, who was incapable of saying no to her, allowed her to look in the reflective surface on the back of his pocket watch. Her face was battered, a sealed gash ran from her right ear down to the corner of her mouth, heavy black bruises were prominent on her eyes. A large gash had also been healed partly closed across her forehead and was scabbing over. She looked like she’d gone through a woodchipper. Pomfrey was applying a heavy, sticky, paste to the wounds on her body with each inspection to prevent scarring. Though she’d told Hermione conclusively that there was nothing she could do for the mangling on her hip, the same healer who was managing Neville had come to take a look at it and had positively confirmed no lycanthropic infection had taken place.

She’d been allowed to get up from the bed in her second week, leaning heavily on Draco as she did so. She felt frustratingly weak. After another day of walking she had insisted she be allowed to take an actual shower rather than just have cleaning charms cast upon her. Pomfrey had compromised by placing a stool in the shower stall for her to sit on and by having Daphne help her in and out. A fall on a wet surface would probably finish her off so she had consented and Daphne had helped her strip off and climb in the shower, then she left a naked Hermione sat on the stool under the warm water.

Her face looked like a spring daisy compared to her body. Every inch was battered, scraped, and fused back together. Hermione wondered if muggle stitches would do a better job on some of the wounds not in terms of speed of recovery but of scarring. Hermione supposed that with the yucky paste Pomfrey was slathering her in made up for the dark scabs that coated her now. The wound on her hip didn’t look great. There were two large punctures to her side where the fangs had slashed her open, Hermione couldn’t help comparing the wound to a documentary she had watched with her father on shark attacks, little Hermione had nightmares for weeks about that documentary. 

She did have to admit she’d felt about fifty times better after a shower though. 

So Pomfrey had finally released her after two weeks once she had declared her bones no longer broken. She was using Draco as a clutch as they walked down the corridor back to the common room. 

‘Are you sure you should be out now?’ Draco asked. He’d spent the two weeks fretting worse than her mother.

‘Pomfrey thinks I’m okay to be out.’ She told him, though her voice was weakened it was still firm. 

‘Only because you asked her to discharge you every day for seven days.’ Draco told her. 

The stairs down to the dungeon were a challenge, he had to help her down. He winced along with her every step down and resulting gasp of pain as her ribs jostled.

‘I thought your ribs were healed?’ Draco asked.

‘They’re not broken, still bloody hurts.’ She said as they got to the bottom of the stairs. ‘Just get me to my bed, I’m knackered. But I’m meant to do a certain amount of walking a day, we can carry on looking for Ravenclaw’s secret room tomorrow.’ 

Draco ignored that last comment. They had gotten to the common room eventually; stairs weren’t easy but walking at a brisk pace was manageable. Draco gave the password (Regia) and pushed her into the common room. 

‘Hermione’s here!’ Came Tracey’s voice from the couches.

Her friends had all gathered on the couches and rose as they saw her approach and began to clap and cheer for her. 

Hermione blushed and waved them off. ‘Stop! It’s not a big deal stop it now!’ She insisted. 

Draco had, quite literally, handed her off to Daphne. His hand hadn’t left her arm until Daphne had a good grip on the other arm. Hermione pretended not to notice this system they seemed to have developed. 

‘Bed?’ Daphne asked. 

Hermione nodded, she was sleeping a lot now, the regular pain potions she was taking were effective in knocking her out. Perhaps that was why Pomfrey had released her, she wasn’t at much risk of injuring herself when she could only stay awake for an hour at a time if she was lucky. 

Daphne got her changed into her pyjamas and tucked up in bed in record time. ‘Thanks, mum.’ Hermione joked.

Daphne had rolled her eyes and gone to leave. ‘I’ll come and wake you up for dinner. We’ll get you looking all glamourous for your big entrance.’ She said as she shut the door.

Hermione wasn’t quite sure how she could look glamourous in her present state but sighed and lay her head down on her pillow. Then frowned. What was that crinkling sound?

She lifted her pillow and there, to her astonishment, lay the Marauders Map and a sealed letter. 

She began with the letter, knowing who it would be from. 

_Hermione _  
_I can only beg for your forgiveness over the state of your injuries which I am told are severe. I am truly sorry for the harm you came to at my hand. _  
_I also wish to thank you sincerely for your attempts to keep me from harming anyone while in that state. _  
_My worst fears have been _realised_ and I have passed my curse onto an innocent, I don’t need to tell you that I can be arrested for this, so I have to leave the castle tonight. _  
_Now that I am not your teacher, I feel I can return this map to you. Use it well._  
_Wishing you a speedy recovery,_  
_Remus Lupin_

Inside her letter was one addressed to Neville; it was considerably thicker than her own. She tucked the sealed letter into a book on her bedside table for safekeeping. 

Gods she couldn’t help feeling bad for Lupin. Yes, it was completely his fault that he forgot to neck his Wolfsbane potion before coming out, but on the other hand, she could completely understand the urgency with which he must have run from the castle to come to their aid. 

She wasn’t really mad about her injuries, for one the only scar she would have for life was on her waist and easily hidden, for a second it was probably going to give her lifetime respect “Hermione Granger: Werewolf fighter” kept running through her head. She supposed she just felt sad, sad for Lupin and his worst fears coming to life, but mostly sad for Neville. 

Poor Neville, the first teacher that hadn’t really written him off, who had nurtured and encouraged his growth as a wizard, had attacked him and cursed him to be a werewolf. She wondered if Neville was angry, she just couldn’t imagine such a sweet boy holding a grudge for what was admittedly an accident. She could already see that years down the line when they could joke about this, the boys would tease Neville not to jump in front of any Werewolves while he was out and Neville would smile and say he couldn’t promise anything. 

The worst part really was that there would be no privacy or secrecy for poor Neville. The second Black was out of the headlines, Neville being attacked by a Werewolf had taken over the front page. 

A very public manhunt was going on for the man that infected the son of the beloved Auror Frank Longbottom and his charitable wife, Hermione understood completely why Lupin had fled rather than face the lynch mob. She suspected Lupin would hand himself in once things had calmed down, or perhaps Neville would have the charges dropped. 

Even if Neville did that, both of their lives were changed forever. It made Hermione feel a little bit sick if she was honest, or perhaps that was the medication. 

She placed her own letter on her bedside table along with the map before she closed her eyes; it didn’t take long for sleep to claim her. She dreamt of Neville and Lupin playing chess, and when Lupin knocked over Neville’s king and claimed “Checkmate” he leaped over the table with fangs bared and sunk them right into Neville’s neck.

When she had been out of the Hospital Wing for five day’s she convinced Draco to do some exploring of the castle with her, they still hadn’t found Ravenclaw’s secret room. ‘Walking will do me good.’ She’d told him. The truth was that she wasn’t leaving her common room except for meal times and for her daily check-up with Pomfrey and she was getting a little stir crazy. 

There she was, map in one hand, Draco’s arm in the other. She was still lightly using him as a crutch but she could just about manage stairs alone now. She thanked the Gods for magical healing. If she only had muggle science, she would probably still be bedbound. Hell, she’d probably have bled to death. 

The fact that if she hadn’t been in her Animagus form than she would now be a Werewolf was not something she wanted to dwell on. She couldn’t imagine losing control of her body and her mind once a month, again she pitied Neville. Once she was well enough to haul heavy books around the library, she would begin researching why she hadn’t been infected. Sure, she had been an animal at the time, but deep down she was a human and a bite really should have changed her. 

News had come that morning that Neville was up and about. The news that he had survived his ordeal and was apparently on a rapid road to recovery caused a feeling of deep relief. ‘Longbottom’s are tough old things.’ Draco said.

‘Yeah, his nan is hardcore.’ Hermione nodded as they walked down the seventh-floor corridor.

Draco looked at her with a puzzling look. ‘I meant his parents. To survive what they did is immense, in any state.’ 

Hermione nodded along as Draco spoke. 

Then they both froze. ‘Is that Mrs. Norris coming up on the map?’ Draco asked. 

Hermione nodded and they turned and walked back the other way. ‘Oh, crap.’ Hermione pointed at the map again. Filch was coming the other way.

They turned again. ‘We need somewhere to hide.’ Draco hissed. 

They began pacing back and forth on that corridor as their doom of being caught out after curfew by Filch. Even Hermione would get in trouble if caught by that monster. 

Suddenly, a door appeared before them. After a shared look of befuddlement, they raced into the room and got the door shut just in time for Filch to turn the corridor. 

‘Holy Shit.’ Draco said. He’d turned to face the room while Hermione slammed the door. 

Hermione turned to face the room too, she wondered why Filch hadn’t come bursting in after them yet, perhaps the door had disappeared as soon as it had arrived. For a moment, Hermione panicked that they were trapped in the room now. 

‘Holy shit.’ Hermione agreed.

Holy shit indeed. Before them stretched towering mountains of, for lack of a better word, junk. Hermione could spot a few treasures poking out from the piles of rubble though, there were jewels and cloaks, and some beautiful old editions of rare volumes stashed on certain piles. 

‘A room to hide indeed.’ Draco gave her a very surprised look. 

‘Reckon this is it?’ Hermine asked as she stepped forwards into the room, it smelt oddly like an old bookshop or antique store she realised. 

‘Ravenclaw’s room? I dunno, thought she’d have made something a bit more impressive. And how did we even get it?’ Draco asked as he stepped to a coat and hat stand made of dark wood and lightly fingered one of the silver cloaks that lay hung there. ‘I think these are old invisibility cloaks. You know, ones that have lost their charms?’ 

Hermione nodded in agreement, mainly because there were little see-through patches on some of them. 

‘How did we get in here? That is a good question.’ Draco knew getting a conversation out of Hermione now would be a pointless quest, she had her “deep in thought” face on. He stepped forwards to examine a broken old cabinet.

How had they gotten inside? Hermione was thinking now. They’d wanted somewhere to hide, was the fact that they were on the seventh floor in that exact place a fact, or would the room appear anywhere in the school. No, the location was necessary, Hermione had needed a place to hide frequently when with Fred and George and a room had never spontaneously appeared for her. But then, why would a founder create a room solely for misbehaving students to hide in? Perhaps that wasn’t the room's original intent? Perhaps it used to be some sort of training space like Gryffindor had built, only this one had become a dumping ground for anyone lucky enough to know of it. 

Hermione decided she would dwell on this later. She looked up to see Draco had moved to stand in-between some winged catapults and Fanged frisbees that kept trying to bite him every time he attempted to pick one up. 

‘Yeah, I think this is Ravenclaw’s room.’ Hermione spoke as she noticed a truly ridiculous pile of books that dominated an entire mountainous pile. There must have been thousands of books hidden in here. Hermione wondered if she would be able to catalogue them and place them in the secret library downstairs. 

Her attention was next taken by a large circular table that bore hundred of chipped bottles containing various potions. Some smelt foul and had congealed, Hermione vanished those. But some smelt so nice that she found herself leaning in to smell more, the intense smell of cinnamon, and an aromatic smell she recognised from the many Spa days she and Daphne had now embarked on, the final smell she knew to be Draco’s cologne. It must have been Amortentia. Hermione was curious if Draco would smell her perfume as clearly as she smelt him, but decided best not and vanished the enticing concoction. Thanks to new teenage rampant hormones Hermione noticed that she’d been getting a little bit giggly around Draco, she hoped that nobody noticed. It helped that he’d been her friend for three years now, otherwise, she wouldn’t know how to act around him. She wondered if Draco was going through this same annoying struggle as she vanished four more batches of love potion. 

Draco was moving to examine a hat stand that only contained hats now. He had picked up a red one with a large flower on it. ‘Don’t think it’s really your colour.’ Hermione teased him.

Draco paid her no mind. ‘Just wondering if they have any magical properties.’ 

Hermione shrugged from her spot next to the old potions. ‘Probably don’t put any of them on, just in case.’

Draco replaced the hat and disappeared around a corner of one of the massive piles to look at what he said looked to be dragon eggshells. ‘If there are any dragons hidden under these piles of junk, I’m going to be so mad.’ Hermione had heard him muttering. 

Hermione disappeared around a different stack of junk and was surprised to find that she couldn’t see Draco behind his pile, there was far too much stuff blocking the way. 

‘Drake!’ She called loudly. 

‘Yeah?’ His voice came back, he sounded far away from her. 

‘I think this place is a labyrinth! Conjure some thread so you don’t get lost!’ As she spoke, she was waving her wand to conjure the same golden thread that she had used in Hufflepuff’s secret tunnel.

Draco shouted back that he had done as instructed and Hermione moved to carry on her investigation. 

Draco was long down his pathway now, he’d turned left and right, then left and left again. The room seemed to stretch on forever and around each corner, he seemed to find a more fascinating object than the ones that had come before.

He moved forwards to admire what was a rather depressing amount of engagement and courting tokens, there were more hair combs and pins than he was capable of counting. He admired one of the hair comb’s, silver with three blue sapphires. It was a classy piece, clearly goblin make. 

But he still preferred the one he had given Hermione from the family vault; her long pin could act as a blade if needed, combs were pretty but rather without purpose. He greatly preferred the idea that if Hermione ever got around to wearing his declaration of promised love, though he understood why she didn’t, that she would have some form of means of protecting herself without a wand. But, to be honest, he wasn’t even sure if she still wanted that future with him, he constantly worried she’d give up on him. He would. 

He moved to admire several bracelets and some tie pins and cufflinks. Then he felt suddenly sad when he spotted a string of pearls, and he realised that all of these tokens were from relationships that never were. How many of these couples had been prevented from marrying? He moved forwards immediately without another glance at the glinting display. He held a purple thread in his hand to lay his pathway back, he’d been aiming for black if he was honest but he supposed a very dark purple wad good enough.

Hermione was admiring her own jewels. She’d come across a very odd collection of crowns, tiaras, circlets, and diadems. They were all very beautiful, there was one that was a very good impression of the King's crown. Then there was one so old and beautiful, made of twisted leaves of silver that bore no embellishment or jewel, it must have belonged to one of the High Elves of old. Hermione wished there was a mirror nearby so she could try it on. 

It was then Hermione realised the power of the room. A mirror sprung into life besides her. Not one to waste an opportunity, Hermione tried the delicate circlet on. It slipped perfectly over her usual laced bun high on her head and sat snug on her forehead, it seemed to have shrunk to fit her head. The pale silver made a wonderful contrast against her dark hair, hair Daphne had been trying to convince her to dye blond. It was beautiful in its simplicity. 

She couldn’t then help herself from trying on the other crowns on the table. She was just about to try one on that had a beautiful blue dangling gem on when she had heard Draco calling for her. She placed the diadem back on the table with the other crowns and followed her golden thread back to the door of the room. 

‘It’s two in the morning.’ Draco told her as she reappeared back where they had begun. He’d only discovered this for himself when he’d come upon a great collection of grandfather clocks and wondered if Dumbledore would let him take one of mahogany for his new Denshaw Abbey, it would match the oak banisters Dobby had beautifully organised over the last two weeks. 

There was an umbrella stand next to where Draco stood, but it was full of rusting swords. Draco must have been inspecting them while he waited for her to find her way back to him.   
Hermione ignored the bloodstained axe she had to walk by to get to Draco. 

‘Did you reach the end of your pathway?’ Hermione had asked. 

‘Not even close. I think when you’re better we should scale one of the piles and see how big the room is, I think it’s had an endless charm cast on it.’ Draco told her.

This hadn’t occurred to Hermione, she had to admit that Draco had a very different way of thinking than she did, sometimes it was a good thing. She’d been walking on and on with the assumption that she would finally hit a wall. 

‘Tomorrow?’ Hermione had asked excitedly. 

Draco snorted as he walked to the door. ‘Yeah right, maybe when you don’t look like you just went four rounds with the Whomping Willow.’ 

They had observed the map and saw that Filch and Mrs Norris had gone to bed now, presumably long ago, they’d been in the room much longer than Hermione had thought. She wondered why her medication hadn’t tired her out yet. Once they knew it to be safe, they stepped from the fascinating room and hurried, well limped in her case, back to their common room. 

They were both far too excited about their discovery to go to sleep though. Hermione didn’t complain once as Draco pulled her down the stairs to the boys’ bedrooms. She had silenced the curtains around his bed and they spent the next two hours discussing their various finds. Draco had been telling her about the cage that held the skeleton of a creature with five legs when Hermione had fallen asleep on his chest. 

He couldn’t help himself; he ran his fingers through her lovely hair and fell asleep to dreams of her wearing that blue hair comb he had found, only to be horrified to find that a faceless wizard had gifted it to her.

Hermione, however, had more agreeable dreams, dreams of falling over the many empty sherry bottles she’d kept finding to land softly at the foot of some new amazing find. She dreamed her final find to be the Mirror of Erised that she had come to know in her first year, only it looked much cleaner, and she saw herself wearing that silver circlet with Draco on her arm wearing a Duke’s coronet. 

Classes were over now, but the term was not. It was an odd and pleasant time of the year caught in that lull of riding the post-exam highs and lows and waiting to return home for various holidays. It was a time of laying outside in the sun with friends, this was the time of year when most cherished memories were made. 

The weekly duelling club had met for the last time of the year. Hermione had been moderating along with Flitwick, he’d said she wasn’t recovered enough to duel. Personally, she was getting a bit miffed with everyone treating her like she was made of glass. The marks on her face were all healed into pink lines now that Pomfrey said would hopefully be gone by the time turn ended. She could move just fine now as well, thank you very much, the next person to offer her help up a staircase was getting jinxed. 

The only person who seemed to get her state was Daphne, although that was probably because she was still helping her get in and out of the shower. Draco had slapped Theo over the back of the head one night when he’d offered Hermione help in the shower with his usual teasing voice, Theo had discovered a new hobby this year, making girls blush seemed to enjoy him more than Quidditch.

Hermione thought she’d seen an actual flash of worry in Draco’s eyes at Theo’s joke though and scoffed, Hermione and Theo had gone out when they were like eleven, they’d practiced hand-holding and terrible kissing. Daphne’s misguided kiss had been much more enjoyable than all of hers and Theo’s kisses combined. This thought made Hermione blush scarlet and cringe at the memory of Draco walking in on that scene.

Fred managed to knock Lee Jordan off his feet with a well-timed stunner, his gloating face split into an even greater grin when Hermione had complimented his wand work. He’d made some innuendo and carried on duelling his friend.

Draco had made it through all the rounds so far, mainly because every time he was disarmed, he’d break out his now not so secret weapon, Excalibur. Flitwick was allowing him to use it in what could only be described as pure royal favouritism. 

The fact that he could absorb and shoot back any spell cast at him and shoot it right back at his very surprised opponent had him beating the cocky Head Boy Percy Weasley, who had been boasting that with Hermione out of the running he ought to win. Draco had knocked him out in the first round, all without drawing his wand. 

He’d used this same tactic on Marcus Flint and George Weasley and was now facing the Head Girl Penelope Clearwater in the finals. 

But Clearwater hadn’t been made Head Girl for her pretty face. She quickly got to grips with what Draco’s sword was capable of and was soon using elemental spells on him, she blasted him off his feet with a great gush of air and managed to draw first blood with a small nick to his right arm. Flitwick had drawn first blood on Penelope after this, but she’d put on a good show. Hermione felt light cheering for Penelope’s win, the two girls had formed a silent solidarity after they’d been petrified together last year. 

Draco had good-naturedly taken his defeat, but was excited to use his sword in the duels next year after a summer of practice. Hermione had silenced him with a reminder that she would be fighting fit by the time the next duelling classes came around. 

Draco’s only consolation was in his fencing class he’d used the new tricks Aloise had taught him and had disarmed everyone, including the master instructor, in record time. He had no hope of beating Hermione or Flitwick, but at least he could best them with a sword. Then he realised he was consoling himself with the knowledge that he could beat a girl and a dwarf in combat and went back to sulking. 

It was Saturday when Pomfrey had said her marks were as healed as she was going to get them, and after making sure they weren’t causing Hermione any pain, discharged her from her daily check ins and sent her off with the scar reducing paste. 

Hermione had already begun writing up some tweaks she could make to the paste to make it more potent. She had one week left before they would return to the Muggle world and she wanted to have it brewed and ready to use by the time she got on the train. Snape had agreed with her adjustments and offered her some commentary. The usual lines of “why this ingredient?” or “why this stir here?”. The usual lines were to force her to delve into her reasoning and Hermione had to give it to Snape, it was a damned effective method that kept her on her toes. 

They’d had the potion brewed up over an afternoon, she knew it would do nothing for the mark on her hip and waist but at least she knew her face wouldn’t have any resulting scars, no matter how faded. Snape had offered her his normal praise of giving her books to study over the summer and kicked her out of his office. 

There was one thing that she really wanted to do though since the moment she’d woken back up in the Hospital Wing. That want was to change back into her Animagus form. She knew that she now had a lifelong scar and she was curious to know if there would be any change to her form because of it. 

With that reasoning, she took Draco into Gryffindor’s secret room, right before they went investigating the room of hidden junk as they had begun to call it. 

‘So, you want me to inspect you?’ Draco had asked with a bemused expression. 

Hermione nodded. ‘Yeah, look on my right flank. Scar’s on my right hip so it makes sense a new mark would be there.’ 

Draco nodded. ‘Come on then. I want to go look at that collection of Hungarian Mirror traps.’ 

Hermione straightened up. ‘We’re not going anywhere near those death traps.’ 

Draco rolled his eyes and stepped back from her, gesturing for her to go ahead. 

With a shudder and a sharp pain on her right hip, she changed into her massive wolf form. She had massively underestimated her size when she’d first changed, she had to be over six foot like this. Taller than Draco at any rate and he was tall for his age. These were the years before boys had their growth spurts and they were all about the same height as most girls and shorter than some girls. 

Draco looked at her impressed. ‘You know, I’ll never get used to that.’ He moved to her right flank, stroking his hand down her side as she went. ‘Yeah, there’s a mark. It’s like a little slash where you don’t have any fur. Like when someone gets a scar on their eyebrow.’ 

Hermione shuddered as she turned back, her hip scar ached as she shifted. She really hoped that would go away as the mark healed, but it was a cursed mark, so it might not ever happen. She supposed she could live with that; Neville had come out far worse than she had. 

She knew the mark would have affected her wolf form; it was too big and too permanent not to have. Daphne had started crying the first time she’d seen the hip wound come out from its many layers of bandage. 

Draco was giving her a sympathetic look once she was human again. ‘Drake honestly, I’m fine. I’m just happy I’m not a Werewolf.’ 

They began the walk to the seventh floor. 

‘I wouldn’t mind if you were.’ Draco said seriously. Before the St Mungo’s specialist on lycanthropy had given her a definitive all-clear, they’d had the “what if” conversation about a million times. Each time the first word out of Draco’s mouth had been that she would still be his number one if she was. 

‘I’m halfway there.’ She joked lightly. 

Draco grinned. ‘You could be my were-kitten.’

‘Oh, it’s _your_ were-kitten is it?’

‘Pffft. No. You know what I mean.’ Draco stumbled over his words and then literally stumbled over his own feet and had to catch himself before he could fall on his perfect face.

‘Uh-huh. Yeah. Whatever you say _My Lord_.’ She understood Theo’s new hobby of making girls blush, seeing that little red flush creep up Draco’s face made her feel oddly light and floaty. 

That day that had gone to the new room and climbed up the first stable-looking pile of old tables of solid and sturdy wood. Draco had been right, there was an endless room charm cast on the room, a pretty powerful one at that, it seemed to go on forever. 

‘I got a letter from my Uncle this morning.’ Draco told her as they climbed back down. 

‘Oh yeah?’ Hermione said as she secured her left foot on the table below and let herself drop.

‘You should hear from him tomorrow. It’s about our investiture ceremonies. They’re going to make it a joint deal near the end of summer so you can have time to heal.’ He told her. He dropped down onto the floor below and took her by the waist to list her down, he didn’t want her to jostle that hip too much. 

That days exploring was at Draco’s lead, Hermione wasn’t surprised at all when he brought her face to face with the collection of Hungarian Mirror traps. Hermione wondered if Dumbledore was aware of such dark artifacts exciting in his school. Hermione said she would smash them if Draco tried to touch any of the gilded frames. Even still, she cared a message into the stone floor in front of the large mirrors:_ DANGEROUS ARTIFACT. DO NOT TOUCH!_

They’d admired what looked like relics leftover from McGonagall’s giant chess set and both of them cringed at the memory of Draco being taken out by the giant stone Queen.   
Then Hermione had shown him the collection of crowns in order to show him that silver circlet she’d liked so much. They had delved further in then, coming to find many objects Fred and George would have loved that had clearly been stashed by students about to be caught. 

They found a very nice selection of, now aged, fire-whiskey. Some of Ogden’s finest was before them, Draco wanted to open a bottle but Hermione had convinced him that he hadn’t experienced enough good vintage to know a great vintage yet. He accepted that load of bollocks like the royal prat he was and they moved on. 

They had come to inspect the room every day since they had discovered it. They knew how to get in easily, pace in front of the door while saying they needed to hide. It also worked by just thinking it, it turned out, after some experimentation. 

Hermione had tried summoning different objects to her in the room now since she’d first conjured that mirror, which she now realised with horror was a part of the Hungarian Mirror collection. She’d realised this room could be incredibly useful. It also explained how people had hidden objects so deeply into the maze, the sort answer was that they hadn’t.

‘I need somewhere to hide a wand.’ Hermione had spoken calmly and a table with an impressive wand display had appeared before them. Once she had inspected the mostly broken wands that lay on the table, she said she was done and the table vanished back to its place deep in the room once again. The duo was now greatly more impressed with Ravenclaw’s room.

It was late when Hermione got back to her own bed that night, she’d batted Draco away. She knew he was still worried about her being injured but she was truly on the mend now and didn’t need his constant supervision. She had curled up in her own bed and re-read the letter from Lupin before checking the letter to Neville was still hidden safely away in her book. It was. 

News had come that Neville was insisting he could return to school. He could walk on his own now and his shoulder wound was finally staying shut. The healers had given that his condition was improved enough that Madam Pomfrey could look after him for one week before term ended. Everyone was set for his return the next day, they had all planned to be loving and supportive but not overwhelm him. 

Daphne had lightly poked her awake the next day. Hermione had tried getting into the shower herself that morning but did have to have Daphne help her back out, lateral movement on a slippery surface straight up gave her anxiety about re-injuring herself. 

Once she’d got her hair dry and straight, she sat down at her vanity to let Daphne style it and do her makeup. Daphne had honestly been a lifeline since she had gotten hurt, if she wanted to play with Hermione like she was a dress-up doll she would let her and feign enjoyment. 

She reached and opened the marble music box that Draco had bought for her and Daphne what seemed an age ago now. She listened to the soothing lullaby while Daphne began twisting her hair into an elegant knot. ‘I know you like that lace bun Granger but for Gods sake, you need to change it up a bit sometimes.’ 

Hermione had sighed and resigned herself to the many bobby pins Daphne was pushing through her hair as she sat there in her dressing gown.

A light cover of makeup later, with some beautiful work with the concealer, and Hermione looked like there had been no fight at all. She shut the lid on her music box and turned to her best friend.

‘Thanks, Daph, I love it.’ 

‘Wear that yellow sundress with the white wedges.’ Daphne told her as she went to sit at her own vanity and opened her own music box. 

‘I have a mangled hip, Daphne. I’ll meet you halfway and wear the white flats.’ Hermione rolled her eyes and made her way to the wardrobe. 

Fred had begun breakfast that day with his favourite game. Guessing the name of the infamous Hufflepuff girl that he was claiming he wanted to marry now. 

‘I’m sorry, didn’t she hit you?’ Harry had asked as he ate his breakfast sausage. 

The Slytherin’s had graced the Gryffindor table that morning, well Hermione and Draco had. Theo and Blaise were having a very uncivilised food fight on the Slytherin table as they had walked in a few minutes late, the decision of where to sit was an easy one after that.

‘Anyway, I will find Kora.’ Fred said.

‘You’ve never seen her at mealtimes?’ Hermione asked with a raised brow.

Fred sighed and shook his head. ‘Kandace is a slippery devil. I must just keep missing her.’

‘What? You just keep missing her three meals a day for a month?’ Draco asked. 

Fred gave a solemn nod. ‘Kangaroo eats at weird times.’ 

‘Kangaroo?’ George asked. He followed this with a slap to the back of his brother’s head. 

‘You know, hitting your brother that much is probably going to damage his brain.’ Came a new voice to the right of the hall.

‘Neville!’ Came a joyous chorus.

Everyone leaped up and took their turn in hugging the boy. Hermione noticed how pale the boy was after her hug. 

‘Neville, sit down.’ She told him firmly, but with a kind smile of understanding. 

Neville looked relieved someone had invited him to sit and Hermione realised with a great swell of pity that Neville had actually been waiting for an invite to sit with his own friends. Poor Neville. 

‘I’m so happy them Dementor’s have gone.’ Neville made light conversation as he sat down. ‘I really didn’t want to see that with this.’ He gestured to his shoulder as he spoke. It was like he was reminding the group of what he was to gauge their reactions. Again, poor Neville.

Hermione decided to put him out of his misery. ‘Nev, nobody cares that you are a Werewolf. We all still love you very much.’ She told him gently. 

Everyone at the table nodded before stating their opinion of Neville had not changed. 

‘Yeah, just because you have a fluffy problem now doesn’t mean you won’t cream the Slytherin’s at Quidditch.’ Fred joined in. George slapped his brother over the back of his head.

Hermione could see Neville’s eyes reddening. ‘Would you like to go for a walk?’ She asked him. ‘You like you could go for some sun.’ She told him.

Neville gave her a grateful smile and let her lead him from the Great Hall, he waved at his friends at the Slytherin table as they walked out. He pretended not to notice how anyone, not his friend, flinched if he got too close to them in his walking. Hermione did notice this and began shooting nasty glares at people, she looped her arm through his as they walked as a show of solidarity. 

But she didn’t pull him outside. She pulled him down the Slytherin dungeons. ‘I have something for you.’ She said in a serious voice. ‘I’m not sure if it’ll upset you though. Lupin left a letter for you.’ 

Neville flinched at the name and she knew that her suspicions that his favourite teacher attacking him had done more damage than the Werewolf curse had. Okay, maybe that was a bit of a stretch, but he was clearly very upset about it. 

But he nodded. ‘I want to see it.’ 

Hermione left him in the empty corridor for a moment while she dipped into her common room. She quickly got the thick envelope and returned to Neville, who was wobbling slightly. 

Hermione offered him her arm; it was her turn to be the crutch now. ‘Come on, you can read it outside in the sun.’ She said as she passed it over to him. 

He allowed her to pull her outside but did say, ‘Actually, do you mind if I read it on my own?’ 

She had nodded her head instantly, no matter how curious she was, what Neville needed came first. 

She had given him some space, leaving him sitting by the waters edge for a good fifteen minutes while he read and then re-read the letter. Once she saw him tuck it into his jacket, she knew it was safe to go back to him.

‘What does he say?’ She asked. ‘You don’t have to tell me. Sorry, I’m nosy.’ 

He shrugged the jacket off in the heat of the sun and balled it up behind him head to lay down. ‘How sorry he is, then some advice.’ 

Hermione nodded. Neville showed no move of letting her read that letter but she immediately decided that it was a highly personal letter and wasn’t any of her business.

Blaise and Draco came and plopped down next to them after a while. Blaise had lightly punched Neville’s good arm. 

‘Good to see you, Longbottom.’ He had said. 

Hermione could have sworn that Neville winked at Blaise, but it must have been a trick of the light.

Then Draco went and spoke with his usual level of tact. ‘So, what do you see when you get near a Dementor?’ 

Hermione had to admit she was curious about the answer as well. 

Neville sighed and Blaise gave him a concerned expression. ‘When my parents were attacked, they hid me under the bed in their last seconds. I don’t know how the Death Eaters didn’t find me. My parents never walked out of that room. I saw everything. I didn’t know I knew that until I got near a Dementor.’ 

Hermione flung her arms around Neville and then immediately let go of him when he yelped in pain. ‘Sorry! Sorry!’ She gushed. 

He rolled his injured shoulder. ‘No, sorry, it’s fine. It’s just ridiculously tender.’ He told her. 

They all sat in silence for a few minutes, peacefully enjoying each others company. 

‘You all need to be more careful or one of you won’t make it to graduation.’ Blaise told them as he shook his head. ‘Honestly, Draco fighting off all those Dementor’s with Potter, you fighting a Werewolf Granger, and you-’ He rounded on Neville.

Neville was smiling. ‘I know, I know. What kind of idiot jumps in front of a Werewolf?’

Oh, perhaps they wouldn’t be waiting years before they could joke about this. Neville was clearly using dark humour as a coping mechanism. 

‘I’ll be honest.’ Neville carried on. ‘I kind of forgot about him being there. I was just thinking about Pettigrew getting away.’ 

‘You forgot about the giant vicious man-killing Werewolf?’ Draco asked.

Neville nodded sheepishly. 

‘You absolute tit.’ Blaise said. 

Hermione smiled at the boys, it seemed things were back to normal.

******************************

Feed me your comments.

Also, perhaps some critiques to help me improve my writing? Nothing mean enough to make me go and have a cry in the shower though.

E x


	61. Crystal Balls

Monday came in a warm befuddlement. The intense July heat, heat unusual for the wilds of Scotland, was making everybody incredibly tired. It was a good thing classes were over; nobody would be able to pay attention. Hermione now understood why some foreign magic schools had lessons from eight am until twelve pm and then resumed from three pm until seven pm. Hermione thought she was correct in thinking all the equator schools did this. 

There was one school she’d read about before she’d ever come to Hogwarts that had to become Nocturnal in order to function; their classes began at midnight and ended at eight am. Curfew was then from two pm. That’s what you got for building a school in the middle of the Sahara dessert. Shule ya Usiku was a fascinating school that she would be very curious to see one-

‘Granger! Get your head out of that book and play with us!’ Blaise ordered. 

Hermione groaned; her friends were having a water fight in the black lake. Her hip wound had finally faded into a thick and jagged dark scar with the help of the new paste she and Snape had worked on, so she couldn’t even claim she didn’t want her wound to get infected. 

That’s what Neville was claiming, as he sat on the river’s edge with his feet dangling in; to be fair the thick gauze on his shoulder that was peeking out of the corner of his black t-shirt was doing a lot to his tale of woe, the lad probably wanted nothing more than to frolic in the water with his friends. Poor Neville.

And they day had started so well, Hermione grumbled to herself as she rolled up the cuffs of her jeans. 

Breakfast had begun with a letter from The King. Draco had caved to the pressure from his friends and asked his uncle why nobody under the age of eighteen had been invited to the ball. The King’s reply had been brief and hadn’t given much away, but he had hinted that Hogwarts would be hosting some kind of event next year. This led them to assume that Hogwarts would be hosting its own Christmas ball like the other foreign schools they’d heard about. This did a lot to cheer the group. 

Harry was also thrilled by the front page of the Prophet that morning. In fact, he had been that thrilled that he spat his goblet of pumpkin juice all over Ronald Weasley’s back in shock. 

Ron, who had just about managed to walk on his new leg, didn’t even bother trying to retaliate. Losing his leg had done a lot to silence him, he hadn’t said a word to anyone actually. 

The title of the front page had read: _FULL-SCALE INQUIRY INTO THE GUILT OF SIRIUS BLACK TO TAKE PLACE!_

Under this title lay another:

_PETER PETTIGREW LIVES! WAR HERO A SECRET DEATH EATER!_

Under these two massive titles lay two side-by-side portraits of Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew. They hadn’t used Sirius’ mugshot, which was nice, they’d used what Harry said was a picture of him at his parent's wedding. They’d used the same picture of Pettigrew which was less nice, but Harry had smiled and said that soon Pettigrew would have a mugshot to grace the front page.

The evidence was listed on the next page. A large picture of the Kings List, the list of the condemned was filling page two. Peter Pettigrew’s name had been circled twice. 

The next page was filled with interviews from: The King, Dumbledore, The Minister, the Head of the Auror Department, Head of the Department of Law Enforcement, along with several quotes from members of the Wizengamot. All of these people had once publicly condemned Black and now they were making him out to be a tragic hero. 

The news that Pettigrew was alive was creating a lot of new questions. Muggles at the scene of the street explosion who’d once had their memories erased were being brought back in for what the Prophet was calling “intense questioning”, Hermione didn’t want to know what intense questioning would do to the minds of those poor muggles.

Hermione waded into the Black Lake and had an incredibly brief frolic. But then she thought of a perfect excuse to get out of being soaked further with murky lake water. 

She leaned into Draco and whispered in his ear. ‘Want to go explore the Junk Room?’ 

She’d said the magic words. Draco excused them with the magic words of “library” and “summer project” and they managed to slip away quickly back inside the castle. Hermione cast a drying spell on them as they went.

They reached the seventh floor, admittedly not in record time thanks to Grangers hip, and began pacing in front of the door. ‘I need somewhere to hide.’ They both spoke together. 

It seemed the towering pathways changed each time they went it, making necessary Hermione’s golden thread. Today, they took a middle pathway and went straight ahead at ten piles and then took a random left turn. But this was a rare dead end. Hermione and Draco understood why instantly.

‘Is that-’ Draco began.

‘The Mirror of Erised.’ Hermione finished. 

The golden mirror was surrounded by several incomplete sets of armour, although Hermione suspected that Dumbledore might have charmed some security for the mirror should anyone try to snatch it. 

Neither teen could help themselves from stepping up to look in the mirror.

Both of their visions were exactly the same, though they did not know this. They both saw the two of them as adults, she and Draco wearing the coronets of a Duke and Duchess. On either side of them was a blond child, a boy, and a girl. There was one difference, Hermione imagined them at the temple at Regis Tera, Draco imagined them inhabiting Denshaw Abbey. Beside the couple and their family stood Matilda, she wore the King’s crown on her head and a blond boy stood next to her, clearly her son. 

‘What do you see?’ Draco asked. 

‘Getting my Potions Mastery.’ Hermione said quickly. ‘What about you?’

‘Same.’ 

‘You see me getting my potions mastery?’ She asked him with a cheeky grin.

Draco rolled his eyes and shoved her lightly. ‘Don’t be a dick, you know what I mean. Graduating, starting life. All that jazz.’

They accepted each other’s lies and moved to explore further into the room. Hermione made a mental note never to go straight ten times and take a left again. 

They came, as ever, to a book mountain. Draco had given up on trying to drag her away from these. 

‘Hey this one is on Animagus’’ Hermione said excitedly. 

That did spark something he’d been meaning to ask her. ‘I want you to teach me.’ He said, thinking she would know what he meant. 

She didn’t look up from the book. ‘What subject?’ 

‘How to become an Animagus.’ Draco said.

Hermione looked up from her book. ‘Alright. We’ll start tomorrow.’ 

‘Thanks.’ He said with a smile, he knew she’d do it. Then he earned a cheeky grin. ‘It’s a shame you turn into a wolf.’

‘And why is that?’ Hermione asked as they began to walk back out of the maze of treasures. 

‘Because I think you’d make a great Kitten.’ She elbowed him in the ribs. ‘You know I’m right!’ He laughed. 

Then she froze. She had been right. Madam Sybil had been right. Hermione suddenly felt very sick.

Draco noticed. ‘Kitten? Granger? Hermione?’

Her head snapped up at her own name, ‘Madam Sybil was right about Neville. His blood was tainted.’ She said in a small voice. 

‘Okay?’ Draco was frowning. Had she hit her head on a low hanging piece of rubble?

‘What else has she been right about, Draco?’ Hermione whispered.

‘Oh.’ Draco said. Then every prediction of death and suffering she had ever made ran through his head. Then he shook his head, no, he wasn’t having it. ‘Hermione, she was bound to be right at least once. Think about it logically, there is no way that much of death and suffering can happen.’

But Hermione wasn’t listening. She was raking her mind for any death predictions that might have been made about Draco’s death. According to him, and other spectators, she just kept apologising to him. That was enough for Hermione; she nodded along to whatever Draco was saying while she made a pact with herself, she would do anything it took to keep Draco alive. Anything. If it cost her own life it would be an easy choice. He lived.

Once they reached their common room again Hermione excused herself to go to her room. ‘I want to get some reading done before summer.’ She’d mumbled before walking straight past her mates on the couch and into her room.

She was going to hit the ground running on her new life-saving mission. She began with the Gods books Draco had gifted her. 

She spent hours flicking through the volumes, finally getting to read chapters she hadn’t explored yet. She began to compile a list of options: 

•_ The White-Haired Maiden – _power_ of a god could bring someone to life?_  
_• Blood Magic – light/ Dark doesn’t matter_  
_• Life Transference – _bit_ of a stretch/ doesn't seem to wrok a lot of the time_

After a few hours she had a good few other options on her list: 

• _Phoenix Tears – Healed Draco’s Basilisk injury, _good_ thing to keep on hand_  
_• Summon Aloise for a few drops of Dusman blood - mix it into the Sano potion and force it down Draco’s throat if he gets cursed_  
_• <strike>Tom Riddle’s Diary – Figure out what the hell magic was used there and then somehow get Draco’s soul in a book and then figure out how to</strike>_ – (This one trailed off as she realised it was probably a bit above her ability)

Then she had two desperate fallback options: 

_• Grab Draco and hide him_  
_• Use Time-Travel and damn the consequences. _

Hermione had read the chapter about life transference and the Gods. The idea just seemed so fascinating to her. 

_Some call it the rite of giving, some the act of transference, some just call it the giving. _  
_The act of giving a person the remainder of your years is a surprisingly simple one. One cut to the palm over the victim and a plea to the Gods. The difficulty is if the Gods will accept the offer, for the Gods must protect the balance above all else. _

There was even an example explaining how it would work:_ If an ailing Grandfather were to give his life for his sick grandchild she would only live for a few more months or years as he would have._ So, if she were to give her life for someone, they would get all her extra years of life which she hoped was a good eighty years at least seeing as Wizards live longer. 

She figured she had the ritual pretty well understood. If the Gods accepted the swap, which it sounded like they rarely did, you only got the remainder of that person’s years. Say if her dad gave his life for her she would get probably another thirty or forty years because she’d acquired her father’s lifespan. 

The number of cases failing in the ritual were ten times more common than the successful ones. The Gods often ignored the pleas.

In her research she’d come across a rather interesting little ritual called “Change Your World”, she’d dog-eared the page. Dog-earing was one of her greatest failings in her opinion, but she just couldn’t break the habit. Anyway, she’d found it very odd but not relevant at the time, so she marked it for later study. 

Hermione felt much better after she’d compiled her life-saving list. She’d already made it a mission the next time she did something particularly amazing and school-saving, that she would ask Dumbledore for some Phoenix tears. 

She’d claim it was all for academic purposes of course, she supposed if she were to talk up to her headmaster and say: “Hey Dumbles, can I have some tears from your beloved animal companion? I’ve become paranoid Draco’s going to die because of something the insane woman in the castle attic said.” He might think she’d lost her marbles. 

It was in these better spirits that she threw herself with renewed enthusiasm into exploring the Junk Room with Draco. They’d abandoned attempts at mapping the room, everything seemed to change location each time they went in. 

The only wall that didn’t seem to go on forever was the one that held the door in and out, Hermione wondered if she’d be able to conjure her ball of gold thread silently, she’d been casting it that much now. Although there had been one small incident where her thread had gotten caught on the sharp edge of a splintered table and split without her knowing. Draco had had to scale three giant piles in order to see the main door and guide them out of the maze. 

‘Where’s Draco?’ She asked at lunch, dwelling on their adventures had made her realise he wasn’t here.

‘Keisha?’ Fred asked his brother, who shook his head. ‘What was that Hermione? What about Kai?’ His brother gave him a dry look.

‘I haven’t seen him, Granger.’ George told her. 

‘I think he’s with Blaise.’ Fred offered. 

Hermione shrugged and went back to her eggs. 

‘What about Kite?’

George slapped his brother on the back of his head.

Draco was indeed with Blaise. 

‘Why are we up here Drake?’ Blaise complained as they neared the Divination classroom steps. 

‘I want to check something and I don’t want Hermione worrying about me any more than she is.’ Draco told his as they scaled the steps in. 

‘Hermione isn’t worried about you?’

Draco snorted. ‘Oh please. She’s the worst liar ever. Haven’t you seen that list she’s working on?’ 

‘No?’ Blaise raised an eyebrow.

‘Well. I went through her bag when she was asleep to be fair. Don’t give that look! I was concerned about her! Anyway, because Madam Sybil was right about Neville, she thinks she’s right about the rest.’ Draco told him.

Blaise froze on the steps next to Draco. ‘She’s said I’m going to die loads.’ 

Draco slapped him on the arm. ‘Well, yeah. We’ll all die one day, won’t we. She’ll be right eventually.’ 

Blaise was shaking his head. ‘She said I’d have a great love and die tragically young.’ 

Blaise wasn’t moving up the stairs, he seemed frozen on the banister. 

‘She’s wrong, mate.’ Draco looked up to the hatch of the classroom and back down at Blaise, who seemed to have completely zoned out. ‘You don’t have to come with me, mate. Go enjoy the sun.’   
Blaise nodded. ‘Yeah. Think I want a walk.’ 

Draco watched as Blaise disappeared down the corridor and down the stairs. Great, now he had someone else he needed to worry about. Why had he told him that? He wondered if he could get Hermione to Obliviate the poor boy, probably not. 

With a sigh, he pushed forwards into the classroom. It was lunchtime so he knew Madam Sybil would be out stocking up on her secret sherry collection. He made haste to the cupboard where the crystal balls lived. 

He picked the biggest one, the one Madam Sybil usually kept her desk and placed it on the room's central table. Curiosity had finally gotten to him, he had seen the future in the crystal ball during his exam, he wanted to see what else he could see. 

He sat down in front of the ball. The fact that he had seers’ blood could be traced back centuries, it couldn’t be denied. Sextus Malfoy II, the oldest ever crowned King at the age of eighty, had been married to the famed Icelandic Seer Astrid Sturludóttir. He’d married her in the thirteenth century and as far as Draco was aware, “The Gift” hadn’t been seen in his family since.

Draco sat and stared at that ball for what felt like hours, in fact, he was there for thirty minutes. He knew Sybil would be coming back any minute, this had clearly been a waste of time. He sighed and leaned back in his chair when something in the ball caught his eye. He watched in horror. 

Dinner came about and Draco hadn’t been seen all day. Blaise had gone very quiet and feigned a headache, nobody had seen him since he’d retreated to his bedroom. 

‘Another year over!’ Dumbledore stood to address the crowd.

The Slytherin banners were decorating the room, they’d won by a landslide. 

‘I find I have many last-minute points to give out!’ Dumbledore said. 

An excited chatter broke out over the room. Dumbledore smiled, the headmaster lived for these suspenseful and fun moments with his students. 

‘First, to Miss Ginevra Weasley.’ Dumbledore said. Hermione glanced at the Gryffindor table where Ginny was sat in between Harry and Neville. She was blushing scarlet; it did not suit her flaming hair. 

‘For bravery in the face of the unknown, I award Gryffindor twenty points.’ Ginny buried her face in her arms to hide from the room full of staring students. 

Hermione suspected Dumbledore was going to give out points to anyone who had been involved with the whole Black escapade. She had a sneaky suspicion that her house wouldn’t be hoisting the house cup this year.

‘Next to Mr. Draco Malfoy. For his time management skills. Fifty points.’ Dumbledore said.

The room cheered and then seemed to realise that Draco wasn’t in the room in his usual spot next to Hermione.

‘For selflessly protecting her friends at great risk to herself. I award fifty points to Miss Hermione Granger.’ Theo clapped her on the back that hard she had a coughing fit.

‘For bravery against agents of fear, Mr. Harry Potter. Fifty points.’ The Gryffindor’s thundered in applause. They were now second place, a respectable finish.

‘To Mr. Ronald Weasley. Twenty points.’ Dumbledore said. There was a polite applause. But Ron seemed enraged, he got up in a huff and stormed out of the great hall. 

Dumbledore ignored these dramatics. 

‘Finally. To Mr. Neville Longbottom.’ The room fell silent. ‘Many of you will not know the story of what happened, I will say this. Neville sent up many red sparks that saved his friend's lives. For this act, I award him twenty points.’

There was a loud applause from the Gryffindor table, they were now tied with Slytherin. 

‘Furthermore, for intense bravery despite the risk he was putting himself under, I award Mr. Longbottom a further fifty points.’ 

The Gryffindor table erupted. 

Hermione didn’t even mind as Dumbledore waved his hands and the Gryffindor banner replaced her own. Well deserved, she thought. Neville had joined Ginny with his head in his hands. 

It seemed the Gryffindor version to their Werewolf member was suddenly over in this moment, they were all trying to clap him on the back or shake his hand. Hermine suspected Dumbledore had given Neville the winning points on purpose. 

The feast was lovely, Hermine knew Draco was off on his own somewhere but he hadn’t come to her. She’d give him a little longer until she went off to find him, perhaps he and Blaise had gotten into a fight?

Ron and Pansy were talking outside of the entrance hall as they all left. Pansy seemed to be holding a bucket in her hands. 

‘Good to know my leg was worth twenty points.’ She heard Ron grumble as he gestured at his right leg. He was wearing jeans in the warm weather so nobody had yet seen the metal leg out and about. 

She turned her attention back to Daphne. Her best friend was telling her all about a French girl she’d been writing to all year who seemed to like her back. 

This joyous moment for her friend was put to an abrupt halt at the feeling of cold gunk hitting Hermione and getting onto Daphne. Both girls screeched in shock. Hermione realised Pansy’s bucked had been filled with mushed up flobber worms.

Hermione turned, wand at the ready, but her quarry had already been stunned on the floor. Neville was stowing his wand away in his jacket. Hermione beamed at him from under her layer of slime, he’d really come a long way since he’d gotten his new wand. 

Hermione nodded her thanks to him.

‘Ew, it stinks.’ Daphne complained as she picked a flobber worm from her hair. ‘Let’s go wash them out.’

Hermione shook her head and pulled out her wand again. ‘Scourgify.’

The mush vanished from their hair at once. A spritz of perk up perfume from Daphne's bag later, and both girls regained cleanliness and a delectable floral scent. Hermione sighed at the two stunned victims on the floor, when would they learn?

Harry was there next. He was clutching a note in his hands. He completely ignored the sight of his two stunned classmates on the floor. 

‘Guess what I just got?’ He passed the note around his friends. 

It was a signed Hogsmeade permission form. Hermione smiled, ‘that’s great Harry! You should get that to Dumbledore!’ 

It had been signed by one Sirius Black, Draco and Harry had told her the story of their adventure in time during her long stay in the Hospital Wing. She hadn’t been surprised at all to see a tropical bird land in front of Harry during the feast. Harry had been so thrilled at the news of the inquiry into his Godfather's innocence when he’d seen it in the papers, he’d been riding that high ever since he’d seen the headline.

Harry nodded his agreement and turned to go back into the Great Hall where Dumbledore was deep in conversation with some of his professors.

‘Gods, I can’t believe we’ve only got two days until we go home!’ Daphne said as they walked back to the common room. 

‘Gods I can.’ Hermione groaned. ‘This year feels like it’s dragged on forever.’ 

Tracey joined in the conversation from behind them. ‘I hope next year goes faster.’ 

There were general nods of agreement. 

Hermione only went into the common room to pick up a blanket, the air had taken a cooler turn now it was evening. She set out to find her prize.

Hermione found him when he didn’t show up for dinner. He was sat by their tree looking out soulfully over the lake. His eyes were very red but he seemed calm now. 

He didn’t acknowledge her when she sat down, or when she pulled the blanket around both of their shoulders. She sat with him in silence for a few minutes before she took his hand. ‘What happened?’ 

‘I looked in a crystal ball.’ He said quietly, he still wasn’t looking at her. He scrunched his eyes shut but he couldn’t shake the image of his head. The chorus of mouths moving in the image of “Long live the King!” and a young Draco wearing his uncle's crown, the King's Crown. 

‘We didn’t stop anything Hermione.’ He finally told her. 

Hermione frowned at him, confused. ‘But Matilda can have children now?’ 

Draco gasped and wiped furiously at his eyes with his free hand. ‘I think we made it worse.’ It took him a minute to get himself calm enough to speak again; Hermione sat patiently holding his hand tightly.

‘In all my dreams, I was always an old man when I was King. But what I just saw... I was young, really young. Hogwarts age’ His voice broke at this and Hermione pulled him into a tight hug.

*************************************************************

Only one more chapter of third year - yay! And then so begins fourth year and part two of our tale. Part two is why I had to rate this as E by the by so...

If you guys notice any errors or mistakes in my story on any chapter could you let me know so I can fix it? I keep missing things in my own proofreading. 

Is anyone else noticing that fans of Dramione are also fans of Zutara? Because I am.

E x


	62. In Hindsight

The train would be leaving after a late breakfast the next day. 

All the Slytherin trunks were mostly packed and ready to be taken away. All students would be enjoying a final day in the sun with their friends before they returned to their families.

Her day began with Tracey shaking her awake. 

‘Granger! Wake up!’ 

‘Trace? What time is it?’ She asked. 

The lake outside their window was still dark. Usually, when the sun was up it hit the lake, and the reflected light would fill their room.

‘Like seven?’ Tracey said sheepishly. ‘I’ve got my period! Help.’ 

Hermione sat up and nodded as she rubbed the sleep from her eye. ‘Told you you’d get it.’

She pushed herself out of bed and reached for her wand from her bedside table. She pointed it at Tracey’s bed and then at the girl in question and cleaned them up without a word. ‘Scourgify.’

She gestured for Tracey to follow her into the bathroom.

Once Hermione had gotten Tracey sorted with a collection of pads, she found she couldn’t go back to sleep despite the early hour. She left Tracey to have a shower and with a sigh, she dressed in a white romper decorated with bright yellow sunflowers. 

She tossed her pyjamas into her full trunk. There were only a few items that weren’t packed away now, her pyjamas for that night and her travel clothes home the next day, along with a book to read on the train and a small white bag to carry it in.

She did her hair up in her usual lace braided bun, it had become something of a signature look for her now, she enjoyed having her thick hair up and out of the way while maintaining an elegant look. Hermione never took herself to be overly girly when she was younger, but three years of Daphne’s influence had rubbed off.

She would go and have a nice walk before breakfast and before the summer sun made it far too hot for any practical activity. 

She took a moment to glance at the comfortable yet regal leather sofas where Hermione could usually be found with her friends. Hermione smiled at the three years’ worth of memories but couldn’t help wonder what was to come for them all. 

The tale of Draco’s vision was sitting heavily on her heart. His vision the day of his exam had been perfectly correct, and Hermione was the kind of person to believe in the evidence of her eyes. The evidence was that Draco was seeing the future, and he’d just seen something horrifically worrying.

She forced the thought from her mind and pressed on out of the doors. 

She’d taken a lovely morning stroll around the Black Lake, enjoying the small heat the rising sun gave. She’d even sat for a little while by the edge of the lake, the new generation of Merpeople had been born in spring, the little guppies were now being taught to swim from their nests by protective mothers. 

Once she saw other students emerging onto the grounds, she began to make her way back for breakfast. 

…

Her friends were all sat at the table, her usual spot between Daphne and Draco had been reserved. 

House loyalty didn’t matter after the house cup had been awarded, students were sat all over the place. She witnessed Fred and George try and sit on the Professor’s table only to be escorted away by McGonagall dragging them away by the ear. 

The duo came and sat at the Slytherin table, George had placed two hands on little Luna’s waist and slid her along the bench and out of his usual spot. Luna seemed to think nothing of this, she merely began loading up the plate in front of her with Bacon. 

‘Karwood?’ Fred was carrying on his conversation with his brother.

‘Karwood isn’t a very girly name.’ Tracey said. 

They’d all become quite invested into the identity of this mystery girl that had so completely captured Fred’s mind.

‘He thinks the K might have been her last name.’ George filled in as he nicked some bacon from Luna’s plate.

There were some nods and sighs from the table. 

‘Keaton?’ Fred tried. 

Heads shook around the table. 

‘Kayak?’ Lee Jordan happened to be walking by the table as Fred spoke and slapped him on the back of his head. 

‘What are we all doing today, then?’ Ginny asked from her seat next to Harry.

‘We were going to see about getting a little mini-Quidditch game going?’ Fred asked.

All the boys notably perked up at this. ‘That sounds good.’ Draco said.

Hermione pinched him under the table. 

‘You guys go set it up.’ Draco continued effortlessly. ‘I’m going to help Granger gather some potions ingredients. We’ll meet you at the pitch.’ 

Breakfast was pretty much inhaled after this; teams being drawn up as they went.

The large group all hurried off to get the friendly game started while Hermione and Draco lingered behind in the entrance hall. 

…

‘Are you dressed for hunting through the woods?’ Draco asked with a raised brow at her exposed legs. 

Hermione gestured at his equally exposed legs; Draco was wearing black shorts with a white top.

Hermione elbowed him in the ribs just as they walked past the tree line.

‘Ouch! Why do you keep injuring me today?’ He rubbed at his ribs.

‘Helping me collect potions ingredients my arse. Nobody believed that! They all probably think we’re up to no good.’ She scolded him.

‘Technically, we are up to no good.’ Hermione’s look silenced him on that line of argument. ‘Well, I couldn’t bloody tell them the truth, could I?’ 

‘You’re going to miss that match. We’ll be lucky to get back in time to wave Millie off.’ Hermione told him with a sigh. 

They had gone into the woods to collect potion ingredients for Draco’s Animagus transformation. The plan was that he would keep the leaf in his mouth over the very beginning of summer while he had no speaking engagements.

His uncle had sent him the summer tour schedule while Hermione was still in the Hospital Wing. While his uncle did want to parade the Basilisk-slayer and wilder of Excalibur off, he wasn’t required to make any speeches until he would be interviewed about his investiture as Duke of Abbington. 

‘I got a reply from Armand.’ Draco told her as she harvested ingredients.

Last night, at Hermione’s urging, Draco had written to his uncle about his vision in the crystal ball. It had been a very awkward letter to write, the content had basically been telling his beloved uncle that he and his daughter would both die within a few years along with his own father. 

Draco told her about his uncle’s response. Thankfully, Armand trusted his nephew. Security was being beefed up. 

Even his wayward father was being given an additional guard, the King had sent Lucius’ old pal MacNair to guard him, he wouldn’t complain about the extra babysitter if it were his old school chum.

In Hindsight, Draco would always look back at this exchange between his beloved uncle and himself as the beginning of the end. The term “self-fulfilling Prophecy” would ring in his ears for years to come and it would take him many more years yet to get over the guilt.

Even though Lucius was on permanent house arrest, Draco had heard from his mother that his father had been petitioning the King for release for special events to promote a healthy royal family image. 

They managed to gather the needed potions ingredients just in time to wave Millie off. 

She was leaving for her much anticipated fashion apprenticeship in France. She seemed more excited than nervous as they waved her off from the Slytherin common room, though Daphne later told Hermione the poor girl had been sick twice that morning. 

Millie was to take the Floo from Dumbledore’s office to the Ministry of Magic and from there she would take an international portkey to Paris. In all, she’d be in another country in about fifteen minutes. 

…

During lunch, Draco was told all about the wonderful game he’d missed while “helping Hermione” out. 

The editions of the Prophet were broken out as everyone settled into their plates of cheese on toast and jacket potatoes. 

The front page was defiantly eye-catching:

_ **KING ASKS BLACK TO HAND HIMSELF IN!!!** _

_Today, HRH King Armand _II,_ has called for Sirius Black to hand himself in. _

_The King has promised Black a fair and full trial along with the assurance that Black will not be sent to Azkaban to await trial. There will be no charges filled for his original escape from the prison earlier this year. _

_In other news, The King has also ordered a worldwide manhunt for Peter Pettigrew, who is facing the following charges: Death Eater involvement, the murder of seventeen muggles, perversion of justice, use of _unforgivables_, and harming a minor. If caught, Pettigrew is facing multiple life sentences or even the Dementor’s Kiss. _

It seemed that Pettigrew was now the most wanted man in the world. She imagined having Pettigrew around would make Voldemort’s “living in the shadows” aesthetic terribly difficult.

‘When is your first full moon, Neville?’ Luna asked in her usual lack of tact manner. 

The table went silent as everyone stared sheepishly at Neville. 

‘Next week.’ Neville told her lightly, it was only Luna after all.

‘Are you nervous?’ The blond asked as she added some red onion to her cheese on toast. 

Neville nodded. ‘Well, yeah. I’m going to turn into a massive Werewolf, who wouldn’t be scared?’

‘I’ll go with you if you want.’ Hermione said as she poured herself a glass of pumpkin juice.

Her friends at the table had all heard by now that she’s been able to turn into a wolf.

‘You’d do that for me?’ Neville choked. ‘What if I hurt you?’ 

‘I’ll be a wolf; you won’t hurt me. And we’ll stay in the Shrieking Shack far away from any humans.’ She said casually, though she found her hands to be shaking somehow. 

‘Your strength will be your friends.’ Neville said, then he wiped at his eyes.

‘What’s that, mate?’ Harry said. 

Neville smiled at wiped at his eyes some more, ‘it’s just something Madam Sybil said to me once.’ 

He sniffed loudly, then he got up and walked from the Slytherin table. 

The group watched him go. 

‘I should have been more careful, I overwhelmed him.’ Hermione said.

Blaise stood up. ‘I’ll go see if he’s alright.’ 

Hermione sighed. ‘I was trying to be helpful.’ 

Daphne rubbed some reassuring circles into her back. ‘He knows that.’ 

‘How long do you think it’ll take to catch Pettigrew?’ Harry asked suddenly. You could always count on a Gryffindor for a sudden change in topic should an awkward silence come up.

Hermione shook her head and took the copy of the Prophet from him. ‘I doubt they will, if he’s gone to Voldemort then they have no chance.’ 

‘You think he’s gone to Voldemort?’ Harry asked seriously.

‘The Dark Lord will return with the aid of his servant, more terrible and powerful than before.’ Draco recited. 

‘Excuse me?’ Theo asked, his cup of pumpkin juice fell from his hands from shock and splashed all over Tracey next to him. 

After: a glare from Tracey, a drying charm from Hermione, and a spritz of perfume from Daphne, the conversation was able to continue.

The conversation continued to what was now being referred to as “Potter’s daily grumble”. 

‘It didn’t make any difference.’ Harry complained to Draco. ‘Pettigrew got away and now he’s with Voldemort.’ He slammed his head down onto the table. Ginny, after giving him an alarmed look, patted his back.

‘We saved the life of an innocent man and now the whole world will know who the guilty man is.’ Draco told him for the seventeenth time.

‘So, Madam Sybil says Voldemort is going to come back with Pettigrew’s help?’ Theo asked in a quiet voice. 

It occurred to Hermione at that moment that the parents of several of her friends were Death Eaters. She took in their worried expressions with a new perspective, what did the future hold for those she held dear? 

Draco nodded, his father had been of the inner-circle, yet he didn’t seem as worried as his other friends.

‘Yeah, she went all weird and her voice went deep and then she didn’t remember anything she’d bloody said! It was super creepy. If that ever happens to me, I want you to put a bag over my head, I’m not being seen in that state.’ He said that last comment to Hermione, who smiled and nodded.

Harry lifted his head off the table a fraction of an inch and then hit back down at the table. ‘I stopped them from killing him, it’s my fault if Voldemort comes back!’

‘We all stopped them.’ Draco told him. ‘Seriously, you need to get over this, mate.’ 

‘Which means Pettigrew is in all of our debts. Voldemort won’t want a deputy in the debt of his enemies.’ Hermione continued, glaring slightly at Draco’s lack of compassion.

‘Sirius will be proven innocent. Isn’t that what counts?’ Ginny asked.

‘Is nobody worried that Voldemort will be more powerful this time?’ Daphne asked in a small voice. 

Silence filled the table for several minutes. 

‘Quidditch world cup’s this summer.’ Ginny said suddenly, ready for a change in topic. ‘Dad’s got tickets.’ 

The table all began talking about where they would be sitting and who would have the best view. 

‘Want to come with me? I can bring a friend.’ Draco turned to Hermione.

‘Sure, sounds good.’ Hermione said before downing the last of her drink. 

Then she looked up at the table.

‘What?’ She asked.

Every boy’s mouth at the table was hanging open.

‘That’s so not fair!’ Crabbe protested. 

‘She barely likes Quidditch!’ Theo chimed in.

‘You’ve known me longer!’ Goyle continued.

Draco stared back at them with a firm expression, their protests died on their lips. Draco would take Hermione, of course he would. 

‘The Royal box has the best view.’ Ginny told Hermione in explanation.

‘Oh, right.’ Hermione said. ‘I don’t mind if you take one of the boys.’ Hermione said to Draco.

‘My uncle would. He won’t bloody shut up about asking you.’ Draco told her. 

…

The rest of the day was spent mucking about with their friends in the sun, during which every single one of them got sunburnt cheeks of varying seriousness. 

Poor Ginny was completely burnt red. 

Blaise, after reappearing with a consoled Neville, had only a pink tinge to his Italian skin. 

Hermione was somewhere in the middle; her cheeks and nose were a bit red.

Draco and his pale completion left him looking closer to Ginny’s levels of sunburn.

Dinner was spent comparing sunburns and then laughing at the poor sods with the worst burns. 

This wonderfully light conversation was interrupted with the arrival of a bird. 

‘Is that a Phoenix?’ Ginny asked. 

‘Why is it silver?’ Harry asked.

The entire hall was watching them, or rather, they were watching this magnificent bird that had landed in front of Draco. Even the teachers were staring. 

Draco took the tiny scroll wrapped around its leg. 

The bird took flight at once and the entire hall watched it gracefully soar from the room, Hermione could swear she heard a clap of thunder as it disappeared from view. A glance at the teacher’s table showed Dumbledore to be incredibly interested in that bird, he was still looking at the window it had flown out of.

‘Who’s it from?’ Hermione asked, trying to peer at the scroll. 

‘That wasn’t the King’s normal bird?’ Ginny said.

‘Is it from the King?’ Theo asked.

Draco nodded slowly after he’d finished reading. ‘Yeah, that was the only bird he could get where he is apparently. Sorry to disappoint.’ 

The room turned back to their dinners and Draco slipped the small note into Hermione’s hand below the table. 

_Draco Malfoy,_  
_Keep training. Have your friend fire her most deadly spells at you and practice absorbing and redistributing them. _  
_Something is happening. Something Dark._  
_The Demons I hunt feed from chaos and pain and become stronger from it, they have never been so strong. _  
_As a vessel of _Atune_, I felt it when you used the sword to command a Werewolf. You have awoken a power in the sword that has slept for a very long time. _  
_You may find supernatural creatures being drawn to your sword now. True Mermaids and to a lesser extent the Merpeople, centaurs, True Banshee’s and their lesser forms, and so on. These people are now yours to command with the blade, use this power well._  
_Ʌ_

The letter was only signed with this ancient letter, but it didn’t need further signage. The letter could have only come from Aloise. 

Hermione slipped the note back to Draco, they exchanged a worried glance and then turned back to their dinners.

Dessert for Hermione was a bubble-gum sundae she split with Daphne that left them with a blue tinge to their lips.

‘Well then, another year gone!’ Dumbledore stood to address the hall once the plates had been cleared. 

‘And what a full year it has been!’ He chuckled to himself. 

‘To sing us all away for the summer, give a cheer for your school choir!’ Dumbledore said.

Astoria had been looking paler and weaker for weeks now. Daphne was spending every spare second with her and sitting with her and her lower year friends one meal every day. She stood from her place next to her sister and made her way to the front of the hall with the rest of the choir.

‘I want to do a ritual in the ancient temple before we go home. Extra protection.’ Hermione whispered to Draco, who nodded. Neither one was thinking of protection for themselves.

The music began and Daphne began to sing alone, while the choir began a beautiful harmony in the background.

_Oh, the lady of Aberporth,_  
_She _travelled_ to a far and distant land._  
_She lived for a time among strangers,_  
_who became friends and Kin._

_But at _home_, she had loved another,_  
_The man she used to know was waiting for her._  
_But she had left her world, there was no return,_  
_From this land she had come to know._

_Oh, the lady of Aberporth,_  
_Her wizard did weep at her loss._  
_He begged the Gods to be reunited with his love,_  
_and awoke in her world the next morn.'_

Draco sighed next to her. ‘Oh great, just like that last love song. All the girls are going to get mushy again.’

Hermione elbowed him. ‘It wasn’t just the girls getting mushy if I recall.’

The choir came to return to their seats after their greatest performance yet.

‘That was amazing, Daph.’ Hermione told her friend as she walked by her group to re-join her sickly sister.

‘Thanks, dear.’ Daphne smiled. She stopped to tousle Blaise’s perfectly arranged hair and laughed when he scowled at her. ‘I wish we could have done the proper duet version.’ 

‘It’s meant to be a duet?’ Ginny asked from her seat next to Harry. There was no such thing as table loyalty any more apart from important feasts, even then the second the dessert plates had been cleared people got up and mingled. 

Daphne nodded. ‘Yeah, Esadora Le Rouge adapted it about two hundred years ago. The original version is so much more emotional and it doesn’t get the happy ending.’ 

Draco snorted. 

‘What happens in the original version?’ Hermione asked, genuinely curious. 

‘Er, I’ve never heard it myself. It’s Welsh.’ Daphne admitted.

‘I’ve heard it translated. Perks of Royalty.’ Draco sighed. ‘It’s super depressing. Basically, the couple can’t be together, cause she’s promised to the Priestesses, so she does this ritual. But it goes wrong and she disappears forever, he thinks she’s dead when she never reappears, so he gives up and kills himself out of heartbreak.’ 

‘Wow, that is depressing. You Wizards don’t have very cheery songs, do you?’ Harry remarked. 

He and Hermione exchanged a look of agreement. Sometimes, it was very comforting to have a friend who had been raised in the Muggle world as she had been. Someone to share the “what the fuck” looks with.

‘That versions happy!’ Daphne protested.

‘What? Both of them getting stuck in another world? Yeah, very cheery that Daph.’ Tracey said. 

Daphne rolled her eyes. ‘At least they could be together.’ 

‘Why don’t you sing the duet next year?’ Hermione asked. 

Daphne shrugged. ‘There’s just not a good enough man available. Draco said no when I asked him.’ 

Draco froze next to Hermione and she turned to him with an excited expression. ‘You never told me you could sing?’

‘I can’t.’ He said quickly.

Daphne replied at the same time, ‘like an angel.’ 

‘Daph!’ Draco groaned.

Daphne frowned. ‘I didn’t realise it was some bit secret.’

‘It was obviously not something I spoke about!’ Draco huffed; he wouldn’t meet Hermione’s eyes. 

Hermione gained a cheeky grin. ‘Will you sing for me, Dragon?’

Draco gave her a dry look. ‘No.’

‘Why not? You used to sing all the time with me when we were little?’ Daphne reminded him with a triumphant grin.

Draco glared at Daphne for a second before he gained a mischievous grin. ‘Oh yeah? Well, why don’t I tell everyone about the time when that servant-’

‘-Stop! Sorry. Fine! Not one more word from me about your beautiful singing voice. Take it to the grave, remember?’ Daphne said quickly.

Daphne leant over Hermione with her pinkie finger held out to Draco, he took the offered pinkie with his own for a second. ‘To the grave.’ 

Hermione frowned at the pinkie promise taking place over her. ‘I’m not used to either of you keeping secrets from me.’

Draco broke fingers with Daphne and looked at Hermione with a raised brow. ‘Do you have embarrassing childhood stories we don’t know about?’

Hermione stopped herself from cringing at the swell of embarrassing childhood memories from her primary school years. ‘Yeah.’

‘Then there you go.’ Daphne told her. ‘Let’s none of us press this conversation further.’ She’d gained a pink tinge to her cheeks and Hermione wondered what embarrassing childhood memory her friends shared.

She decided she didn’t want to go through every embarrassing memory of her own with them. 

Her top picks of embarrassing moments included: 

• Telling all her classmates she was a Vampire to explain her odd teeth in year five. 

• Passing notes to a boy she had a crush on several times a day confessing her love for him even though he never replied apart from once to tell her she was weird.

• In year six when she’d plucked all of her eyebrows out and had her school picture taken with the tiny patches of eyebrow left over.

• That time she pretended she had a long-distance boyfriend because her few friends had boyfriends and she felt left out. She’d obviously been found out.

Hermione cringed. She’d let Daphne keep her embarrassing secret, she planned on taking hers to the grave. Hermione was off the charts smart, but children do dumb things.

Daphne went and sat further down the table with her sister. 

As she sat, she began to hear the familiar static in her ears that soon cleared into the sound of heavy rain. She sighed. 

In hindsight, Daphne would realise that hearing this rain was the beginning of the end for her, or her peace of mind at any rate. 

‘I think I’d like to hear the duet version.’ Hermione said to her friends, Ginny nodded in agreement. 

‘What’s that song even called?’ Ginny asked. ‘I loved what the choir was doing in the background, they must all be terribly jealous of Daphne though, none of them ever get solos.’ 

‘Lady of Aberporth? Missing lover? Something like that.’ Draco told her. 

Hermione rolled her eyes and shared a look with Ginny. ‘Boys,’ Ginny said mid eye roll. 

…

After dinner and final goodnights to their friends, Hermione and Draco went to the Kitchens where they gathered some sweet-smelling fresh fruit and flowers. 

They both went and changed into their pyjamas, it was warm so they weren’t wearing much. Hermione wore a thin shift that ended at her thighs, she tossed her starry cloak on over it. Draco was wearing some grey shorts and a thin grey top he didn’t intend to sleep in.

Then, Draco collected his sword from his trunk and buckled up his sword belt. 

Together, they journeyed down into the ancient temple for the last time that year.

They had covered the entrance to the Ancient Temple with a makeshift trapdoor, which was a large plank of wood Draco had found, to stop them from falling down the hole again.

Draco had climbed down first, then helped Hermione down the rickety ladder. ‘We’re going to replace that next year.’ 

Hermione nodded, then passed Draco the basket she carried full of their gifts. 

‘Will this even work?’ Draco asked. ‘It’s not a full moon.’ 

Hermione shrugged. ‘We’re doing it in an Ancient Temple and using a Gods sword. That’s got to count for something.’

They took in the small stone room with its muraled walls. ‘You can’t even make out an outline of that hidden door.’ 

‘I know, we’ll come down for another look under a full moon.’ Draco assured her. 

Hermione took the offerings from her basket and lay them atop the altar. Draco unsheathed his sword and Hermione offered up her hand. 

‘I hate doing this to you.’ Draco murmured as he took the point of his sword and dragged it up her palm, the red blood streaked down her hand and she held the wound over the fruit and flowers until it all was covered with a good few drops. As Hermione had held out her hand, Draco had caught sight of the short, thin shift she wore underneath and gulped.

Draco took his blade and turned it on his own hand. He simply gripped the blade and pulled on his sword rather than attempt to manoeuvre his longsword to slice his hand. He did as Hermione had and added his drops of blood to the flowers and fruit. 

‘Ready?’ Hermione asked. 

Draco nodded, then they began. They’d found a new and very simple ritual in the books Draco had once gifted Hermione.

‘Incolumitas.’ Hermione spoke. 

Being in the Ancient Temple definitely made a difference. At once the offerings on the altar burst into a brilliant white fire. 

‘Incolumitas.’ Draco repeated. 

The stone on his sword began to glow.

‘Incolumitas.’ Hermione said. 

The marks on their wrists began to tingle as the flames on the altar grew higher.

‘Incolumitas.’ Draco said. 

Both of them jumped as the eyes of Atune began to glow on her statue and her murals on the walls. 

‘Incolumitas.’ Hermione said. 

The heat of the room was suddenly overpowering. 

‘Incolumitas.’ Draco said.

The white eyes of the statue and murals glowed that bright now it hurt to look into them. They both felt a tickle at the back of their necks giving them the distinct impression that someone was watching them.

‘Incolumitas.’ Hermione finished.

Their Gods marks felt pleasantly warm, burning yet with no pain. 

The flames grew higher and the eyes grew brighter. Then as stunning as it was, it was over. The eyes returned to stone and old, faded paint. The flames extinguished themselves leaving the altar completely bare. The cuts on both of their hands had healed.

Hermione felt the strangest compulsion to hold Draco’s hand, a desperate need to touch him. So, she took his hand. 

‘Well, that was intense.’ Draco said, his voice was strange with effort. He swallowed loudly.

Hermione’s laugh was loud. ‘One way of putting it.’ 

Draco turned with a smile in the corner of his mouth and looked down at Hermione’s beaming expression. 

Their eyes locked. 

Both their smiles froze and faded. 

Their breathing was heavy. 

Hermione felt her stomach go suddenly light and imagined this is what Muggles meant when they said they felt butterflies. 

Draco raised his hand and brushed away a stray lock of hair from Hermione’s eyes, tucking it behind her ear.

His fingers didn’t drop, they lingered at her face, he stroked slowly down her cheek. Hermione couldn’t help it, for a moment, her eyes fluttered shut as she enjoyed the feel of his warm fingers on her cheekbone.

This was new territory for them, something had changed. There was something electric in the air.

Her eyes opened when Draco’s hand stilled, his hand was open on her cheek now, holding her face. 

She didn’t do it consciously, but Hermione darted her tongue out, she wet her lips.

‘Kitten.’ Draco said so softly she almost didn’t hear. He broke their eye contact for a moment and looked up for a fraction of a second before looking back at her. 

‘Oh, sod it.’ He breathed.

Then his lips were on hers. 

One hand on her face, the other gripped her waist tightly as he pulled her in.

Hermione responded at once, she threw one arm around his neck and the other moved to grip his shoulder tightly. 

His mouth was dominating hers and it felt good, despite their youthful inexperience, it felt right. 

His hand moved from her face to her head as their lips moved together, and he gripped her thick brown hair. 

The hand at her waist pulled her even closer against him, if that were even possible, until she was flush against him. 

His hand briefly left her waist to land at the base of her throat, she wondered what he was doing until his other hand left her hair to join his other hand undoing the fastening of her cloak. With both of his hands between them, he was forced to move ever so slightly back, not enough to break their frenzied kiss.

She knew he was undoing it so slowly to give her the chance to stop him, but in her kissed state euphoria, she found she wanted him to undo her cloak. 

The cloak came undone and pooled at her feet, Draco’s lips never left hers as he moved. 

To his credit, he didn’t instantly try and feel her up as Montague had. His hands went back to their original places, he seemed more concerned with holding her to him as tightly as he had. 

Their intense kiss continued with renewed effort. 

Draco’s tongue lightly ghosted against her bottom lip and Hermione felt her head go light.

This was everything she’d ever imagined and more. Sod a respectful life, she’d consent to be his mistress. She would have any part of him she could get her hands on.

He pulled her flush against him again, he could feel her small, perky breasts against his chest. 

With his hand tangled in the roots of her hair, he pulled her head back, breaking their kiss, without pause his lips attached to her neck. 

Hermione gripped at the bottom of his shirt and pulled it upwards. His lips left her neck for a moment as he helped her remove his top, but the moment was not broken as his lips immediately attached back to that sweet spot on her neck. 

Her hand rose from his bicep to lay on his chest, it was surprisingly muscled despite his young age. All that sword work had clearly paid off. The other hand moved to wrap tightly in his blond hair. Both their eyes were shut, enjoying this long-awaited moment.

Her chest was heaving. Draco bit down on her neck ever so lightly and she let out a breathy moan. Draco groaned.

His right hand left her waist and grazed against the very edge of her breast, cupping it lightly. His mouth returned to hers and his kisses became hungrier. 

The hungry kiss was graceless, it showed all of his desperation. There was no style to their kisses. It was needy, passionate, and raw. It was beautiful.

Hermione felt impossibly light at the feel of his lips on hers, as if all the tension in her muscles had suddenly given way. 

It was their first kiss, and Draco was already addicted. 

Then his finger brushed against her hardened nipple through her shift. 

Her senses snapped back into place and her eyes shot open. In an instant, she placed both hands on Draco’s chest and pushed him away. 

He stepped back at once.

Hermione’s hands raised to her mouth, which was agape from the shock of what they had just done,

Draco ran a frantic hand through his hair, leaving it stood messily. ‘Shit.’ He breathed. 

‘We can’t!’ Hermione got out.

Draco paced up and down once before he turned to her, an expression of shock identical to hers. ‘I’m so sorry, I don’t know what came over me.’

Then he suddenly averted his gave from her form, though the image of her in that tiny nighty with her tangled hair would forever be burned into his young mind. Hermione quickly picked up her cloak from the ground and wrapped it around her.

Draco turned to pick up his top from the ground and Hermione caught a flash of his scarred back in the glow of the torchlight. 

She suddenly felt very sick as she regained her wits. What the hell had she been thinking? His kiss had made her feel drunk, not that she was an expert in that sensation either. 

With his top back in place Draco stepped backward until he rested against the faded mural of Atune, he leant his head back until it rested on the wall and scrunched his eyes shut.

‘Nothing can come of it.’ Hermione said slowly, mostly to convince herself. She could feel a chill to the room that she hadn’t before. ‘We’ll just get hurt if we peruse this now.’

Draco hadn’t moved as she spoke, his eyes were still tightly shut as he rested against the old stone walls of the temple. ‘I don’t know what came over me.’ He whispered. 

Hermione wanted nothing more at that moment than to run to him, to cross the small stone room and wrap her arms around him and never let go. She wanted to kiss him again, not the frenzied kiss that had been their first, but something sweet and loving. But she couldn’t. She was right, she’d just get hurt.

For a blissful second, she imagined there was no monarchy, no blood status, no magic. Just Draco and Hermione, would they be together then? 

His eyes opened then, but he was looking at the wall across from him instead of at her. ‘I apologise. I shouldn’t have done that.’

‘It’s done now.’ Hermione said quietly as she fidgeted with the fastening of her starry night cloak. 

‘What do we do now?’ He asked, still not looking at her.

‘Pretend it didn’t happen and go back to normal?’ Hermione offered in a small voice. 

His eyes finally met hers. ‘Is that what you want?’ 

No. ‘Yes.’

Draco let no emotion slip; he’d slipped into his rehearsed mask of royal indifference. ‘Alright.’

He stepped forwards suddenly and climbed the wooden ladder out of the room. 

He waited for her at the top and they walked back in silence to their common room. Both of their minds racing. 

‘Goodnight.’ He said very formally once they were back in their common room.

‘Goodnight.’ Hermione replied.

Draco turned and walked down the stairs into the boy’s dormitory. Hermione let him go.

It was then Daphne emerged from the kitchenette. ‘Well, that was painful to watch. What’s gone on?’

Hermione’s hands raised to shield her face as the sobs forced their way up. 

But it wasn’t Daphne’s consoling arms that met her. It was the familiar warmth of Draco. 

Hermione’s head was buried in his neck as he rubbed soothing circles into her back with one hand and stroked her head with the other. Hermione didn’t see, but he gestured for Daphne to leave them to it. 

Daphne, the last person still up, quickly disappeared into the girl’s room.

‘I’m sorry.’ Draco whispered once they were alone. ‘I’m so sorry.’

It took her quite a while to calm down, every time she’d nearly got control of her breathing, she worked herself up all over again. 

Draco was patient. He kept his hold on her. ‘Shh.’ He would murmur. ‘It’s okay.’

With many sniffles and hiccups later, Hermione finally stopped crying. 

She stepped back from Draco but he merely took her hand and pulled her over to the couch. 

She imagined she looked absolutely awful; she’d just had a breakdown in his arms for a good twenty minutes. She knew her face would be red and blotchy. Draco didn’t seem to care. 

He pulled her down to sit next to him and she naturally rested her head on his shoulder. They both stared into the unlit fireplace. 

‘Sorry.’ She eventually mumbled. She was exhausted from her crying. 

‘What do we do, Kitten?’ He asked. 

Hermione finally broke into a smile at his nickname for her, she turned her head on his shoulder so that she was looking up to his face. ‘What do you think we should do?’ 

He looked down at her. ‘I don’t know.’

In hindsight, both of them would look back at the evening as the moment their childhood denials stopped. Their feelings couldn’t be denied now, they’d just shown them thoroughly. After all the terrible things that they would face and all the hurt they would feel yet, this was the moment they would look back on when they needed hope. 

‘We’ll go back to normal.’ She finally said. 

‘I don’t want to.’ Draco said.

‘Me either.’ Hermione told him.

Their hands were still clasped and Hermione raised her finger to stroke at the sword mark on his wrist, tracing the blade up and down. 

‘It’s not fair.’ Draco said. 

‘I know.’ Hermione said. 

‘We could run away?’ Draco offered, a playful hint at his voice. ‘Go and live in the Muggle world and snap our wands and nobody would ever bother us again.’ 

Hermione actually laughed at that. ‘Oh please, you’d last about ten minutes without magic.’

Draco smiled. ‘Yeah, that’s probably true.’ 

He lowered his head and pressed his forehead into hers, both of their eyes shut. ‘Well, this sucks.’ He spoke after a moment, not moving. ‘We’re going to have to pretend this didn’t happen, aren’t we?’ 

‘Yeah.’ 

They stayed like that for a minute, foreheads pressed together, eyes shut. 

Then Draco moved to press his lips against hers once again. This kiss was much different from their last. 

It was slow and gentle and sweet. It only lasted a moment before he moved back. ‘Might as well take another one if we’re starting fresh in the morning.’ 

Hermione raised her fingers to ghost over her lips. ‘One day things will be different.’ She told him. ‘I promise.’

‘No. I promise you.’ He told her seriously. He took both of her hands in his and looked her dead in the eye. ‘I swear, I will not be governed by others ever. I will find a way to be with you Hermione, no matter how long it takes.’ 

Hermione wasn’t entirely sure what to say to that declaration. She settled for taking his head in her hands and moving up to briefly kiss his forehead. They both understood it to be a kiss of farewell. 

‘We should go to bed.’ Hermione told him.

‘Want to come to mine?’ Draco asked, there was no cheekiness in his request.

‘I don’t think that’s a good idea tonight, do you?’ Hermione asked.

‘No, but I still want you there. I always want you there.’ He admitted. 

‘I’m sleeping in my own bed Draco. And from now on it’s where I will stay.’ She said firmly.

‘Not the first time you’ve said that.’ He said as she stood. 

‘But this time I mean it.’ She told him. 

He stood too. ‘I’ll see you at breakfast then, friend.’ 

‘Breakfast it is, friend.’ Hermione nodded. She brushed her hair back and went to turn from him but heard a giggle come from him.

She turned to him with a brow raised. ‘What was that?’ 

He had an entertained expression now. ‘You’ve got a little something on your neck. I imagine you don’t want our nosey mates knowing about this, you might want to cover that up.’

Hermione frowned and raised her hand to her neck, where Draco’s lips and teeth had been not an hour ago.

She rolled her eyes at him. ‘Goodnight Draco.’ She stomped away from him, annoyed he’d marked her.

‘Night, Kitten!’ He called after her. The cheekiness had returned to his voice.

Hermione supposed it wouldn’t be hard at all for them to return to normal. She imagined that if they were a couple the only difference in their behaviour now would be that they would be kissing regularly. They would always be best friends. 

Daphne was sat on her bed waiting for her when she entered her room. 

‘Want to tell me what all that was about? Are you okay?’ Daphne asked her. 

Hermione shrugged out of her cape and packed it back in her trunk. Her clothes for tomorrow were set on top of the trunk but all her other possessions had been packed, all apart from one old bit of parchment she had plans for.

‘I’m fine now. I got a bit upset about you-know-who.’ She nodded at Pansy’s sleeping form. It was technically true; Pansy was a massive obstacle in hers and Draco’s way. She supposed Draco had it worse, she couldn’t imagine being forced to put up with Pansy. 

Daphne had offered her consoling words before she and Hermione both fell asleep in her bed. 

…

Hermione woke the next morning to Daphne’s fair covering her face. She pulled the hair from her face, which Daphne slept through, and went into the bathroom.

Her hair was a matted state, no doubt where Draco’s hands had been last night. She finally got a look at the mark on her neck, a dark bruise was forming. 

She groaned and cast a glamour charm to cover it, she’d have to buy some Muggle foundation when she got home to put on it and hide it from her parents. 

Her parents loved Draco, but even they wouldn’t be okay with him giving her hickey’s and feeling her up in Ancient Temples after cutting her hand open with his sword. 

All marks had pretty much faded now from her run-in with Lupin, the only dark scar she had kept was hidden away on her hip.

She dressed in her clothes, a nice blue sundress Millie had picked out for her, and did her hair up in her usual style. She had a small white bag that contained a book for the journey home that she hooked on her shoulder.

She went quickly into the common room, not wanting to wake her friends, though she did take a moment to glare at Pansy asleep.

She sat down at the vacant chess table and spread the old parchment out. She pointed her wand at it, ‘I solemnly swear I am up to no good.’

The map began to fill out. 

‘Right.’ Hermione said, then she set to work. ‘Recensere.’ 

Rooms began to appear on the parchment. The training room of Godrick Gryffindor, The Artifact Room (more affectionately known as the Junk room), and The Chamber of Secrets. She had decided to leave the Hufflepuff tunnels off the map, she didn’t want anyone else down there. 

Once these three new rooms had been added to the parchment, she made it blank once more and tucked it into her small bag. She’d resolved that it was time to pass the map on to its rightful owner, for she had learned all she could from it. 

It wasn’t much later that her friends emerged into the common room. For the final time of their third year, the large group journeyed up to breakfast. They wouldn’t be coming back down here until they were in the fourth year, six weeks from now.

Hermione felt incredibly light as the group walked up the stairs, she and Draco walked side by side acting as normally as they could manage. Pansy was not with her friends that day, they had all been ignoring her since the Flobber worm incident. 

As they walked into the Great Hall and took their seats, Hermione couldn’t help worry over what Draco had seen in the crystal ball. 

If he was to be King then there was no hope for them, she felt incredibly guilty that she wasn’t dwelling on the fates of Armand or Matilda, who she cared for dearly. 

According to Draco, he would walk past three coffins before he graduated from Hogwarts. That needed to be her most pressing concern. Draco had written to his uncle and extra security had been arranged for all, she’d have to just wait and see what happened for now. 

Hermione was pulled from these thoughts by the arrival of the Gryffindor’s, who all came to sit at the Slytherin table. George was pulling Luna along behind him.

There would be no speeches from the Headmaster today, the students were all milling in for a late breakfast (Hermione had pancakes with maple syrup) and then either rushing off to finish packing, or spending their final hour in the sun with their friends. 

‘Should we all walk down to the lake?’ Neville suggested.

There were nods of agreement and the group stood to leave. 

Hermione saw her chance as they began the walk down to the lake. 

‘Harry?’ Hermione asked, peeling away from Draco and Daphne.

‘Hmm?’ He asked.

‘I wanted to give you something.’ She told him. She reached into her bag and pulled out the blank Marauders Map. ‘This is the map of Hogwarts Lupin was on about. It’s yours. I’ve added some rooms I found onto it for you.’ 

Harry beamed at her and pulled her into a hug, she walked him through how to use the map while their other friends engaged in piggyback rides across the lawn.

It was just as Goyle fell over with Crabbe on his back that Hagrid’s booming voice could be heard. ‘It’s time ter go!’

The carriage ride from Hogwarts was quick and spent discussing Thestrals with Neville and Luna.

…

The trunks were all still being loaded onto the train when their carriage arrived, they were among the first group of students to arrive at the platform.

They stood for a moment and watched in interest as the animals were stocked into their own carriage. Hermione waved at Crookshanks in his carrier as he was placed carefully onto the train. 

She had written to her parents a few days ago and told her Raven, Freddie, to just stay at her house. His empty cage, that had been a waste of money since he was never in it, was being stored in the luggage carriage.

‘Come on, we need to get a carriage.’ Draco told her. 

‘Two.’ Fred corrected. ‘Unless you want to sit on my knee, your Grace?’

Draco snorted and shoved Fred into the train. 

But Fred didn’t retaliate, the next carriage of students had arrived.

‘It’s you!’ Fred declared at the sight of one particular girl as she walked to them. 

The girl, who Hermione recognised at once from her Ancient runes and Arithmancy class, stopped in front of Fred. Fred had shot up this year to reach six feet, yet this girl was only a few inches shorter than him.

This girl was beautiful. Tall, with pale skin and lips as red as rose. Her curls were fair and long, coming to rest below her breast. A row of freckles ran over her nose and cheeks and brought out her hazel eyes.

In the Muggle world, she could have been a model, easily. Hermione understood why Fred had spent weeks obsessing over her. 

‘What’s your name?’ Fred asked. 

The model scoffed and just how unimpressed she was at this was clear as she raised her right hand and slapped Fred. 

‘Mary Porter.’ She said before walking off to join her friends on the train.

Fred raised his hand to his now red cheek. ‘She’s still got it.’ He mumbled, staring after the girl in awe. 

‘I thought you said her name had a K in it?’ Hermione laughed as the group boarded the train. She’d known Mary for years now, they’d revised for their Ancient Runes OWL together for Atune’s sake.

The group had to divide into two groups for the train, unless some of them wanted to squeeze onto the overhead shelves, they needed two compartments. 

Once it was decided that the Gryffindor’s plus Luna would go in one compartment, the Slytherin’s settled comfortably into the compartment next to them. Minus a Slytherin, naturally, Blaise had refused to squeeze in and wandered off to join the Gryffindor’s.

‘I think I’m going to see about dropping Muggle Studies next year.’ Draco announced once everyone was sat down and the train was pulling away.

‘Why?’ Hermione asked.

‘Just so I can manage my course load a little better.’ He admitted. ‘I’m not learning anything new in that class anyway.’

‘You’ll still have two too many subjects.’ Theo pointed out. 

Draco nodded and his hand raised to touch the place where his Time-Turner chain normally rested, he’d taken it off days ago and packed it away. 

‘I can manage four classes, five’s just a bit much for me.’ He said. ‘Snape said it should be fine.’ 

‘Don’t all – er – royals have to do all the options?’ Tracey asked. 

Draco nodded. ‘Yup. But fuck the rules. I don’t want to do it.’ 

Hermione couldn’t hold back her smile at Draco’s light tone. 

‘I don’t need twelve OWLs and NEWTs. Eleven will do me. I’ll just settle for being the uneducated royal.’ Draco smiled.

Hermione shuddered. ‘I can’t imagine doing that many OWLs, ew. And my NEWTs are two years away now.’ She groaned. 

‘It’s what you get for being such a little nerd.’ Draco told Hermione with a laugh. 

Her lower year friends had all received their exam results a few days ago and all done admirably. Hermione and the other OWL students would have to wait a few weeks to find out how they’d done.

‘When do you go on tour Drake?’ Theo asked after the sweet trolley had been around at the halfway point.

‘I’ll be in France next week.’ Draco told him. ‘Sword in hand.’ He rolled his eyes. 

‘You’re taking Excalibur?’ Hermione asked. 

Draco sighed and nodded. ‘Yeah, my uncle thinks it’d be good for the royal image to show it off rather than sticking it in a vault.’ 

‘It’s a Gods sword, right? I’m surprised your uncle doesn’t want it for the crown jewels.’ Crabbe said. 

‘I think it probably will after I’m dead.’ Draco admitted. ‘I mean, it’s a Gods sword, you could use it to coronate someone.’ 

‘I don’t like the idea of it going in a vault.’ Hermione said as she pulled her book from her bag.

‘Me neither. Maybe I’ll hand it off to the Lady of the Lake.’ He said with a cheeky grin.

The next hour of the journey was a peaceful one, the boys discussed the upcoming Quidditch World Cup and the girls discussed Millie in France and what fun she must be having. 

The trolley came around again for its final pass. Draco paid for a very large lunch for them all. 

There were a few games of Exploding Snap and then Draco beat everyone on his travel-sized Wizard’s Chess board.

Hermione flicked through the pages of her book for the rest of the journey and only placed it back into her bag in time to walk back through the barrier of platform nine and three-quarters. 

Hermione spotted Narcissa stood chatting with her parents. Hermione and Draco bid their friends goodbye as they walked up to their parents.

‘Hermione, dear.’ The Duchess smiled at the girl. ‘I was just telling your parents about the Quidditch World cup.’ 

As her parents finished up making their plans for Hermione to come to the Quidditch World cup with the Royal family, Hermione and Draco noted a peculiar exchange occurring just next to them.

Harry had wandered over to his beefy uncle alone as usual. But he was smiling. He was holding a letter that he must have received on the train journey home.

‘What’s that?’ They hear the unpleasant man snarl. ‘I’m not signing anything for you!’

Harry smiled at him. ‘No, no. It’s just a letter from my Godfather checking in.’

Vernon spluttered. ‘You haven’t got a Godfather!’ 

Hermione smiled as she figured out where Harry was going with this.

‘Yes, I do.’ Harry’s voice was bright and casual. ‘He was my mum and dad’s best friend. He’s a convicted murderer, but he’s broken out of wizard prison and he’s on the run. He likes to keep in touch with me. Keep up with my news. Check if I’m happy.’

It seemed like Harry wasn’t going to announce the fact his Godfather was innocent.

Uncle Vernon looked horrified. 

‘Hey, Harry.’ Neville said as he left with his grandmother. He stopped next to Harry and dramatically held his hand out to Harry, who shook it. Hermione had never seen the boys shake hands in her life. 

‘Have a good summer, mate.’ Neville said, he clapped Harry on the back and then he was off.

‘And who was that?’ The red-faced uncle roared.

‘Just Neville, the one I always stay with for a few weeks?’ Harry was still smiling and Hermione and Draco both knew what was coming. ‘He was infected with the Werewolf curse this year. He could rip a human to shreds if he came across them.’ 

Vernon, if possible, went a shade darker. 

‘I was thinking about inviting him over for dinner one night. He’d love to meet you all properly.’ 

Hermione sniggered into her hands as Vernon stuttered. 

Harry noticed both of them eavesdropping and waved them a farewell before he pushed his trolley holding his trunk and Hedwig off to the Muggle world.

Their parents had finished making plans and Narcissa was waving Draco over. 

‘Got your leaf?’ Hermione asked.

Draco patted the pocket on his shorts. ‘Going in at ten pm as discussed.’ 

Then he gave her a quick hug of farewell.

‘Have fun on the royal tour, your grace.’ She smiled at him.

He rolled his eyes at her. ‘I’ll write to you in a few days about the Quidditch Cup, bye-bye, Kitten.’ 

Hermione stepped to her parents and was wrapped in a tight hug by her father. ‘I got a new car! Wait till you see it!’ Her father said excitedly.

‘He hasn’t shut up about it all week.’ Her mother grumbled. 

Hermione smiled, a daddy’s girl through and through. ‘Come on, let’s go look at it then.’

..........................

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END PART ONE

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..........................

  
Guys. I just wrote a planned chapter where three beloved Characters all die horribly. I genuinely think I’m disturbed. 

Fun fact for you all, I did all that embarrassing stuff over primary and high school and the boy I had a crush on in year six was the one talking about all my “stories” at the leaver’s assembly in front of all the parents. Pity awkward child me. I figured I’d lend some of the more embarrassing things I did to Hermione to make them more real. Over a decade later and they still make me cringe. 

Please share your embarrassing stories to make me feel better.

So, part one is at an end. What are your predictions for part two?

E x


	63. The World Cup - Part One

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………………..  
PART TWO  
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That summer’s August heat was accompanied by a wonderful breeze. In the south of England, Hermione had developed a wonderful tan without getting too hot. 

She’d spent many days sitting in the garden reading her new NEWT-level textbooks, while her father sat reading his car magazines and her mother had her nose buried in her crime dramas. 

That was when her parents were home, of course, they both worked full-time Monday-Friday so Hermione was usually left to fend for herself in the day. 

In the first two weeks, she’d been to Spain with her parents and earned a lovely bronze tan. 

Upon her return, she’d filled her days with friends. She’d meet up in Diagon-Alley for shopping trips, and had many sleepovers either at her home or in her friend’s manor homes. 

She’d naturally kept up to date with the progress of the royal tour. She’d looked out for Draco each day in the Prophet. 

The front page was usually filled with an image of Armand or Matilda making some form of speech at a gala or a charitable event. Hermione could just about spot Draco lurking in the background of some pictures, sometimes he looked like he had smelt something foul. 

Hermione knew from his letters that he’d kept the Mandrake leaf in his mouth for the correct period and had hated every minute even more than she had. 

The day he’d been able to take it out he’d stood closer to his royal relatives with a bright smile that showed his teeth. He’d spoken to just about anyone he could that day and was photographed chatting away in the background of many speeches. 

Hermione sighed and tossed that morning edition of the Prophet down beside her, where her father picked it up and began admiring the moving pictures. 

She saw him look at page two, a story on Sirius Black.

At the beginning of summer, Sirius Black had handed himself in as the King requested. The very surprised Ministry in Rio had contacted the King a few days after school had ended. 

From Harry’s and Draco’s letters, Hermione gathered that Black was being kept in an old cottage on the grounds of Regia. He was under a constant guard but he wasn’t being treated badly. He was fed well and was allowed to go outside as long as he didn’t leave the royal grounds. 

The King had hired a crack team of magical layers from America to begin assembling a case. It was a long process but Harry and Draco were both confident that the trial would be over before Christmas. 

The Prophet, and the public, were coming around to the idea that a man they had all feared was innocent. 

Black would be free soon enough.

Hermione sighed as she looked at the picture on the front page as her father read up on wizarding events.

It was a picture taken at the beginning of summer, about a week into their holidays. 

Neville had come to the gracious decision that he would not press charges against the Werewolf that infected him. He had spoken publicly on the matter in a very dry manner.

‘I’m the one that jumped in front of a Werewolf. I do not blame Mister Lupin at all. It was not his fault.’ 

There was a lot of emotion in the picture of Remus and Neville, or so Hermione thought. Even if it was just of a boy and his teacher stood side by sides clasping hands.

Lupin was free, after weeks of living underground, to come out of hiding without the threat of facing the law. 

The reaction of the public was a completely different matter. The Longbottom’s were very popular and in the eyes of the wizarding world, Lupin had viciously attacked and infected their beloved sun.

But after two full moons on his own, Neville had surprised everyone and written to the Auror office. He’d met up with Hermione and Harry that day at Diagon Alley, and told them his Grandmother was furious.

Apparently, Augusta believed that Lupin should be a recipient of the Dementor’s kiss. 

‘She kept going on about my dad being disappointed, my dad wouldn’t let himself get infected, my dad wouldn’t have let the Werewolf get away with it.’ Neville had ranted quietly as they’d walked down the cobbled street. 

‘What did you say to that?’ Harry had asked.

‘I told her to get stuffed.’ Neville had told them.

Hermione still smiled whenever she imagined the surprise on his grandmother’s face when he’d said that one. 

Hermione had given her offer to spend transformations with him again but he’d told her that he wanted to do the first few ones on his own. 

The thick letter Lupin had written for Neville before he left had told him a lot of information, but he still wanted to get to grips with his condition before he brought anyone else in.

Hermione had completely understood and gave him her love, she assumed that he’d probably ask for her company once they were back at school.

‘You look nice, Kitten.’ A tanned Draco said as he stepped through the fire into her living room. Her parents were coming inside from the garden and unable to hear.

Hermione was dressed in a yellow summer dress, although it was actually shorts disguised as a skirt. She had her little white bag hanging on her shoulder for walking around during the day and a larger duffle bag that held her things for sleeping over. 

‘So do you, My Lord.’ He did. The event was strictly Muggle-attire so Draco was rocking a pair of cargo pants and a grey polo. 

Draco looked up from her as her parents entered the room. 

‘Hello, Draco dear.’ Her mother greeted him. She wrapped him in a hug.

Her father clapped him on his shoulder. ‘How are you lad?’

‘I’m very good thank you. I’m still getting used to being on English time, but I’m good. How’s your summer been?’ Draco asked them.

‘Oh, it’s been lovely. We all went to Spain for two weeks.’ Her mother answered.

‘Hermione mentioned that. Benalmadena right?’ Draco asked. 

Her father nodded. ‘Have you ever been?’ 

Draco smiled and shook his head. ‘Not there, but we have a Spanish castle in Granada nearby. I was actually there when you were all in Spain, it’s a shame we were so busy I could have come down for the day.’ 

Her parents mused that it was a shame and made some more polite conversation and then it was time to go.

‘Dobby!’ Draco called.

A tiny elf popped into the room; Jean Granger screamed.

‘Oh shit, sorry! I forget not everyone is used to house-elves.’ Draco said, then he realised he’d just sworn in front of her parents and blushed.

Luckily, her parents were too fascinated by the magical creature in their living room. 

‘How can Dobby help, Sir?’ 

Hermione couldn’t help smiling at the sight of the little creature. Dobby had dressed in a tiny tux, Hermione wondered if Draco had it made for him upon request. 

‘You look very fancy Dobby.’ Hermione smiled at him.

‘Thank you, miss.’ Dobby preened at the tails of his outfit. 

Both of her parents were looking at the wide-eyed creature with open mouths.

‘Please could you take Hermione’s bag?’ Draco asked.

Dobby snapped his fingers and Hermione’s bag vanished. ‘Will His Grace be requiring anything else?’ 

‘I’ve asked you not to call me that Dobby.’ Draco said in a dry voice. ‘That will be all, thank you.’

Little Dobby smiled. ‘Dobby is a free elf, Sir. Dobby may do as he likes.’ 

Dobby vanished with another crack and Draco rolled his eyes.

‘When did he get so cheeky?’ Hermione asked.

‘Running the Abbey and being in charge of the other elves have given him something of a complex.’ Draco said. She would think him annoyed at being defied but he had a fond smile on his face.

Draco checked his pocket watch. ‘We really need to be off.’ He stepped forwards to shake her father’s hand again and receive a kiss from her mother.

‘Why don’t you wear a watch?’ Her father couldn’t help asking.

Draco smiled. ‘Oh, wizard tradition. We get a watch on our seventeenth birthdays. Before then, we have to use other things.’ 

Hermione hugged both her parent’s goodbye. ‘See you tomorrow.’ 

‘Have fun sweetheart.’ 

Draco retrieved a little pouch from his pocket and pulled some powder out of it. He tossed it into the flame which immediately sparked emerald green.

The young duo both stepped into the flame and Draco said: ‘Quidditch Trillenium Stadium. Entrance Zero.’

They disappeared from the Granger living room in a bright flash of green flame.

Robert Granger turned to his wife. ‘They like a dramatic form of transport don’t they, these wizards?’ 

Meanwhile, Hermione and Draco were stepping out of a fireplace to be greeted by the massive stadium.

Hermione’s draw dropped open. 

‘How big is this place?’ 

Draco grinned. ‘It can hold one hundred thousand wizards. People have been arriving all week, but we’re here half an hour before it starts. Nearly everyone is in their seats now.’

Hermione could hear the thundering cheers of the wizards filling the wonderful stadium. 

‘Why are we only coming now?’ She asked him, he offered his arm and she took it gladly.

Hermione lost sight of the stadium as he began to pull her through a long corridor and up several flights of stair. Hermione noticed there were several guards placed every few feet.

‘It’s safer. One hundred thousand wizards all with wands, the royal guards are a bit twitchy. Especially with what I saw. They’re taking no chances.’ Draco told her quietly as they walked past Tonks and another guard Hermione did not know.

‘Is that why you have your sword?’ Hermione asked, equally quiet.

Draco shook his head. ‘My uncle really likes showing off that I was “chosen” by a Gods sword. I’ve been wearing it every day.’ 

‘Where’s the rest of your family?’ She asked.

‘Mum and Dad are in their seats. Matilda and Armand are coming through in a minute.’ He told her.

The cheers were getting louder. They reached the end of the long corridor. Two heavy-looking metal doors were opened by some of the most muscled men Hermione had ever seen. 

This long corridor opened onto another. 

This corridor was filled with doors leading to specific boxes. They walked by one with the words “Minister’s Box” on the door. There was one guard posted outside this door.

Hermione figured the next door was for them. There were two massive guards on either side of the door, then another two stood by the wall on the opposite wall. All four had their wands out. 

The man to the left of the door reached out and opened it for them. Draco nodded to the dark-skinned man as they walked through. ‘Thank you, Ivan.’ 

This box seemed to be set a little further forward than the others that surrounded it. It was definitely at a perfect level to view the match in the air.

The box was filled with two rows of many seats. The first row contained six seats and Draco began to pull her towards them. The second row of seats was set on a platform, presumably so that nobody was staring at the back of someone’s head for the best match of the decade.

This second row of seats held many more people, and it was already full. Harry, Neville, and Augusta Longbottom took up three seats. Hermione broke from Draco to greet her friends.

She’d heard in a letter and from seeing them over summer that The King had invited Neville and two guests to sit in his Royal Box for the match. The public thought it was an apology for Neville being infected at school, the reality was that Armand used to play Quidditch with Neville’s father. The invitation was in Frank Longbottom’s memory. The two great men had played on opposite teams, like Draco and Harry did, but had been great friends.

‘Are you two staying over too?’ Hermione asked them.

She didn’t acknowledge Augusta. Hermione had some very stern words for the world’s worst grandmother for her treatment of her grandson upon his infection. She figured that this wasn’t the location for a stern talking to about unconditional love.

‘Yeah. We’ve got a nice tent set up on the grounds. It’s awesome inside!’ Harry gushed. 

Hermione had never been inside a magical tent but she’d read about them. She was very interested in what the inside of a Royal tent would be like, in her mind she kept picturing the Ritz hotel.

Hermione raised a hand to lightly stroke over some healed over cuts on Neville’s face. It looked like he’d come out worse from a fight with a hawk. 

Neville smiled gently and brushed her hand away. ‘It’s not so bad. No moon days suck, and full moons are shit, but the enhanced senses for the rest of the month are great.’ 

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN AND VARIATIONS THEREUPON” A loud voice was booming around the stadium, clearly magically amplified. “PLEASE FIND YOUR SEATS.”

Draco pulled Hermione away from the two boys to the front row. Lucius was sat at the end of the front row. Hermione did not hide her glare for the man. 

Narcissa was sat next to him, she stood and wrapped Hermione in a hug. ‘Hello dear! You’re looking well!’ The Duchess beamed. 

Even in Muggle attire, Draco’s mother looked mythical and elegant. She wore a grey pencil skirt and a white shirt with ruffled sleeves. On her neck rested a massive diamond hanging from a thick rope of gold.

Pleasantries were exchanged before Draco pulled Hermione to their seats. Draco sat next to his mother and Hermione sat on his other side. 

‘There should be some special binoculars under your seat.’ Narcissa told the pair, then turned to tell the people on the row behind. Hermione didn’t recognise most of the people on the second row, she assumed they were ambassador’s and their families. 

‘Are you looking forwards to the investiture next week?’ Narcissa leant over Draco slightly to speak with Hermione.

Lucius glared at his wife’s back for her lack of propriety. One did not lean over a person to address another. 

Hermione smiled. ‘Yeah, should be fun. As long as the King doesn’t accidentally behead me with that sword, I’ll call it a success.’ 

Everyone laughed at Hermione’s little quip apart from Lucius. The entire box ignored his snide comment of “if only”. 

Light chatter resumed across the stadium, it seemed everyone had found their seats now.

‘Who’s in the Minister’s box, then?’ Hermione asked Draco.

‘Er. The Bulgarian Minister and the coaches for each team. Lots of officials and the sort. Oh, and the Weasley’s.’ Draco told her, listing them off on his fingers.

‘Weasley’s?’ Hermione was honestly shocked.

‘Hmm. Arthur Weasley has lots of interesting contacts. He’s pally with the bloke doing the commentating and he got them the tickets.’ Draco told her, he had found the binoculars under his chair and was fiddling with them.

There were two wizards with what looked like a muggle camcorder but supersized stood in the corner of the room. On some invisible signal, they both straightened up and began fiddling with buttons and positioning the camera to the door of their box.

‘It’s time.’ Draco told her excitedly.

‘You didn’t mention cameras!’ Hermione growled. She began pulling at her outfit and positioned her bag under her seat. With a quick pat-down and rearrangement of her hair, she was ready. 

“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN AND VARIATIONS THEREUPON” The loud voice was back. “PLEASE STAND FOR KING ARMAND II AND THE PRINCESS MATILDA.”

Thunderous applause rocked the stadium. The King was very popular. 

A chant of “we want the king” filled the stadium. 

Hermione smiled with Draco at the chant. 

During the War, the King and Queen had kept a high profile standing against the enemy, their indefatigable determination secured their place as symbols of national resistance. Then the Queen had been killed trying to prevent the slaughter of Muggles.

“We want the King!” The chant grew louder.

The darkest day of the war. The Queen was dead, the Princess nearly dead, and a team of killed or mangled Auror’s. Yet Armand had given a speech the next day akin to Churchill’s “never surrender” speech. 

There was a good reason he was so loved by his people.

“We want the King!” The chant was deafening. 

The camera was activated and the image of the door was projected onto the full ground of the pitch. 

The door opened to reveal the King. Thunderous applause greeted him as he raised a hand to wave at the camera. He wore a black tailored suit with a purple tie. 

Princess Matilda entered behind him and offered her wave, she too was greeted by great applause. Matilda had gone to a Muggle University, so she was clearly very comfortable dressing as a Muggle. She wore a purple and blue summer dress.

The camera remained on the King as he walked forwards to the railings of the Royal Box. 

Their personal guards, Kingsley and Tom, walked through the doors behind them, unseen by the camera. 

Matilda pinched Draco on the arm as she walked past him and winked at Hermione. She left a space between her and Hermione and sat down.

The King was stood at the railing waiting for the cheers to cease. 

Ginny then walked into the room. ‘Hey.’ She said to Hermione as she sat in the empty seat in between Hermione and Matilda.

‘I thought you were in the Minister’s box?’ Hermione asked her friend after wrapping her in a hug.

‘We bumped into her in the corridor. My dad invited her to sit with us.’ Matilda said with a bemused expression. ‘He’s quite fond of you.’ 

Ginny blushed as red as her hair. She looked over her shoulder to see Harry, who waved at her. She blushed more, if possible, and waved back.

The King began giving a speech about the magical community coming together for events like these. 

‘How’s the family?’ Hermione asked Ginny. 

Ginny smiled. ‘Let’s see, a rundown of summer… Fred and Mary broke up.’ 

Hermione frowned. ‘Why? They’ve been all over each other all summer. I saw them in Diagon Alley.’ 

Ginny shrugged. ‘He won’t talk about it. They just ended things a week ago now. Then mum went mental at both the twins.’ 

‘Why?’ Draco asked, tuning out his uncle’s speech.

‘They told her they were thinking about dropping out of school. They got their OWL results this morning-’

‘I haven’t had mine!’ Hermione gasped, and instantly started worrying. 

‘They might be at your house now. You probably just missed them.’ Draco reassured her.

The King began speaking about unity.

‘So, they did alright in their exams, they passed everything-’

Hermione beamed with pride at her friend’s success, she’d only slightly had to force them to revise.

‘-and mum started going on about them going to work for the Ministry one day, but they told her they want to open a joke shop.’ 

Hermione went silent at this and began watching the King with determination. He’d moved on to speak about the last World Cup winners, Canada. 

‘Granger?’ Draco asked her with a knowing grin. ‘What have you done?’

She didn’t take her eyes off the King. ‘Erm, I kind of gave them advice all of summer about making some products.’ 

Ginny laughed. ‘Of course, you did. We all heard all the bangs and stuff coming from their room all summer, but we just thought they liked the noise.’ 

‘So, they made everything?’ Hermione asked, tearing her eyes away from the King. 

Ginny grinned. ‘Oh yeah. They made up a load of order forms of all their products, but mum found them and burned them just before we left. Fred and George were furious.’ 

Hermione frowned. ‘I’d imagine so. She shouldn’t have done that.’ 

Ginny nodded in agreement. 

‘And, of course, I want to thank the hundreds of wizards who built us this wonderful stadium.’ The King said. 

‘Anything else dramatic happen?’ Draco asked. He and Hermione often wondered if their lives were missing a bit of excitement by being only children. 

‘I didn’t get to the best bit.’ Ginny said. ‘Sirius Black wrote to Ron.’ 

‘What?’ Three heads snapped around; Harry had heard her. ‘Why would Sirius write to Ron?’

‘He found out about his leg being amputated. He wanted to apologise.’ Ginny told Harry.

‘That was nice of him.’ Draco said. 

Ginny nodded. ‘Just wait, so this tiny little owl delivered the letter. Sirius said Ron could keep it since he’d lost his pet.’ 

Harry raised his eyebrows. ‘Is this that tiny hyperactive owl your letters have been coming with? Hedwig hates him.’ 

Ginny nodded and smiled. ‘That’s the one. But here’s the shocker. Ron let me name him.’

‘Ron? Ronald Weasley? The King of Dickheads let you name his Owl?’ Draco asked. 

His mother swotted at him for his language, and then again for speaking during the Kings speech. 

The group fell silent just as the King seemed to be wrapping up his speech.

A man was entering the room with a small wooden box just as the referee was flying up into the middle of the pitch. 

‘He’s been really quiet all summer actually.’ Ginny whispered to Hermione. ‘Losing his leg seems to have really shaken him… or maybe it was his beloved pet turning out to be a Death Eater serial killer.’ 

‘What was it like in the Minister’s box?’ Draco asked Ginny as his uncle removed the official Golden Snitch from its box.

‘Alright. I nearly sat on Barty Crouch’s house-elf. He sent it up to save his seat, poor little thing looked terrified.’ Ginny said the last to Hermione.

Hermione shook her head in anger, the laws on the treatment of house-elves had changed for the better, but it seemed people were still being dicks to the little creatures.

‘Let me introduce to you our commentator for the match! Mr Ludo Bagman!’ The King finally said in his amplified voice.

‘Thank you, Your Highness, and welcome all! Without further ado! Let me introduce our team mascots!’ An equally amplified voice boomed around the stadium. Hermione presumed the man was in the box next door if he was important. 

‘The Bulgarian mascots!’ Bagman roared in introduction. The scarlet side of the stadium applauded. 

‘Who are you supporting?’ Hermione asked Draco.

‘Nobody.’ Matilda answered over Ginny. ‘We’re not allowed to show a preference. But Ireland is going to win.’

Draco scoffed. ‘Yeah right. Bulgaria is going to cream them, have you seen their Seeker?’

‘That’s Victor Krum, right? I met him at the last Christmas ball.’ Hermione voiced. 

Matilda nodded while Draco scowled. ‘Yeah, you met Krum.’

‘He was nice. I’ll support the Bulgarians then, at least I know one of their players.’ Hermione mused.

Ginny scoffed. ‘These amazing seats are wasted on you, Granger.’ 

Hermione stuck her tongue out at her redheaded friend.

‘Veela!’ Matilda suddenly declared; she’d glanced down at the pitch as the Bulgarian mascots had entered the grassy field.

Hermione looked down and saw exactly what Matilda meant. 

‘They’re gorgeous.’ Draco said, wide-eyed. 

Hermione, having read about the creatures and knew their effects, shared a grin with Draco’s mother. ‘Want me to hold you back?’ Hermione offered him sarcastically. 

Draco seemed to realise he’d spoken aloud and blushed. 

A hundred Veela were now gliding onto the field. The most beautiful women any of the boys had ever seen, but they weren’t quite human. They couldn’t be. 

Their hair was white-gold and fanned out behind them despite the lack of wind, and their skin shone like the moon.

The music began and the Veela began to dance. Draco’s mind went blissfully blank. All that mattered was that those women kept dancing. They were dancing faster and faster. 

Draco had a sudden impulse to do something very impressive for these women.

He could jump from the box. But would that be good enough? He could show them his sword? Excalibur could control a Banshee, that ought to wow them. 

Then he felt Hermione’s hand over his. ‘Draco?’ Her voice rang in his ears, sounding a long way off.

He glanced down at her hand on his, he’d wrapped his hand around the hilt of his sword and seemed to be in the process of unsheathing it. 

‘Harry? What on earth are you doing?’ Neville’s voice came from behind them. 

Hermione tried not to laugh at the sight of Harry stood in his chair, he looked about ready to dive over the front row and land in front of the beautiful creatures. 

Harry was quickly pulled to sit back down by his loyal friend Neville. Ginny was giggling at the reaction of the young boys. 

Hermione caught the Kings eye and he winked at her in amusement. 

The dancing stopped and angry yells began to fill the stadium. It seemed the crowds didn’t want the Veela to go.

‘And now!’ Roared Bagman’s voice. ‘Put your wands in the air… for the Irish National Mascots!’ 

Suddenly, a great green and gold comet came zooming into the stadium. It did one lap of the stadium and then split into two smaller comets. Each ball of light moved towards a goal post.

From each end of the stadium appeared a rainbow, it met in the middle and formed a great shimmering shamrock. Which in turn began to soar over the stands. 

Something akin to golden rain began to fall from it. 

Hermione held a hand up and caught a coin. The shamrock was raining money. But that wasn’t possible. 

Hermione let the coin fall to the ground and didn’t try to catch any more. 

‘Don’t you want a little extra spending money?’ Ginny asked, she and Draco were both trying to catch the falling coin. 

Hermione shook her head. ‘It’s Leprechaun gold. It’ll vanish in a few hours.’ 

Ginny let the collected coin in her hands fall to the floor. ‘Oh. Oh well.’

The shimmering shamrock was actually made up of thousands of tiny bearded men wearing red vests and green top hats. Each of them held a little lamp of gold or green.

The great shamrock dissolved, and the leprechauns drifted down onto the field to stand opposite the Veela. The Veela were all preening their hair, but the leprechauns settled themselves cross-legged to watch the match. 

The lone man on a broom in the middle of the pitch waved to the crowds as Bagman introduced him. ‘All the way from Egypt! Our acclaimed referee, Chairwizard of the International Association of Quidditch, Hassan Mostafa!’ 

The ref was a small and skinny wizard. He was completely bald but had a large styled handlebar moustache. He wore robes of pure gold to match the stadium making the silver whistle around his neck stand out.

‘And finally, kindly welcome, the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team! I give you — Dimitrov!’

A scarlet-clad figure on a broomstick, moving so fast it was blurred, shot out onto the field from an entrance far below, to wild applause from the Bulgarian supporters.

‘Ivanova!’ A second scarlet-robed player zoomed out. 

‘Zograf! Levski! Vulchanov! Volkov! Aaaaaaand — Krum!’

The final man was a red blur like the rest of his team, Hermione had to use her special binoculars from under her chair to see the man’s face. It was indeed the man she had danced with last Christmas.

It was hard to believe such a muscled and successful wizard was only eighteen.

‘And now, please greet — the Irish National Quidditch Team!’ yelled Bagman. ‘Presenting — Connolly! Ryan! Troy! Mullet! Moran! Quigley! Aaaaaand — Lynch!’

Seven green blurs swept onto the field; Hermione spun a small dial on the side of her Omnioculars and slowed the players down enough to read the word “Firebolt” on each of their brooms and see their names, embroidered in silver, upon their backs.

Ginny and Draco had done the same with their binoculars and were pointing things out to her.

The ref held a larger chest. He released the Bludger’s.

The camera panned to the King again for a moment and he released the Golden Snitch from its little box.

The group span the dials of their binoculars back to normal and watched as Mostafa dropped the crate he held to the ground, in his hands was the Quaffle. He launched the ball into the air as he blew on his whistle. The game had begun.

…

‘IRELAND WINS!’ Bagman shouted, who like the Irish, seemed to be taken aback by the sudden end of the match.

‘KRUM GETS THE SNITCH — BUT IRELAND WINS — good lord, I don’t think any of us were expecting that!’

‘What did he catch the Snitch for?’ Neville bellowed, even as he jumped up and down, applauding with his hands over his head. 

‘He ended it when Ireland were a hundred and sixty points ahead, the idiot!’ Harry agreed.

‘He knew they were never going to catch up!’ Draco shouted back over all the noise, also applauding loudly. ‘The Irish Chasers were too good… He wanted to end it on his terms, that’s all...’

‘He was very brave, wasn’t he?’ Ginny said, leaning forward to watch Krum land as a swarm of Mediwizards blasted a path through the battling Leprechauns and Veela to get to him. The game had gotten a bit dirty to the end.

‘He looks a terrible mess.’ Hermione put her Omnioculars to her eyes. 

It was hard to see what was happening below, because Leprechauns were zooming delightedly all over the field, but the group could just make out Krum, surrounded by Mediwizards. He looked surlier than ever and refused to let them mop him up. 

His team members were around him, shaking their heads and looking dejected; a short way away, the Irish players were dancing gleefully in a shower of gold descending from their mascots. 

Flags were waving all over the stadium, the Irish national anthem blared from all sides.

The door to the Royal box opened and what appeared to be everyone from the Minister’s box next door filed in. 

Hermione was hugged in greeting by an ecstatic Fred and George. ‘Our bet came through! Ireland wins but Krum gets the Snitch!’ 

Then George moved to muss Ginny’s hair. ‘Hey sis. How was the rich kid’s box?’

‘The rich kids box?’ Came a dry voice. 

George went white as he came face to face with the Princess of Europe and her personal guard, Tom, who was a national duelling champion.

‘I- er. I meant…’ He shot a helpless glance at the royal.

Matilda held her stern expression for a moment before laughing. She slapped the Weasley on the back as she walked by him to greet the Minister for Magic for Bulgaria. ‘Relax Weasley. I’m just messing with you. Be nice to your sister.’ 

‘Yes Ma’am.’ George said quickly. Ginny was openly laughing at her brother.

Hermione noticed Ron was stood in the corner of the box alone, he seemed to notice her at the same time and much to her shock he nodded to her in acknowledgement. 

Hermione nodded back. 

Hermione followed after Matilda; she was talking to the Bulgarian Minister in what Hermione assumed to be Bulgarian. 

Draco was stood next to his cousin talking to the English Minister of Magic. 

‘Vell. Ve fought bravely.’ The Bulgarian Minister of Magic said in English to Matilda. 

‘You can speak English!’ said Fudge, sounding outraged. ‘And you’ve been letting me mime everything all day!’

‘Vell, it vos very funny,’ said the Bulgarian minister, shrugging.

Hermine and Draco shared an amused look. They would both pay good money to see the pompous Minister, that Armand had to manage so often, miming his words out like an idiot. 

The camera had come back to like as the man Hermione assumed to be Bagman stood in front of it with both Minister’s for Magic stood on each of his sides.

‘And as the Irish team performs a lap of honour, flanked by their mascots, the Quidditch World Cup itself is brought into the King’s Box!’ roared Bagman. 

The events of the Royal Box were being streamed directly onto the grass of the pitch. 

Two panting wizards carried the vast golden cup into the box. Hermione was very glad she didn’t have their job. She kept quite fit but she wasn’t keen on the idea of lugging a massive trophy up several flights of stairs. 

The trophy was handed to the King. His image was projected onto the pitch and the resulting cheers were louder than when Krum had caught the Snitch, the people really loved their King.

‘Let’s have a really loud hand for the gallant losers — Bulgaria!’ Bagman shouted. 

Into the box came the seven defeated Bulgarian players. The crowd below was applauding appreciatively as the faces of the seven men were projected.

One by one, the Bulgarians filed between the two rows of seats, and Bagman called out the name of each as they shook hands with their own minister and then with Fudge. Krum, who was last in line, looked a real mess. Once they passed both Ministers, they bowed to the King and received a handshake. Then they bowed to the Princess and received another handshake. 

Krum was sporting two black eyes now on his bloody face. He was still holding the Snitch. He locked eyes with Hermione, who he seemed to recognise from their dance, and waved at her. 

Then came the Irish team. Their Seeker was being supported by two of their Chasers. He’d crashed twice during the game and the second seemed to have left him a little dazed. 

The men all received the same handshakes and then their two Beaters were handed the cup by Armand and hoisted it into the air to the thunderous applause of the crowd.

When Hermione’s hands felt numb from clapping and before she could say hello to Krum, who seemed to want to say hello to her too, both teams were herded from the box. 

The Bulgarians took a lap of the pitch before the Irish came on for their final lap of honour.

Bagman cancelled the amplifying charm on his voice and turned to address the room generally. 

‘They’ll be talking about this one for years. Who could have predicted that end?’ Bagman said hoarsely.

Fred and George took this cue to scramble around the chairs and royal in the box to stand in front of the commentator, their hands outstretched. 

‘Ah, yes. I owe you… how much?’

…

‘Don’t tell your mother you’ve been gambling.’ Mr Weasley told his sons firmly. 

Fred and George stuffed their new Galleons into their pockets with wide grins. 

‘We’re going to go find Lee.’ The twins announced and then strutted off across the field of tents. 

Ron had already wandered off the second they group had left the royal box. 

‘I spotted Jenkins from Transportation a moment ago. Will you be okay getting back to the tent Gin if I go and say hello?’ Arthur Weasley asked. He clearly didn’t like the idea of letting his baby girl wander around in the packed crowd.

‘We’ll take her back, Mr Weasley.’ Harry offered.

Mr Weasley beamed at the boy. ‘I’m not sure I like any of you alone in this crowd.’ He mused.

‘We’re not alone.’ Draco grumbled. ‘There’s two Auror’s following me around.’ 

Arthur Weasley looked up into the crowd. ‘Where?’ 

‘Tonks is over there; I can see her pink hair.’ Draco said, pointing to a little spec of pink walking along the rows of tents.

Draco waved to her and she waved back.

‘Mulling is somewhere too.’ Draco told Mr. Weasley. 

‘Dan Mulling? The duelling champion in America?’ Arthur Weasley asked, clearly impressed Draco would get such high ability guard.

‘Hmm.’ Draco nodded.

‘Well then. I’ll be off then. See you later.’ He said to his daughter. 

They watched him retreat before they began walking for the Weasley tent, which was apparently on the other side of the massive field. 

They saw many of their friends on the way, all the Gryffindors, Daphne and Tracey, Theo and Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle. 

‘Have you heard from Millie?’ Hermione asked Daphne.

‘Not this week.’ Tracey answered. ‘She’s a busy girl.’

Millie was still away on her fashion placement in Paris.

‘She’ll be dressing us all up like dolls when she gets back.’ Draco groaned. 

Daphne beamed. ‘I know! It’s gonna be awesome!’

Draco gave his oldest friend a very dry look. ‘I think you and I have very different definitions of what is considered amazing.’ 

They’d moved on to find the Weasley tent. 

The tent looked a bit like a brick house, if Hermione was being honest, it really didn’t look like a Muggle tent at all. The Weasley’s had clearly used a dash of their generous allowance from the King to buy a new tent. 

Her brothers Bill and Charlie were sat drinking on deck chairs in front of it. They had left Ginny with them.

‘Where’s your tent?’ Draco asked Neville and Harry.

‘It’s actually that one there.’ Neville said, pointing out a smaller more Muggle-looking tent that was directly opposite the Weasley one.

‘Do you two want to come in for a drink?’ Neville offered Draco and Hermione. 

‘Sorry, I’m under orders. Technically I was meant to go straight to our tent.’ Draco said with a sour expression. 

Neville laughed lightly. ‘Sucks to be you man. See you later then?’ 

‘Hmm.’ Draco nodded. 

Draco and Hermione set off through the fields. ‘Where’s our tent?’ She asked. ‘Are we in this field or another one?’ 

‘We’re in this field.’ He told her. ‘Just look for the two tents surrounded by guards.’ 

As they walked, Draco told her more about the summer tour. One could only put so much detail into a letter.

‘Wait – why was Percy Weasley in Spain?’ Hermione asked. Percy had graduated last year, much to the relief of pretty much everyone. 

‘He works for the Department of Magical International Cooperation now.’ Draco told her. ‘He cornered me in Spain and I had to pretend to be interested in cauldron thickness for thirty minutes.’

Hermione groaned in sympathy. ‘A fate worse than death.’ 

Draco laughed. ‘There they are.’ 

He nodded his head at two tents by the tree line. 

‘All the tents that surround us are filled with additional guards.’ Draco told her.

Draco pulled her into the smaller one on the left. 

It was like one of the suites of Regia inside the unassuming tent. A roaring fireplace dominated the right wall with a white chaise lounge in front of it and two armchairs on either side.

‘So, through there is the kitchen.’ Draco pointed to one door.

‘Through there is a study. That ones your room, that’s my parent’s room, and other there is the bathroom, and that one’s my bedroom.’

The tour was halted in its tracks by the sounds of shouting coming from the office. 

‘I won’t stand for it!’ Came Lucius Malfoy’s furious voice. 

‘Your lucky I let you leave your house for this! You will do as I say!’ The King’s own furious voice yelled back.

‘She’s a lovely girl!’ Matilda yelled.

Hermione suddenly felt sick.

‘I will not have one of her lot staying with me!’ Lucius roared. 

There was silence for a moment. 

‘Fine.’ Armand said calmly. ‘Fine.’

‘What?’ Matilda’s voice came.

‘The Duke doesn’t want her in his tent Matilda. So, she’ll stay in ours.’ The King said calmly. 

‘I won’t allow that!’ Lucius declared, shocked. 

There was a moment’s silence.

‘As much as you dislike it, brother. The crown lays on my head. If you ever presume to tell me what I can and cannot do ever again-’

‘-You’ll do what brother? I’m not allowed out of the house already. What more can you do to me?’ Lucius laughed sarcastically.

‘Well. He could strip you of your Dukedom, cut you off from the Royal Vault, publicly condemn you for your mediaeval beliefs, or have you thrown in Azkaban for that time you nearly killed several

children.’ Matilda’s own sarcastic voice fearlessly matched her uncle as she counted the list off on her fingers.

The office door opened and the King stepped out. ‘Ah, Hermione. Perfect. You’ll be staying in my tent. You can come too Draco.’ 

‘Where’s my aunt. We have room for her too.’ Matilda asked her uncle, who was sulking behind the King.

‘She’s having a lie-down. She didn’t feel well.’ Lucius said. ‘No wonder where Draco gets his weak wills from.’ He said dryly. 

‘I’ll come and check on her later.’ Matilda told her uncle firmly, then she turned to Hermione. ‘Where’s your bag, Hermione?’ 

Hermione was glaring at Lucius. ‘Narcissa isn’t weak-willed, nor is Draco, you ignorant dickhead.’ 

Lucius made to step forwards in fury but was stopped by the Kings personal guard, Kingsley, emerging from the shadows and placing a hand on the Duke's shoulder. 

Armand looked like he was trying not to laugh. 

‘Her bags in her room.’ Draco told his cousin, also with a massive grin. 

Matilda disappeared and returned a moment later with Hermione’s duffle bag. Draco quickly nipped into his room to get his own bag.

‘She’s right. You are a dickhead.’ Armand was leaning by the fireplace and talking casually at his little brother. 

The little brother in question looked like he was ready to murder someone. 

‘All ready? Let’s go.’ Matilda said. 

The group left the tent and walked to the one next door. 

This tent was purple and resembled a Muggle six-man tent. 

Hermione ducked into the entrance behind the King.

Sometimes the beauty of magic really made Hermione feel small in a good way. 

The inside of the tent resembled a cottage. The floors were oak with vaulted ceilings. 

There was a wood-burning stove nestled into an open brick fireplace. A large black corner couch was in front of it. Two desks were against the other wall with a scattering of documents, Hermione cast a quick glance over them and realised the pages were the speech Armand had given to open the match.

The open space led to the kitchen and dining room on the left on a raised platform. The kitchen was modern and looked to be well-stocked. Hermione found herself oddly wondering how the running water worked without plumbing.

‘There’s a toilet through that door.’ Matilda told Hermione as she pointed to a dark door hidden behind a spiralled staircase.

‘I’m going to let the guards know Draco’s staying in our tent.’ The King said, then he disappeared with Kingsley on his heels.

Tom entered the tent once Kingsley had left. He nodded a greeting to Matilda and then again to the others.

The group climbed the stairs and Hermione realised the Princess was still carrying her bag. 

‘Sorry.’ Hermione said as she tried to take the bag off the royal.

But Matilda held the bag out of reach. ‘So that first door is a bathroom.’ Matilda pointed at the first door at the top of the stairs. ‘That far door is my Dad’s, then mine. We both have a bathroom so you two can have that one.’ 

Matilda nodded at a door. ‘Draco, you take that room next to mine. Hermione, you can have that first room.’ 

Draco disappeared into his newly designated room and Matilda went into Hermione’s. 

It was a lovely room. Very bright with a large window, Hermione decided she was going to read into magical tents and their making because this was straight-up incredible.

The floors were a thick white carpet. The walls were white apart from the wall with the window, which was a statement wall painted sunflower yellow. 

The curtains were grey and there was a matching grey circular carpet in front of a white chest of draws. A large double bed was in the middle of the room. The frame was grey wood, the duvet was yellow and the pillows were grey.

There was a large mirror on the back of the door and a double wardrobe took up the final wall with the door to its left.

‘I hope this room’s alright.’ Matilda told her as she placed the duffle down on the bed.

‘It’s lovely.’ Hermione said with a smile.

‘Sorry about my uncle.’ Matilda said, she clearly looked very awkward. Hermione knew the Princess wasn’t a touchy-feely person normally.

‘It’s alright.’ Hermione waved her off. 

‘I’ll leave you to get settled.’ Matilda said.

Hermione was left in her room only for a minute before the door burst open and Draco practically ran at her with a great smile.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and picked her up ignoring her squeal, he spun her around while he laughed.

‘You called him a dickhead!’ He roared with laughter once he put her down.

Draco’s laughter was infectious. Soon they both collapsed onto her firm bed.

‘His face!’ Hermione got out between laughs.

‘It sounds like a cat is being strangled in here.’ A new voice came from the doorway. It was Tom. 

He was leant against the doorway casually wearing flannel pyjamas. His expression was unmoving but there was an amusement to the corner of his eyes.

‘The Princess wanted me to check on you but you weren’t in your room.’ Tom said coolly to Draco. ‘She wanted me to remind you of your interview.' 

Draco sighed as Tom gestured for Draco to follow him out. ‘Night.’ He said to Hermione.

‘Good night.’ She replied. 

Once he was gone Hermione changed out of her dress and into her pyjamas. She’d brought one of her lighter nighties, a blue number that ended at her thighs. 

She nipped out to the bathroom at the top of the stairs, it was a modern affair. Her parents had their bathroom done up over the summer, using some of the million-pound gift from the King, and this bathroom kind of reminded her of it. It was a white tile affair with a fluffy white rug in the middle of the square room. The rooms main feature was a freestanding white bathtub, it had slightly too many taps to be a normal muggle bathtub. Hermione imagined that the eight taps in the middle of the bath each put out a different fragrance like the magical showers and bathtubs at the palace.

She did her business and brushed her teeth before returning to her room. She was considering doing her own room up at home like this, it was very bright and cosy even at this late hour.

Hermione heard the King arrive back to the tent and him bidding his guard a goodnight. She heard him slowly climb the stairs and walk down the corridor and go into his own room.

As Hermione closed her eyes and begin to drift away, she was lulled to sleep by the distant singing coming from the campsite and the odd band of celebratory fireworks.

Just as she slipped into blissful sleep and dreams of fields of dancing sunflowers, she was roughly shaken awake by Matilda.

‘Get up! Hermione - get up, this is urgent!’ 

.........

I wanted to do this as one big chapter but it was just too bloody long. Okay, I know I said I would update part 2 on the 8th but my streets VE 75 party (yes, we maintained social distancing) took four hours and I just haven't had time to finish her off yet. I SUPER DUPER PINKY PROMISE THAT I WILL POST IT ON THE 9TH I JUST NEED TO FINISH HER OFF AND TWEAK HER A BIT. 

Sorry this took over a week, I gave myself three days off for finishing part one and then it took me much longer than I thought it would to get this written.

You'll notice I took some lines and description right from the book, I wanted to make this event a bit more authentic.

E x


	64. The World Cup - Part Two

Hermione’s eyes snapped open and she bolted upright in her bed. Matilda had a purple dressing gown on and oddly a pair of boots. Her wand was clutched tightly in her hand. 

‘What’s going on?’ Hermione asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

She could tell something was very wrong. She couldn’t hear the singing now, she could hear panicked shouts and screams. 

Hermione cast her eyes to her duffle bag. Her change of clothes for tomorrow were in there. 

‘No time for that. Put some shoes on and a jacket and get outside – quickly!’ Matilda turned and ran from the room. 

Hermione could hear Tom waking Draco up in the next room.

Hermione made haste to her duffle bag, she yanked the zip down and chucked the clothes for tomorrow onto the floor expect the denim jacket which she pulled on. She thanked whatever God was listening that she’d packed white Nike trainers for the next day. She pulled them on quickly and hated the feeling of them without socks.

Her door was opened by Draco. He was wearing jogging bottoms without a top, he had an open hoodie on and trainers. His wand was in his hand. Hermione grabbed her own and held it tightly. 

‘Matilda and Tom have gone with the guards to join the fight.’ He said quickly. ‘We’re to wait outside for a wizard to escort us away.’ 

Hermione nodded. They made their way through the cottage-tent quickly, hand in hand.

The scene outside the tent was carnage. All Hermione could see was a thick crowd of running wizards in the distance and an orange glow. 

‘Who’s attacking?’ Hermione asked as she realised the glow in the distance was that of hundreds of tents lit aflame.

‘Death Eaters.’ Draco said.

Their eyes met. 

‘Oh.’ Hermione said. ‘Well, shit.’

‘Yeah.’ Draco said. 

‘Where’s the King?’ Hermione asked, looking back into the tent.

‘He went off to fight with Kingsley. He told Matilda and Tom to get us up and then he left.’ Draco told her.

People were running into the woods at the other end of the field.

‘Why aren’t people apparating away?’ She asked in confusion.

‘There’s a perimeter on the field to stop it. Only certain people, like royal guards, can apparate from here.’ He told her.

Hermione nodded, she supposed that made sense. They couldn’t have every witch and wizard in attendance apparating to the event, the amount of splinching incidents would have put a damper on things.

Thousands of wizards were running from something. And that something was headed to them. 

‘Draco?’ Hermione asked in a panic.

‘I see them.’ Draco said. 

A crowd of wizards, tightly packed and moving together with wands pointing straight upward, was marching slowly across the field. They were setting fire to everything as they marched.

They didn’t have faces, Hermione realised. They wore masks. Hermione gasped when she realised there were four struggling figures floating above the group, they were being contorted into grotesque and unnatural shapes.

‘Holy Vutris. They’re Muggles!’ Draco said.

Two of the figures were quite small and Hermione realised sickeningly that they were children.

She automatically stepped forwards but Draco’s hand on hers stopped her. ‘There’s nothing we can do for them!’ 

Then the group of masked figures suddenly made a beeline for the two royal tents, despite the fact they were supposed to be hidden amongst a group of dummy tents. The Death Eaters seemed to know exactly where they were going.

Hermione and Draco realised this at the same time and moved as one. 

Draco began to pull her in the opposite direction, just as Hermione raised her wand and cast a shielding charm.

A red curse deflected from it the moment it was in place. 

She and Draco ran into the crowd.

Hermione looked around; their group of Death Eaters wasn’t the only one. There were several groups of masked figures burning tents and cursing people.

‘I need to get you into the woods.’ Hermione said. 

‘Me?’ 

‘Yes, Draco. You. They came straight for your tent.’ She told him quickly. 

Suddenly the thick and frantic crowd turned direction as the Death Eaters moved to stand in their way, and Hermione and Draco were pushed from the crowd and into the side of a ruined tent.

Draco hell heavily on top of Hermione.

‘Shit. Are you okay?’ He asked, pulling her up.

Hermione nodded and tightened her hold on her wand. 

‘Draco, where’s your wand?’ She asked, hurriedly looking down at the ground where they had landed.

It wasn’t there.

‘It must have been knocked out of my hand by the crowd!’ Draco said frantically. The panic of facing down the enemy without a wand was clear on his face.

Suddenly, Hermione shot her wand out and deflected a curse. ‘Get behind me!’ 

There was a group of Death Eaters heading right for them. 

Hermione deflected another curse. 

Draco held his hand out. ‘Excalibur!’ He called. There was a cracking sound and his Gods sword appeared in his hand.

The Death Eater group halted for a moment at this odd sight.

‘Think we can take them?’ Draco asked her quietly.

‘Nope. Not at all.’ Hermione said. They were heavily outnumbered. Two of the versus eight Death Eaters.

A red hex was shot at them and Draco shot his sword out to catch it, the blade absorbed it and the gem on the handle glowed. 

Draco pointed his sword at the Death Eater who had shot the curse just as the red blast shot back out of the end of his sword. It hit the very surprised Death Eater in the chest and he crumpled. 

Two versus seven, then.

Hermione stunned another Death Eater while they were all still staring in shock at their downed comrade.

Two versus six.

‘Three each.’ Draco said. 

Hermione didn’t reply. She was running through every powerful duelling spell in her mind for multiple combatants.

She moved suddenly, with one hand she pushed Draco behind her and with the other, she brandished her wand.

‘Ignis verberaque!’ She called. Something long and hot grew from her wand. A whip made entirely of fire. 

The Death Eaters tried to dive out of the way as she lunged forwards, she caught three of them across the chest and they screamed in pain as they went down. 

Two versus three, a more even fight.

‘Where the fuck did you learn that?’ Draco gasped.

‘Flitwick.’ She replied and the flaming rope faded. 

The three Death Eaters spread out to avoid another attack like that.

‘Hand him over… Or we’ll kill you.’ One of the Death Eaters said.

She heard Draco gulp from his place behind her.

‘Come and get him.’ She said back fearlessly.

The Death Eaters shared a look and then began to launch a tirade of curses at the pair. 

It was hard work deflecting that many spells, Hermione’s shield was taking most of the blows. Any spells that made it through were absorbed and deflected by Draco’s sword.

‘Remember that spell you used on Voldemort?’ Draco prompted her.

‘Absolutely not.’ She shot back at him; she didn’t want to kill anyone. She wouldn't break out that spell unless she absolutely had to.

Suddenly Fred and George appeared to the side, they were leading a group of younger students including Ginny. 

‘Go!’ Hermione shouted to the group. 

‘We need to go that way!’ Fred shouted to her; he was pointing behind the Death Eaters.

‘You’ll have to find another way!’ Draco shouted to the twins with their group of children. 

From the corner of her eye she, saw one twin step forwards to join their fight. ‘Go! Get them to safety!’ 

The twins turned and herded the children back the way they came. Hermione kept the three Death Eaters well distracted from the group by firing a constant stream of curses at them.

One of the Death Eaters then made the mistake of lunging for Draco. He dropped to the ground with a massive slash to the chest, Draco raised his now bloody sword. 

Two on two. 

Both of the remaining Death Eaters advanced. 

Then, perfectly timed, Harry Potter and Neville ran right into the middle of the battle. 

‘It’s Potter!’ One of the Death Eaters gleefully declared.

‘Get down!’ Hermione shouted to the pair. 

Neville grabbed Harry and dragged them both down to the ground. Hermione noticed as he fell that Harry didn’t have his wand either.

Draco lunged at his remaining Death Eater. The man had aimed his wand at Harry and his mouth was forming the word: “Avada”, he jumped on Neville’s back to get a good air clearance and aimed down at the very shocked Death Eater. Draco had run him through. 

The Death Eater dropped at his feet; Hermione would think the man dead if she couldn’t see him breathing. Draco had just stabbed a man. 

Meanwhile, the other Death Eater had cast the killing curse at Neville and Harry on the ground. He had missed.

Hermione, thinking only of protecting her friends, aimed her wand at the man’s chest.

‘Consaucio!’ 

The man dropped his wand instantly. He clutched at his chest and neck as the blood rushed through his now open veins. 

The masked man dropped to his knees just as Draco pulled his sword from the other man’s chest. 

The Death Eater gurgled. He was choking on his own blood. 

He coughed and spluttered as the blood began to run down his mouth and chin. 

He fell face-first to the ground, the sounds of his gasping breaths rattled around the clearing. 

She had nearly killed a man. She looked to Draco and saw that he had too.

Both full of adrenaline they each grabbed at Harry and Neville on the floor and pulled them up.

‘We need to get into the woods.’ Neville said calmly. The fact that two of his friends had just nearly killed people didn’t seem to phase him, perhaps he was in shock. 

Then a spec of bubble-gum pink hair ran into view. 

‘Tonks!’ Draco shouted for her.

Fred and George returned at that moment with Ginny. 

‘I told you to get to the woods!’ Hermione barked at them.

‘We did! All the kids are safe- WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED HERE?’ George went pale when he saw the bodies.

Tonks was running at them now. They could hear fighting in the distance.

Draco bent over and was violently sick when he saw the blood on his hands. 

He stood up and wiped at his mouth just as Tonks arrived on the scene.

She took a glance at the bodies, then at Draco’s bloody sword, then at a pale Hermione. 

‘They were going to kill Harry and Neville.’ Draco whispered. 

Tonks place a hand on his shoulder. ‘It’s okay. They’re not dead. The Ministry has things under control now, mostly, they’ll be found soon.’ 

Then she looked up at Hermione. ‘Are you okay?’

Hermione nodded. She oddly didn’t feel anything. 

‘I need to get you all out of here. Royalty first.’ Tonks placed her hand on Draco’s shoulder and Neville, who was stood closest to them.

With a pop, she was gone before Draco could protest.

‘You nearly killed them.’ Harry said. He didn’t seem able to take his eyes from the bodies on the floor. 

‘It was them or you.’ Hermione said. ‘You heard Tonks; they’ll be found soon.’

Ginny went and took Harry’s hand. This snapped him out of his dazed state he looked into Ginny’s eyes and took a deep breath. He looked up to Hermione. ‘I know. Thank you for saving us.’ 

Hermione could only nod. Her hands had begun to shake.

Fred and George came to stand on either side of Hermione. 

‘You’re looking a little wobbly there, Granger.’ George said. 

Hermione shook her head. ‘I’m fine.’ 

Tonks popped back. ‘Who’s next?’

‘Ginny and Harry?’ Fred asked. 

‘I’m not leaving until everyone else has!.’ Harry said quickly.   
‘You don’t have a wand.’ Ginny pointed out to Harry.

‘I’ll be fine.’ Harry insisted.

‘Take Fred and George, then come back for Ginny and Harry, then me.’ Hermione said. 

Tonks nodded and nobody protested this plan.

Fred and George went to Tonks side and with a pop, they were gone too.

‘Why aren’t you in the woods?’ Harry was muttering to Ginny; his arm was snaked around her waist. 

‘I wanted to come and find you with Fred and George.’ Ginny muttered. 

‘Shh!’ Hermione ordered suddenly. 

‘Hey!’ Ginny protested Hermione ruining their moment.

‘No! Seriously shut up! I hear something.’ Hermione said. She was scanning the ruins of all the tents. 

The fleeing crowds were long disappeared.

There was a group of cloaked wizards in the distance, they couldn’t see to what side they belonged from this far away.

‘Woods. Now!’ Hermione ordered. 

The three of them, Harry and Ginny holding hands, ran for the cover of the trees. 

‘Winky?’ Ginny asked as a figure entered the tree line behind them. 

‘You know this elf?’ Harry asked. 

‘She was in the Minister’s box. She’s Barty Crouches elf.’ Ginny said.

Hermione remembered Ginny’s story about nearly sitting on an elf.

‘Who?’ Harry asked.

‘He’s the head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. He’s Percy’s boss.’ Ginny filled in.

The elf was moving in a very strange manner, as if she was dragging a great weight behind her. She was clearly trying to get deeper into the trees. 

‘Winky? It’s Ginny Weasley, we met earlier? Are you okay?’ Ginny leant down in front of the elf.

‘There are bad wizards!’ she squeaked distractedly as she leaned forward and laboured to keep running. 

‘What’s wrong with her?’ Harry asked. 

‘She won’t have permission to hide.’ Hermione said, feeling a rage build inside her.

‘I thought all elves were free now?’ Ginny asked. 

‘They are in a sense they need to be paid and have time off. They can still have masters and be controlled.’ Hermione answered. 

‘So, what do we do? Tonks won’t be able to find us in here.’ Harry turned to Hermione, who was looking angrily into the trees where Winky had vanished.

Hermione shrugged. ‘No idea. Await rescue? We can’t go wandering around with a load of Death Eaters out and about.’ 

‘You can clearly handle them.’ Harry offered. 

Hermione doubled over and was sick violently into the nearest bushes. 

‘Oh shit.’ Ginny rushed over to Hermione. 

‘Sorry. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have mentioned it.’ 

Hermione straightened up and batted Ginny away before she wiped at her mouth. She cast a quick cleansing charm and moved on.

‘We should move further in.’ Hermione said as she lit the end of her wand.

There were nods of agreement from the other two and Ginny lit her wand too. Hermione really wished that the wandless Harry had gone with Tonks now.

‘They’re not going to die, Hermione, they’ll be fine.’ Ginny reassured her as the trio walked in further.

They walked until they were in the very heart of the wood. They seemed to be alone now; everything was much quieter.

‘Reckon we can wait here?’ Ginny asked. 

Harry nodded at the same time as Hermione.

‘Tonks will have come back now and knows we’re gone. She’s probably looking for us now.’ Harry said. 

‘Should we send up sparks?’ Ginny asked. 

Hermione shook her head quickly at this suggestion. ‘No. We don’t know who might be out there.’ 

The words were hardly out of her mouth, when Ludo Bagman emerged from behind a tree right ahead of them. 

Bagman no longer looked cheerful and rosy-cheeked, as he had when he had appeared in the Royal box.

He looked very pale. ‘What are you doing in here, all alone?’

They looked at one another, surprised. 

‘There’s been a Death Eater raid, Sir.’ Harry told the man.

Bagman stared at him. ‘What?’ 

‘At the campsite? They got hold of a family of Muggles and burnt a whole field of tents down.’ Hermione told him. Was the man drunk? How could he not know what had gone on?

Bagman swore loudly. ‘Damn them!’ he said, looking quite distracted, and without another word, he Disapparated with a pop.

The remaining trio shared a disapproving look.

‘Not exactly on top of things, is he?’ Harry said.

Ginny led the way off the path into a small clearing, and sat down on a patch of dry grass at the foot of a tree. ‘He was a great Beater, in his day.’

They all sat and listened for any noises from the campsite. Everything seemed much quieter. Perhaps Tonks was right, the Ministry had finally gotten the situation under control. 

‘Those poor Muggles.’ Ginny mused nervously. ‘What if they can’t get them down?’

‘They will.’ Hermione reassured her. ‘It’s a creepy spell but there’s always a counter curse.’ 

‘I can’t believe this even happened.’ Ginny said, putting his head in his hands. ‘The whole Ministry is out tonight… the amount of Auror’s and Royal guards out-’

Ginny broke off abruptly and looked over her shoulder. 

Harry and Hermione looked quickly around too. It sounded as though someone was staggering toward their clearing. They waited, listening to the uneven steps as they moved through the trees.

Suddenly, the steps came to a halt. 

‘Hello?’ Harry called into the darkness. 

There was no reply. The trio rose to their feet and Hermione pointed her wand at the place where the sound had been. 

‘Harry, get behind Ginny.’ She said quietly.

‘What? No.’ Harry hissed back.

‘You don’t have a wand, you ninny.’ Ginny reminded him, as she stepped in front of him.

It was too dark to see very far, but they could make out a distant shadow amongst the trees.

‘Who’s there? Show yourself!’ Hermione called out. 

And then, without warning, the silence was painfully ended by a deep and steady voice.

‘MORSMORDRE!’ The shadow yelled out.

Something vast, green, and glittering erupted from the patch of darkness; it flew up over the treetops and into the sky. 

‘What the hell?’ Harry gasped.

It was a colossal skull, with a serpent protruding from its mouth like a tongue. As they watched, it rose higher until it was far above the trees, etched against the black sky like a new grim constellation.

That’s when the screams began. The woods all around them erupted with panicked shouts.

Harry didn’t understand why this green image was so scary to the public, it seemed to have scared the pants off his two friends.

Ginny had begun crying in panic at the sight of it. Hermione seemed to have gone on red alert, she pointed her wand directly at the spot the spell had been cast, but the figure had disappeared from view.

‘We need to move. Right. Now.’ Hermione told them firmly. 

They began to back out of the clearing, Hermione was scanning the tree line for any emerging figures.

‘What’s the matter?’ Harry asked, startled to see her face so white and terrified. He was trying to stop Ginny crying too as he took hold of her hand tightly. 

‘It’s the Dark Mark, Harry! It's _His_ mark!’ Hermione moaned. ‘There’s a Death Eater right there and you don’t have a bloody wand!’

But before they had taken more than a few hurried steps backwards, there was a rapid series of popping noises. They were no longer alone in the clearing.

There were about twenty wizards in the clearing now, and every one of them had their wands pointed at them.

‘Duck!’ Harry barked, he dragged Ginny down with him and Hermione dived down on her own.

‘STUPEFY!’ Roared twenty voices. 

There was a blinding series of flashes over their heads. 

‘Stop!’ Yelled a voice the trio recognised. ‘STOP! That’s my daughter!’

The spells stopped.

Hermione raised her head. 

The wizards in front of her had lowered their wands. She rolled over and saw Mr Weasley striding toward them, looking terrified. 

‘Ginny! Harry! Hermione!’ His voice was anything but steady. ‘Are you all right?’

‘Out of the way, Arthur.’ Commanded a cold voice. It was Mr Crouch. Hermione recognised him from the papers.

He and the other Ministry wizards were closing in on them.

The trio got to their feet.

Crouch’s face was taut with rage. ‘Which of you did it?’ He demanded, his sharp eyes darting between them. ‘Which of you conjured the Dark Mark?’

‘We didn’t do that!’ Gasped Hermione, gesturing up at the skull. 

‘We didn’t do anything!’ Harry said.

‘Do not lie!’ Shouted Mr Crouch. 

His wand was still pointing directly at Harry. His wild eyes made him look slightly mad. 

‘You have been discovered at the scene of the crime!’ 

‘Barty,’ Whispered a witch in a long woollen dressing gown, ‘they’re just kids, they’d never have been able to-’ 

‘Where did the Mark come from?’ Mr Weasley asked the trio quickly. 

‘Over there,’ Hermione said at once, pointing at the place where they had heard the voice. ‘There was someone behind the trees, a figure, they shouted something, an incantation.’

‘Oh, stood over there, did they?’ Mr Crouch said, turning his popping eyes on Hermione now, disbelief etched all over his face. ‘Said an incantation, did they? You seem very well informed about how that Mark is summoned, missy.’

None of the Ministry wizards apart from Mr Crouch seemed to think it remotely likely that one of them had conjured the skull. At Hermione’s words, the twenty wizards had all raised their wands at where she had pointed, they were all squinting to try and see through the darkness.

‘We’re too late.’ The witch in the woollen dressing gown said, shaking her head. ‘They’ll have Disapparated.’

‘I doubt it.’ Said a new voice. A wizard with a scrubby brown beard. 

‘That’s Amos Diggory. We got a Portkey in with him this morning.’ Ginny hissed quietly to Harry and Hermione. ‘He’s Cedric Diggory’s father. The Hufflepuff?’

‘Our Stunners went right through those trees. There’s a good chance we got them.’ Diggory said as he began to step towards the trees.

A few wizards and witches called after him to be careful.

Mr Crouch was still holding his wand at Hermione’s face.

‘Crouch! Lower your wand this instance.’ 

Hermione sighed in relief at the comfort this new voice brought.

Barty Crouch practically dropped his wand to follow this order.

The King had arrived on the scene.

His guard Kingsley was beside him, nursing a large gash on his cheek. 

‘How dare you point your wand at a child.’ The King scoffed at the man as he walked by him to Hermione.

‘Sorry, Sir.’ Crouch mumbled. ‘She knew how the Dark Mark was conjured.’ 

‘We saw the man that did it, Sir.’ Hermione told the King.

He stopped in front of Hermione and placed two hands on her shoulders. ‘You’re okay?’

She nodded. 

‘And you two?’ He asked Harry and Ginny.

They both nodded. 

It was then they heard Mr Diggory shout. ‘Yes! We got them! There’s someone knocked out just here! It’s… blimey…’

‘You’ve got someone?’ Shouted Mr Crouch, sounding highly disbelieving yet he was keen to improve in the eyes of the King who had just scolded him. ‘Who is it?’ 

Mr Diggory remerged from behind the trees. He was carrying a tiny, limp figure in his arms. 

The three children recognised the little figure at once. It was Winky.

‘Congratulation Mr Crouch. You’ve caught yourself the rare and threatening house-elf.’ The King said sarcastically. ‘She’s not hurt badly, is she?’ He asked Diggory.

Hermione knew that taking several stunners would harm a full-sized wizard, Merlin help a tiny little elf like Winky.

‘That’s his elf, sir. Her name’s Winky.’ Hermione muttered to the King.

For a few seconds, Crouch remained transfixed, his eyes blazing in his white face as he stared down at Winky. Then he appeared to come to life again. ‘…No…’

He moved quickly around Mr Diggory and strode off toward the place where he had found Winky.

‘No point, Mr Crouch,’ Mr Diggory called after him. ‘There’s no one else there.’ 

But Mr Crouch did not seem prepared to take his word for it. They could hear him moving around and the rustling of leaves as he pushed the bushes aside, searching.

‘Bit embarrassing,’ Mr Diggory said grimly, looking down at Winky’s unconscious form. ‘Barty Crouch’s house-elf…’

‘Rubbish,’ Mr Weasley shook his head, ‘you don’t seriously think it was the elf? The Dark Mark’s a wizard’s sign. It requires a wand.’

‘Yeah,’ said Mr Diggory, ‘she had a wand.’ 

‘What?’ Asked the King in shock. ‘Show me.’

‘Yes, Sir. Here, look.’ Mr Diggory held up a wand and showed it to Mr Weasley and the King. ‘Had it in her hand. So that’s the Code for Wand Use broken, for a start. No non-human creature is permitted to carry or use a wand.’

‘That’s a shit law.’ Hermione said, she’d never been so unimpressed in her life. These were the men running the country? 

The King very clearly had to stop himself from smiling at her words during this very serious moment. ‘Not the time for a campaign, Hermione.’ He said to her gently.

Then there was another pop, and Ludo Bagman Apparated right next to Mr. Weasley. He looked like he was going to be suck as he ogled the emerald-green skull in the sky.

He made a very undignified sound at the site of the mark. Then, almost trampling on poor, unconscious, Winky as he turned inquiringly to his colleagues. ‘Who did it? Did you get them? Barty! What’s going on?’

It was then he spotted the King and dropped into a low and frankly ridiculous bow, during which he wobbled a little._ Yeah_, Hermione thought,_ definitely drunk._

Mr Crouch had returned empty-handed from the bushes. His face was still ghostly white.

‘Where have you been, Barty?’Bagman asked. ‘Why weren’t you at the match? Your elf was saving you a seat!’ 

The wobbly wizard then noticed the unconscious elf he’d nearly stood on three times now at last. ‘What happened to her?’

‘My elf has been stunned.’ Crouch replied, ignoring the first question.

‘Stunned? By you lot? Why?’ Comprehension dawned suddenly on Bagman’s flushed face; he looked up at the skull, down at Winky, and then at Mr Crouch. ‘No! Winky? Conjure the Dark Mark? She wouldn’t know how! She’d need a wand, for a start!’

‘And she had one,’ said Mr. Diggory. ‘I found her holding one, Ludo.’

‘Enough storytelling.’ The King said firmly. ‘I want to know what has gone on here. I want to hear what she’s got to say for herself.’

Hermione perked up at these words. ‘Yeah, you can’t debate someone’s guilt while they can’t defend themselves. Unconstitutional.’ 

Mr Crouch glared at Hermione and she glared right back. 

‘She’s right, Barty.’ The King said sternly. ‘Wake your elf up.’ 

Mr Crouch made no move, so Mr Diggory stepped forwards. ‘Rennervate!’ 

Winky stirred feebly.

Watched by the silent wizards, she raised herself shakily so she was sat up and rubbed at her head and began to cry.

‘Sine dolore.’ Hermione said, pointing her wand at the elf without thought.

‘What was that?’ Roared Mr Crouch, his wand was on Hermione again.

‘I will not tell you again, Crouch. It’s a strong anaesthetic. Your elf has taken a lot of stunners.’ He strode to stand in front of the man. ‘Miss Granger has my complete trust. I’m sure you’ve heard she is to be made a Lady of the realm next week for services to my family?’

Hermione blushed at his words while also getting the impression that the King wasn’t the world’s greatest fan of Barty Crouch.

‘Probably don’t cast any more sudden spells.’ The King said much more calmly to Hermione.

‘Sorry.’ She said quietly.

‘Elf!’ Mr Diggory barked sternly, ignoring the elf crying. ‘Do you know who I am? I’m a member of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures!’

Winky began to rock backward and forward on the ground, her breath coming in sharp bursts.

‘As you see, elf, the Dark Mark was conjured here a short while ago,’ He continued. ‘And you were discovered moments later, right beneath it! An explanation, if you please!’

‘I-I-I is not doing it, sir!” Winky gasped. ‘I is not knowing how, sir!’ 

‘You were found with a wand in your hand!’ Barked Mr Diggory, brandishing it in front of her. 

Winky began to cry again as the wand was brandished in her face. 

‘I hardly think this intense line of inquiry is needed.’ The King told Diggory.

‘All due respect, Your Grace, I am a specialist for the Department for the Regula-’

The King cut him off.

‘Yes. You are a specialist. And a specialist should know that a distraught house-elf is no threat to a group of twenty armed wizards.’

Diggory stood back, embarrassed and well scolded. He raised the wand up slowly to address the elf again. As he did, the wand was illuminated by the green light in the sky.

‘Hey! That’s mine!’ Harry gasped, clearly very shocked at this. 

Everyone in the clearing looked at him. ‘Excuse me?’ Mr Diggory was clearly shocked. 

‘Yeah! That’s my wand!’ Harry said with more confidence now he’d gotten a good look at it. ‘I dropped it!’ 

‘You dropped it?’ Mr Diggory asked in disbelief. ‘Is this a confession? You threw it aside after you conjured the Mark?’ 

‘Diggory, think who you’re talking to!’ The King was managing to sound bored and very angry at the same time. ‘Is Harry Potter likely to conjure the Dark Mark?’

Kingsley scoffed next to him.

Mr Diggory flushed. ‘Sorry…carried away… heat of the moment.’ 

‘I didn’t drop it there, anyway.’ Harry said firmly, jerking his thumb toward the trees beneath the skull. ‘I realised it was missing before we found Hermione.’

‘Before you and who found Miss Granger? Could they have taken it?’ Diggory asked, excitement clear in his voice. 

Harry frowned at the man. ‘Doubtful. I was with Neville Longbottom.’

‘Maybe his allegiances have changed now? Werewolf and all.’ Diggory turned to Crouch.

‘Mr Diggory. Please keep your prejudices to yourself.’ The King barked.

‘And what was Miss Granger doing when you found her?’ Mr Crouch asked, clearly, she was his next suspect.

‘I was fighting a team of eight Death Eaters with Draco.’ Hermione told him.

Crouch gave her a condescending look. ‘You? A little girl fought off eight Death Eaters?’ 

‘Yes, she did.’ Tonks stepped forwards now, Hermione hadn’t noticed her entering the clearing. ‘I saw the bodies. They’re being handled by Auror’s now.’

‘Then what happened?’ Crouch asked Tonks, ignoring Hermione now.

‘I got Draco and Neville out of the scene. Then Fred and George Weasley. I was to come back for these three but they were gone when I got back.’ She said coolly.

Crouch wheeled on Hermione again. ‘Aha! And why would you run away from a Royal Guard?’ 

Hermione rolled her eyes. ‘For goodness sake. I didn’t do this. We saw a figure in the distance and made for the cover of the trees. I was very aware that Harry Potter was with me and without a wand, I wanted to keep him safe.’

‘Miss Granger cursed Voldemort in the face when she was twelve. I seriously doubt she would have Death Eater sympathies.’ The King said the Crouch and Diggory. ‘Stop questioning her.’

Hermione nodded her thanks to the King.

Mr Crouch turned to look pointedly at Harry. ‘Where did you say you lost your wand?’

‘It just got knocked out of my hand in the crowds, I think. Just bad luck.’ Harry told Crouch.

Hermione nodded. ‘Same thing happened to Draco. You’ll probably find a lot of wands on the grounds of the camp.’

‘So?’ Mr Diggory turned back to the house-elf, who was cowering at his feet. ‘You found this wand, eh, elf? And you picked it up and thought you’d have some fun with it, did you?’ 

‘I is not doing magic with it, sir!’ Winky cried, tears streaming down the sides of her squashed and bulbous nose. ‘…I…I is just picking it up, sir! I is not making the Dark Mark, sir, I is not knowing how!’ 

‘It wasn’t her!’ Hermione said firmly. ‘Winky’s got a squeaky little voice, and the voice we heard doing the incantation was much deeper!’

She looked around to Harry and Ginny for their support in her claim.

Harry and Ginny nodded. 

‘It was definitely a human male voice.’ Harry added. 

‘Well, we’ll soon see.’ Mr Diggory looked unimpressed. ‘There’s a simple way of discovering the last spell a wand performed, elf, did you know that?’ Winky trembled and shook her head frantically, her ears flapping, as Mr Diggory raised his own wand again and placed it tip to tip with Harry’s. 

‘Hey! What are you doing to my wand?’ Harry nearly shouted.

‘He’s seeing the last spell your wand cast.’ The King told him calmly and quietly.

‘Prior Incantato!’ Roared Mr Diggory. 

Hermione gasped, horrified, as a gigantic serpent tongued skull erupted from the point where the two wands met, it looked as though it were made of thick grey smoke. It was only a shadow of the original spell but it still made the wizards in the clearing feel sick.

‘So?’ Mr Diggory now had a look of savage triumph, looking down upon Winky, who was still shaking. 

Winky tried to plead her innocence again.

‘You’ve been caught red-handed, elf !’ Mr Diggory roared. ‘Caught with the guilty wand in your hand!’ 

‘Doesn’t prove anything for me, sorry.’ The King said, he was very obviously angry with Diggory now. ‘Barely any wizards know how to cast that spell. Where would she have learnt it?’ 

‘Perhaps Amos is suggesting that I routinely teach my servants to conjure the Dark Mark?’ Mr Crouch had an icy pitch to his voice.

Amos Diggory looked horrified. ‘No! Not at all, Sir!’

‘I’m sure I’ve proven how much I detest the Dark Arts and those who perform them?’ Crouch said.

Mr Diggory’s hands were shaking.

‘Really g-gentlemen-’ A new voice was present now. It was Matilda. She came to stand by her father. 

Hermione noted she looked a little roughed up, her blond hair was a bit of a mess. Besides her, Tom had a developing black eye. No wonder she was stammering her words a little.

It was in this moment Hermione realised everyone in this field was wearing their pyjamas. The thought made her want to laugh for a crazy moment and she forced herself to remain silent as she noticed Mr Weasley’s fluffy slippers.

‘-Let’s not forget our ma- ma-.’ Matilda sighed in frustration. ‘Our manners.’ Matilda finished.

Everyone in the clearing offered her a bow or a curtsey.

‘The Auror’s can finish rounding up the Death Eaters without me. Most of them have f-fled. What’s going on here, then?’ She asked.

‘House elf, Winky, found with Harry Potter’s wand which was used to conjure that Dark Mark and we don’t know where she found it and now everyone’s falling out.’ The King said. 

‘Oh. Well, that’s very dramatic.’ Matilda stepped forwards and knelt down in front of the elf. ‘Winky?’ Her voice was warm and gentle. ‘Would you tell me where you found this wand?’

‘It was on the ground out there, miss.’ Winky said, gesturing to the trees where she had been found.

Matilda looked at her wrist for a moment and then stood up. ‘Telling the truth.’

Hermione spotted Matilda was wearing a bracelet with an amber gem. 

‘See? Whoever conjured the Mark could have Disapparated right after they’d done it, leaving Harry’s wand behind. A clever thing to do, not using their own wand, which could have betrayed them. And Winky here had the misfortune to come across the wand moments later and pick it up.’ The King said calmly. 

‘But then, she’d have been only a few feet away from the real culprit!’ Mr Diggory said impatiently. ‘Elf? Did you see anyone?’ 

‘She has a name.’ Hermione couldn’t stop herself from pointing out. 

Matilda did not prevent herself from smiling as her father had done at the sight of Hermione lecturing a full-grown wizard, and a high ranking one at that.

Diggory ignored her.

Winky trembled as she denied seeing anyone cast the spell. Her eyes flicked to the bracelet on Matilda’s wrist, focusing on the amber gem.

‘May I take my elf home?’ My Crouch asked Diggory. ‘Don’t worry. She will be punished.’

‘Master?’ Winky had begun to cry again.

Crouch’s cold gaze rested on his elf; his face was unfeeling. ‘Winky has behaved in a manner I would have thought not possible. I ordered her to remain in her tent. I will not stand being disobeyed.’ 

Winky was now pleading through her tears.

‘This means clothes!’ He hissed.

Winky threw herself at her master’s feet. Hermione felt sick at the sight of a creature debasing itself such.

‘She was running for her life!’ Hermione burst out in anger. ‘The Death Eaters were burning tents as they went! Did you want her to stay and get burned to death?’

Crouch ignored Hermione completely.

‘I have no use for staff who disobey me.’ Mr Crouch looked upon his faithful servant with a look of disgust.

Winky’s sobs were echoing around the clearing. Hermione had never seen a creature so distraught.

‘Well, I think I’ll take my lot back to the tent, if nobody’s got any objections. Amos, that wands told us all it can, if Harry could have it back, please?’ Arthur Weasley said.

Mr Diggory handed Harry his wand and Harry pocketed it. 

‘Hermione, are you coming with us?’ Mr Weasley asked. 

Hermione looked, unsure, at the King. 

Armand turned to Tonks. ‘Tonks, please would you take Hermione back to location one. And return the Weasley twins and Mr Longbottom to their families?’ 

Tonks nodded and stepped forwards to grip Hermione’s shoulders. Before she could say as much as a goodbye to her friends, she was wrenched from her spot.

The next thing she knew everything had gone black. She was being pressed very hard from all directions and she couldn’t breathe. It felt like her brain and other organs were rattling around in her skeleton.

Lights began to form around her as her legs hit the ground and instantly gave out. 

She felt a pair of arms wrap around her but her vision was still fuzzy. 

‘You three, with me please.’ She heard Tonks say and then there was another pop. 

Her vision returned and she found it was Draco holding her tight. 

‘What happened? Why didn’t you follow?’ He asked her.

‘We had to take cover in the woods. Then someone conjured the Dark Mark with Harry’s wand and they all tried to blame this poor little elf!’ Hermione was still angry.

Draco sat her down on a comfortable couch.

‘Where are we?’ She asked. She could have sworn she was back in-

‘The King’s tent.’ He told her. 'Location one.'

‘Is it safe?’ She asked.

Draco nodded. A man suddenly came down the stairs, Hermione recognised the uniform of a healer. 

‘How is she?’ He asked, standing up.

Hermione wondered who had been hurt. 

‘She’ll be fine. She just needs to sleep it off. She may be dazed or confused for a few days. But she’ll make a full recovery. They both will.’ The Healer informed him.

‘May I see her?’’ Draco asked.

‘Your Grace may do as he wishes.’ The Healer replied, a little flustered.

Draco thanked the Healer and made for the stairs. Hermione followed. 

‘What’s happened? Who’s hurt?’ Hermione asked quietly as they walked.

Draco walked to the door of the room that he had briefly slept in. It felt like days ago rather than a few hours that she and Draco had fallen onto the bed next door in laughter.

Draco opened the door and stepped in. His mother was unconscious on the bed. Lucius was next to them.

‘Tonks found them. They’ve both been drugged.’ Draco said.

The Duke and Duchess of Wiltshire, in their own manners, both carried a strong presence. Hermione found it incredibly unsettling to see both of them like this. 

Well, she didn’t really give a rat’s ass about Lucius. 

Narcissa’s hair had come out of her bun and there was a scuff on her shirt and shoes. It looked like she’d had a little tumble if Hermione was being honest with herself. 

Draco had completely ignored his father laying prone and walked to the other side of the bed. He raised a hand to brush a stray lock from his mother’s face.

Seeing this to be a private moment, Hermione averted her eyes and took in the room.

It was much like hers next door, without the yellow. This room was all grey and white. 

After what she decided was an appropriate pause, she turned to face Draco again. He was now glaring at his father. 

‘It’s funny.’ Draco said. 

‘What is?’ Hermione asked with a frown. How was he finding this funny?

‘Well, there was a Death Eater raid. It’s funny that my father, who would be a prime suspect in my uncle’s eyes, was conveniently found drugged.’ Draco told her without shifting his gaze. 

‘It’s also funny, how my mother looks like she’s gone face-first over a table. While he looks as if he’s just lain down for a pleasant nap.’ Draco said. As he spoke the anger in his voice became more apparent.

‘She doesn’t look like she’s been over a tab-’

Her words died on her lips as Draco ever so slightly moved aside his mother’s shirt to reveal a hint of collarbone for her display. There was a grim bruise forming upon it and the bone looked sickeningly wrong. 

‘It’s broken.’ He said. 

‘Fucking bastard.’ Hermione said, glaring at Draco’s father. 

Draco nodded. 

‘What do _you_ think really happened?’ Hermione asked. 

‘I think my… I think he drugged my mother hours ago so he could join in with his Death Eater pals and then he came back here and drugged himself to look innocent.’ 

‘Narcissa will be able to tell us what happened when she wakes up, right?’ Hermione asked, although from the look on Draco’s face she already knew the answer.

He didn’t reply, the anger on his face was answer enough. 

‘Obliviated?’ Hermione asked.

He nodded. ‘All the days memories are gone.’

‘And your… and him?’ Hermione asked, nodding at Lucius.

‘Obliviated too. Though I don’t doubt he’s stored his memories ready for later consumption.’ Draco seethed. 

Hermione noticed his wand was now back in his hand. ‘Where did you find that?’ 

‘Tonks summoned it for me.’ Draco told her. 

Hermione nodded and held her hand out, he passed the wand over. ‘I’m just going to hold onto this tonight. I don’t want you doing anything you might later regret.’ 

‘I don’t think I’d regret it.’ He told her quickly and calmly. 

Hermione bit the inside of her cheek for a moment while she thought of a reply. ‘Alright, I don’t want you doing anything that will get you chucked in Azkaban.’

‘I’m sure my uncle would have it all covered up.’ Draco told her. 

‘You stabbed a man and threw up. You’re no killer.’ Hermione said finally. 

Draco squeezed his eyes shut.

For a dreadful moment, Hermione thought: _Oh no, they’re not dead, are they?_

‘They were Crabbe and Goyle’s dads.’ Draco said. ‘They’re alive. But they’ve both been arrested. The other ones in the group must have woken up and run off.’ 

…

Draco had spent that night kipped out on the floor of Hermione’s room, since his parents had occupied his bed. 

Breakfast had been a sombre affair. Draco’s interview about the match had obviously been cancelled. 

Instead, the King hadn’t even stopped for a bite before going outside to address the reporters that had descended on the scene. 

Narcissa and Lucius were still yet to wake when Draco walked her back to the Floo, though they were expected to any moment now.

‘See you in a few days.’ She had mumbled to Draco before calling out, ‘Granger house!’ And disappearing in the green flame.

She stepped out into her father’s arms. 

‘Poppet! Are you okay? We saw your magic paper this morning about the attack!’ Her father said all of this in one breath. 

Hermione nodded. ‘Yeah, I’m fine. Everyone’s fine.’

She looked at the coffee table to see a very official-looking letter. Draco had been right then; she must have just missed her OWL results yesterday. 

‘Ah yes! Came for you about ten minutes after you left.’ Her father said. 

Hermione picked up the letter and tore it open. ‘Where’s mum?’ 

‘Gone to the shop for some milk. Should be back in a minute.’ Her father told her as she pulled out the letter. ‘How’d you do?’

Hermione scanned the letter. ‘Straight O’s.’ She told him.

‘That’s the good score, right?’ Her father asked.

Hermione nodded. She tossed the letter back down to the table. She’d celebrate later.

Right now, she was a very distressed young girl who’d just seen and done terrible things, and she wanted a hug from her father. 

********************************  
Hey guys, theawkwardvelociraptor has kindly edited the first two chapters of my story! Go check out all the wonderful improvements she has made :)


	65. Queen Hattie

_Royal Family: Heroes of the World Cup Disaster!_

_The King and Princess were amongst the first fighters on the scene according to eyewitness reports. Both taking down several Death Eaters, all of whom fled._

_It has been discovered that both the Duke and Duchess of Wiltshire were found drugged in their tent after a possible attack. Sources say that both the Duke and Duchess had their minds erased of the day’s events. Narcissa, Duchess of Wiltshire is reported to have suffered from a broken collarbone during the attack._

_The Earl of Pemberley, soon to be the Duke of Abbington, is said to have cut down two Death Eaters with his famous sword. The Gods Sword, Excalibur, was discovered by the Earl earlier in the year._  
_Accompanying the Earl of Pemberley was his schoolfriend Hermione Granger, _OQB_. Together, they captured two Death Eaters. _

_Abraxas Goyle and Cecil Crabbe were both pardoned for their actions during the previous war, pleading the effects of the Imperious Curse, were the only two Death Eaters captured at the Quidditch World Cup. Both are now facing life in prison as the King commands: “They shall be put on trial not only for their actions last _week,_ but for their actions during the war!”_

_Special Mentions given by the King for their actions were given to Fred and George Weasley, both sixteen, for courageously ensuring the evacuation of all children above their own safety._

Hermione tossed yesterdays copy of The Daily Prophet back down to the coffee table. Her parents had seen it, of course. Their reaction had been almost comical. They had praised her for her bravery and protecting her friends. Then they had grounded her for the rest of the summer for fighting Death Eaters who could have very easily killed her. 

The only acceptation to her grounding was to go to her investiture ceremony today. Draco was to come and pick her up just after lunch and she was to be back home before midnight. 

Hermione looked at the letter next to the paper. 

_Hermione Jean Granger has achieved:_

_• Transfiguration – O_  
_• Charms – O_  
_• Potions (last exam year, well done!) -O_  
_• History of Magic – O_  
_• Defence Against the Dark Arts – O_  
_• Astronomy – O_  
_• Herbology – O_  
_• Arithmancy – O_  
_• Study of Ancient Runes - O_

_Your teachers will be available to discuss course options for your NEWT studies. _

_Good luck with your future studies._  
_Griselda Marchbanks_  
_Governor_  
_Wizarding Examination Authority _  
_Ministry of Magic_

Hermione smiled at the little note praising her previous years’ potions score, and the list of straight O’s.

The fireplace burst into life besides her, and Draco stepped out, wearing new dress robes. 

‘Hey Kitten.’ He said. 

‘Hey.’ She said. 

‘Where are your parents?’ Draco asked. 

‘Work. Shall we get going? I need to be home by midnight, is that okay?’ She asked. 

Draco nodded. ‘Yeah, I told my uncle you were grounded so he’s planned the party to end at half eleven. Plenty of time to get you back home.’

Hermione smiled. ‘Good old Armand.’ 

Draco tossed some powder into the fireplace and stepped in. Hermione stepped in beside him, she wondered if making herself step into the green fire would ever feel normal.

‘Regia!’ Draco called out. 

Hermione shut her eyes at the now-familiar pulling sensation as they were yanked through space and across the country. 

‘How’s your mum?’ She asked as they stepped out into the grand marble palace.

‘All better. A bottle of Skele-Grow and some bruising paste later.’ He seethed. 

‘Your dad’s not going to be, here is he?’ Hermione asked as they began to walk up the grand marble staircase. 

There were several servants dressed in the royal purple uniform that were decorating the space with wonderful floral arrangements.

Draco snorted. ‘He’s not allowed out the Manor. My uncle didn’t buy his little “obliviated and drugged” story for a second.’

Hermione smiled at his tone. ‘Good.’

‘We’ve got about an hour before everyone starts to arrive. The ceremony takes about an hour, then there’s the party.’ He told her the plan for the day.

‘Who’s coming?’ She asked. It had occurred to her a few days ago that she hadn’t invited any of her friends to what the Daily Prophet were calling “the greatest day of her life.”

‘All our friends.’ Draco told her first with a smile. ‘Some ambassadors and important people. All the potioneer’s who actually made the potion were all knighted this morning in a private ceremony.’ 

‘Why are they private and we’re having a full-scale ceremony?’ Hermione asked, genuinely curious.

‘Because we don’t want people figuring out exactly what your service was.’ A voice at the end of the corridor replied to her. It was the Princess.

Draco did the world’s smallest bow to his cousin while Hermione dipped into a proper curtsey.

‘Hey cuz.’ Draco greeted her. ‘How long until we have to start greeting people?’

Matilda looked at a nearby grandfather clock, ‘_We_ won’t be greeting anyone. You will stay in your room until someone comes to get you and I and your other poor relatives will be doing the schmoozing in about an hour. So, let’s get a move on.’

Hermione took that as her cue to follow the Princess into the blue room usually reserved for Hermione. It never occurred to her to think it odd that she had a _usual_ room in the royal palace.

Narcissa and Ana, Matilda’s best friend and lady’s maid, were waiting for them in the room.

‘How are you, dear?’ Narcissa asked. She did look much improved.

Although, she was in her full duchess regalia, it would be hard for her to look bad. Narcissa wore her usual coronet and sash, she was wearing a beautiful black and white ballgown. On her neck she wore a thick golden necklace adorned with rubies with matching ruby earrings. 

Hermione noticed that sometimes Narcissa wore the same bracelet, it must have been the second courting bracelet Lucius had gifted her, a delicate golden band with intricate flowers engraved. Hermione frowned at the item, why was Narcissa wearing a bracelet gifted to her by the man who had attacked and drugged her?

‘I’m good thanks. How are you? Draco said you’re recovered?’ 

Narcissa smiled. ‘I’m fighting fit again.’

‘Miss Granger?’ Ana gestured for Hermione to sit on the stool in front of the vanity.

Ana had a slight Danish accent from living abroad in her youth, but her family had moved back to England once the war was over, just in time for Ana’s older sibling to start at Hogwarts. The lady’s maid wore a white dress with a silver necklace and bracelet, Hermione wondered if they were courting gifts or not. It occurred to her that Matilda’s maid was a bit above normal marriage age for a witch.

Ana began to pull Hermione’s hair into an elegant updo.

‘Don’t pull it too tight. She doesn’t suit her hair tightly back.’ Matilda told her maid. Ana let go of the hair and pulled it back again, leaving it a little looser this time.

Matilda looked the most splendid of the group. She wore a ballgown of rich purple and her royal sash. She wore no jewellery but a tiara Hermione had never seen before, presumably one from the extensive collection down in the royal vault. It was silver and covered with tiny diamonds. There were four points to the tiara, one for each side of the head, each with a larger diamond. It was a beautiful peace. 

Once her hair was intricately pinned in place Ana tucked a silver hair comb into her locks, it had a stone of Lapis Lazuli at its centre.

‘Is that a good idea?’ Matilda asked her friend with a raised brow. ‘People might get the wrong idea.’ 

Ana shook her head. ‘You wore this to the Lieutenants ball last month. Everyone knows it’s your piece.’ 

Matilda frowned at the piece in Hermione’s hair. ‘Did I?’ 

Ana scoffed and nodded before beginning to do Hermione’s makeup. ‘Honestly, you’d be dead in a ditch if I took a day off.’

‘If anyone asks you about having a hair pin just say the Princess leant it to you for the night.’ Narcissa waved the younger girls light bickering away.

Hermione nodded. 

‘Close your eyes please.’ Ana ordered as she approached with an eyeshadow pallet. 

‘She’s only fourteen, nothing too heavy please.’ Narcissa addressed the lady’s maid. 

‘She’s fifteen in a few weeks!’ Matilda protested. ‘Lay it on!’ 

‘How about somewhere in the middle?’ Hermione prompted.

Narcissa and Matilda both agreed to this compromise and a light cover of makeup with a bold, glittered, silver eyeshadow and eyeliner was applied. 

Ana clapped her hands together. ‘Right. The dress!’ 

Hermione had endured a bout of measuring early in the summer. While Draco had still been on his tour, Narcissa had pretty much ordered her to Diagon Alley. There, the same stern Frenchwoman that usually made her Christmas Ballgowns had measured her up. As usual, she’d endured the usual comments about her developing bosom with red cheeks. 

Hermione had to give it to the royal dressmaker, the woman had talent. 

The wonder of why the silver and dark blue hair comb had been pinned into her hair was making a lot more sense.

The tight top of the dress was silver. It had a wide neckline and short, puffed sleeves. It was clearly to be worn slightly off the shoulder and had wide silver flounces that would reach her elbow. Over her torso, the decoration to the top began. A faint trail of gems began from her breasts and more were added as one went further down the body. By the time one got to her waist, there were thousands of tiny gems that sparkled as the light caught them. 

The skirt of the dress was a dark blue to match the night's sky, and the trail of gems from the top continued to rain down the skirt. Magical thread had clearly been used to make it look like hundreds of shooting stars were raining down her legs, continuously moving to the bottom of the dress where they faded. 

Ana didn’t only carry the dress in her hand.

‘You’re joking?’ Hermione asked, eyes wide as she eyed up the hoop skirt in Ana’s hand. ‘You’re not joking?’ 

Matilda helped her into her silver shoes, small silver heels. The heels were also adorned with twinkling gems. _A bit pointless really_, Hermione thought, _nobody will be able to see my shoes. _

Narcissa and Matilda left the room while Ana had her pull her clothes off until she was in her underwear. She had her take her bra off though, she would be wearing a corset. She was far past blushing as Ana made her hold onto the bedpost while she laced her into the silver corset. 

‘How’s that?’ She asked. 

Hermione nodded. ‘I can’t really breathe.’ 

Ana loosened the corset ever so slightly. ‘And now?’ 

Hermione nodded as she enjoyed a deep breath. ‘Yeah, that’s better.’ 

Next, she had to duck under the crinoline and Ana fastened it to the available hoops of her corset. 

‘Isn’t this a bit regency?’ She asked as the ballgown was carefully applied over the hoop. 

Narcissa and Matilda came back into the room just as Ana gave her the seal of approval. 

‘You look like a princess!’ Narcissa gushed. 

Hermione was dragged in front of a full-length mirror. _I look like a Disney Princess_. It was a combination of the wide skirt and magical properties of the dress that gave her this opinion. She could easily steal the spotlight from Cinderella. 

‘Right. Jewels.’ Matilda said. Hermione noticed the Princess had re-entered her room with a large box.

‘Isn’t that out of the royal vault?’ She asked without thinking.

Nobody, apart from Ana, seemed to care that she had been in the royal vault. The maid didn’t say anything but she looked very shocked. 

‘Yes, it is.’

Matilda opened the box. The first thing Hermione noticed was a tiara. 

‘Erm…’ 

Matilda laughed. ‘You’re not wearing the tiara, don’t worry.’ 

Matilda took the tiara from the box and handed it to her maid. She reached into the bottom of the box, where, on a thick pillow, was the most beautiful jewellery Hermione had ever seen.

Matilda fastened the necklace around Hermione’s neck, she was surprised by the weight of the thing. On the ring finger of her right hand went the ring. On her ears, the earrings. 

‘_Now_ you look like a lady of the realm.’ Narcissa beamed. 

Hermione looked at herself in the mirror again.

Around her neck was elvan white gold, one of the rarest and most expensive materials on the planet. The diamond-studded chain held a large stone. The central gem in question was a heavy round diamond. It was a brilliant piece.

From her ears hung halo diamond drop earrings. On her ring was an equally brilliant ring. 

It was Elvan white gold, to match the necklace and earrings. Glittering diamonds and sparkling, light-catching milgrain formed an ornate halo around the centre gem of this breath-taking vintage ring.

There were pairs of pave diamonds nestled in the marquise frame that gracefully flowed down the band and added to the sparkle.

‘Oh! I almost forgot!’ Narcissa said. 

The Duchess of Wiltshire stepped forwards with a silver object that Hermione hadn’t worn in a year. It was the medal she had received for her Order of Queen Blythe. Narcissa pinned it to her dress. 

Then she stepped back to admire the complete look.

‘Should we try it with the crown?’ Ana asked. 

‘Nah, that’s for later.’ Matilda replied. 

‘What?!’ Hermione asked. 

‘Darn, we weren’t meant to tell you that. Draco said you’d be difficult.’ Narcissa said. 

‘Well, the thing is, as a Lady of the realm you should really have your own coronet type thing. But the King thought this collection would suit you better.’ Matilda told her; she had the good sense to look guilty at this.

‘But this is from the royal collection! I can’t keep them!’

Matilda nodded. ‘Yeah, you can. They’re from the private collection so we can do whatever we want with them. Nobody has worn them in about two hundred years, they won’t be missed.’ 

Hermione opened and closed her mouth, unknowing what to say. 

‘Just say thank you and we can all move on with our lives.’ Matilda told her; her voice was dry but her eyes were kind.

‘Thank you.’ Hermione stammered back.

‘You’re very welcome.’ Matilda told her. 

There was a knock on the door. ‘That’ll be Tom. Time to go.’ Matilda told the group. 

Narcissa told her to wait in her room and a royal escort would bring her down in a few minutes.

Narcissa and Ana left the room, Ana carrying the box that held the tiara. Hermione was still stood looking in the mirror in wonder. 

The princess came to stand behind her and placed her calming hands on her shoulder. ‘Try not to lose any of this jewellery, okay? It’s three hundred years old. It was a wedding gift King Septimius gave to Queen Hattie.’ 

This didn’t calm Hermione down any about this ridiculous gifting. ‘I’m sorry? Queen Hattie? As in Hattie Hufflepuff?’ 

Matilda nodded and clapped Hermione on the arm. ‘Yup. And now they’re yours.’

‘I really can’t except this, Matilda.’ Hermione said to her, turning from the mirror. 

Matilda offered her a wide smile full of emotion. ‘Yes, you do. Hermione, I don’t think I will ever be able to put into words how thankful I am for all of your research. The royal family will owe you _forever_. So, you best get used to accepting extravagant gifts.’ 

‘You don’t owe me any thanks. I didn’t do it for you and we all know it.’ Hermione huffed. 

Her rudeness only made Matilda laugh. ‘I know you did it to free Draco. But I’m still grateful, so suck it up.’ 

Another knock came at the door.

‘I’m coming!’ Matilda called lightly.

She clapped Hermione on her shoulder one more time and made for the door. 

Hermione returned to the mirror. Her life didn’t feel real at the moment. 

Her hairstyle made a lot more sense now, it was usually done on top of her head. Currently, her hair was on the back of her head. They had left room for the tiara to sit. _Traitors. _

It was a few minutes later when someone came and knocked at her door. The guests must all be assembled in the great hall. 

She made for the door, she felt like she was going on the long walk towards her doom. 

At her door was Draco. His eyes widened.

‘Holy shit.’ He said without thinking. ‘I mean, you look nice.’ 

Over his robes he was wearing his purple sash, Hermione recognised _his_ Order of Queen Blythe medal on it.

‘Smooth.’ Tonks voice came from behind him. 

It was odd seeing Draco’s guard in a dress, she usually dressed more practically. 

‘Shut up.’ Draco huffed at his non-royal cousin.

‘I’d like to see you try and tell Matilda to shut up.’ Hermione teased him. ‘Are you my “royal escort” downstairs?’ She asked Tonks.

‘That would be me. Shall we make a move?’ Tonks asked. ‘Or would you rather be fashionably late?’

Hermione nodded and left the room. ‘We’ll be fashionably late in the time it takes me to get anywhere in this ridiculous skirt.’ She said. Both sides of her wide skirt brushed against her door frame as she left. 

‘Probably stay away from lit candles.’ Draco teased her. 

They made it to the marble staircase. Hermione took it sideways, two hands on the bannister as she gingerly stepped down. 

‘Do you want me to just carry you down the stairs?’ Draco asked. 

‘Absolutely not.’ She said. ‘I’m wearing a hoop skirt; I’d flash everyone my knickers if you pick me up.’ 

Draco tried and failed to hold in his laughter at her. 

‘You know, most girls would love to get dressed up like you are.’ Draco told her as they moved on to the final staircase. 

Tonks whacked him on the back of his head. ‘Don’t be a sexist little shit.’ She told him firmly. 

Hermione laughed at his sour expression; she was very glad Tonks was his guard sometimes. 

After the dangerous and arduous journey down several flights of stairs. They reached the ground floor of Regia. 

Armand and Matilda were stood outside the doors. Kingsley and Tonks were both present with the royals. They would slip in behind the procession in a moment.

‘Is this all really necessary?’ Hermione asked the King. Going down the stairs in this dress had really frayed her nerves. 

The King, however, smiled at her. ‘I had to be argued down from giving you a titled estate. If you want, we can go back to that and I’ll make you Countess of Agincourt?’ 

Hermione frowned at him and he laughed. 

‘Or would you rather keep it as we are?’ He asked. 

Hermione let out a frustrated sigh. ‘Let’s just get this over with.’ 

‘Seriously, weirdest girl I’ve ever met.’ Draco said to her quietly. ‘Try and enjoy this instead of grumbling your way through it.’ 

Armand wore his golden Kings crown. He wore a tailored suit and tails that wouldn’t have stood out in a Muggle wedding apart from the fact that there were moving stars on the jacket. 

Hermione looked at the skirt of her dress and the shooting stars raining down the fabric and wondered if she was matching the King on purpose. 

The doors were opened to reveal a large crowd.

Hermione kind of felt like she was dreaming, all the faces merged into one and she didn’t spot any face she knew. Although she knew for a fact that all of her friends were in attendance. 

The King had sent her an apologising letter at the beginning of the summer that her parents wouldn’t be able to attend. 

There had never been a Muggle in the palace and the conservative faction would riot on the streets if he suddenly invited two into the seat of royal power. He’d said that he’d hired a photographer alongside the court photographer, who could take non-moving photos of the ceremony for her parents.

The walk down the long room towards the throne was a bit of a blur. It was a lot like when she received the Order of Queen Blythe, she remembered the doors opening and then her next memory was of stopping before the thrones.

Narcissa was stood behind both thrones, she hadn’t made the procession with them. Hermione realised why when she saw his mother was holding a cushion with a tiara on it and a coronet, along with other items.

Matilda went to stand just to the right of the King’s throne. Tom stood next to her; Hermione noticed he was wearing his Lord of Calais regalia.

Armand stood in front of his throne. ‘Kneel.’ 

Hermione, for the second time in her life now, knelt on the purple pillow lain out in front of the throne. She carefully lowered onto her knees, her dress proofed dramatically around her and she was aware of two flash bulbs going off.

Hermione was looking at the King, or rather, at his sword belt. 

_So that’s the Sword of Vutris_, Hermione thought. It was identical to Excalibur, which Draco was currently wearing on his hip. The only difference was the colour of the gem in the hilt. 

While the sword of Atune held a purple gem, the sword of Vutris held a complete white stone. Hermione thought the gem looked a little bit like a moonstone, but it couldn’t have been, it was shimmering without catching any light.

Hermione wondered if anyone would find the sword of Ledur in her lifetime, it would be interesting to see what colour gem that blade held. Ledur was the God of wealth, after all, Hermione was imagining a Diamond.

Hermione was that caught up in her own thoughts that she missed the beginning of Armand’s speech.

‘Honoured guests, those you see before you are members of the worthy few. Each has served the wizarding world in their own way. For this, we honour them.’

Hermione realised at the end that it was the same words uttered when she had been given the Order of Queen Blythe, so it wasn’t the end of the world that she had been daydreaming. 

Narcissa appeared at the Kings side, she held the pillow that held her new tiara. She realised that Draco’s Duke coronet was actually on another pillow. 

‘Hermione Granger, Order of Queen Blythe. For services to the royal family, along with your honest council and charitable nature, I invest you as a Lady of the Realm. From this day, you shall be known as the Lady Granger.’

The flashes began again, they didn’t stop until the end of the ceremony. 

The King withdrew his Gods sword, the blade that had coronated every King _ever_, and tapped her lightly on each shoulder with it. 

The King placed his sword back in its sheath and turned to Narcissa. He didn’t pick up the tiara yet. 

He picked up a silver medal and pinned it to her dress next to her Queen Blythe medal. Then it was time to put the tiara on her head. 

Hermione hadn’t gotten a good look at it last time. 

The Queen Hattie Tiara was Elvan white gold along with the rest of her jewels. It contained more diamonds than the rest of the collection put together. It seemed to form a beautiful series of icicles pointing upwards. It was a tiara that didn’t require a larger stone as some did, the seven points each contained hundreds of glittering diamonds. The point was the longest, with six points of descending side on either side of it. The base of the crown was made up of a pave of diamonds that added even more sparkle to the elegant royal tiara. 

And it was Hermione’s.

She ducked her head as the King placed it onto her head. It was a full band that encompassed her head, so he didn’t need to clip it into place.

He stepped backwards and beamed at her. 

‘Now rise, Hermione Granger, Lady of the Realm.’ 

Hermione got to her feet, shockingly in a fluid motion considering her wide dress.

The King handed her a scroll of paper. ‘Your Letters Patent.’ He declared.

Then, the King turned to Draco and left her standing there. 

She flashed a glance at Matilda, wondering what she was supposed to do now.

Nobody saw, but Matilda held a hand up at her side gesturing for Hermione to stay where she was.

She spun the roll of parchment around her fingers, not knowing what to do with herself. She settled for turning her head to the side to watch Draco’s investiture. 

Narcissa was now holding the other pillow, containing Draco’s new shiny possessions.

Unlike Hermione, the first thing Draco was handed were his Letters Patent. 

He took a golden Livery Collar from the pillow that was adorned with Rubies and placed it around Draco’s neck. 

The King slipped a golden ring onto Draco’s ring finger on his right hand. That ring would now sit there until his death or higher elevation, but there was no higher elevation for him now. 

He withdrew his sword once again and tapped Draco on both shoulders before putting his mighty sword away. ‘Draco Malfoy, Early of Pemberley. I grant you and your heirs, male of your body, the Royal title Duke of Abbington and the estates and privileges that affords. Do you pledge your fealty?’

Hermione was very glad she didn’t have any lines to remember. She really didn’t shine with public speaking as Draco did, she was more likely to throw up on the King than swear fealty. 

‘I, Draco, Duke of Abbington, do become your liege man of life and limb and earthly worship. By the Holy Triad I do so swear to be your true and honest servant from this day until my last.’ Draco’s voice was smooth and calm, he’d clearly practised in front of the mirror.

The King held out his own right hand and Draco took it. He very quickly kissed the Kings golden ring. The ring that every King since the first Armand had worn. 

‘Now rise, Draco Malfoy. Duke of Abbington.’ The King's voice was very firm and calm. But his practised calm face was gone, he was beaming down at his beloved nephew as Draco stood. 

He rose from his bended knee and the King clasped him on the shoulder with a delighted smile of true affection.

Draco moved to stand to the side of the King and Hermione took her cue to copy him. 

‘Honoured guests, these worthy few have been honoured. Go forth as witnesses to this. Hail the honoured!’ A servant passed the King a glass of Champagne and he led the room in a toast to them.

One day Hermione thought she would like to be the one getting to enjoy the alcohol rather than being constantly toasted. 

‘Hail!’ The room chorused back and the room and royals drank to Draco and Hermione.

That was the service over. 

Narcissa pulled Draco into a hug and gushed about how handsome he looked in his new suit. He had been made not just a Duke, but a Royal Duke. His father was a Royal Duke as the son of a King.

Draco should have just been a plain Duke.

By the number of flashbulbs that had gone off during Draco’s investiture, this was big news.

A Royal Duke could stand-in for the King in his duties if the need arose. Indeed, before the war, Armand had acted as regent once his father King Abraxas had become ill.

Not that Draco would ever be called on to be Regent or Lord Protector, that would be Matilda’s job as Princess of Europe.

Draco managed to pull himself out of his mothers embrace just in time for the two photographers to come and stand before them.

‘Your Grace?’ The Daily Prophet photographer asked. ‘A photo of you and Miss Granger for the front page?’ 

Draco frowned at the man. ‘You mean myself and _The Lady_ _Granger_?’ 

The Prophet photographer stammered. ‘Of course, my apologies. Please may we have a photo?’ 

Draco nodded and stood close to Hermione, well, as close as her regency dress would allow him to get. 

‘Don’t smile. Think “regal” and don’t smile.’ Draco whispered to her as the two photographers set up.

‘So, act superior?’ She asked back with a giddy smile, the day's events were clearly getting to her.

Draco smiled back at her and a flashbulb went off. 

‘You are not to use that as the official photograph.’ Draco told the official photographer sternly. 

Soon, “regal” expressions in place, and several flashes later. The photographer released them to say hello to her friends.

Daphne leaned over her dress and wrapped her in a tight hug. ‘You look amazing! Your Ladyship.’ She added the last in jest, though that was her title now.

‘None of you are ever to call me that!’ She ordered her friends while they were all assembled.

She shared a quick kiss to the cheek with her girlfriends, sans Millie who was still off on her French fashion adventure. 

Ginny was on Harry’s arm, to absolutely nobodies surprise. Hermione wondered if they were an official couple yet, but Ginny was lacking a hair pin or comb so Hermione guessed not. Perhaps this would be their year. 

Harry was wearing his silver medal from his Order of Queen Blythe on his suit. They too shared a kiss on the cheek. 

‘You look wonderful.’ He told her.

Then she frowned at Neville. ‘Why aren’t you wearing a tie?’ 

Neville was wearing a black shirt with the top button undone under an equally stylish black jacket. 

‘Ew, no thanks. Little nooses.’ Neville muttered. 

Like a true lady, Hermione snorted. 

After being passed around by their friends for hugs and kisses and lots of compliments, Draco dragged her around the floor of the great hall for compulsory mingling. 

She very much enjoyed seeing Dumbledore and Snape, who had arrived as representatives of Hogwarts. 

‘Have you decided on your NEWT options Miss – er – Lady Granger?’ Dumbledore asked. 

‘Oh no, please don’t actually call me Lady. Please.’ She said with urgency. 

Snape ignored her. ‘We discussed this before the term ended, Headmaster. Miss Granger will be continuing with all of her subjects and picking up Ancient Studies and Alchemy.’ 

Dumbledore gave her an impressed look. ‘Ah, I studied Alchemy myself as a young man. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.’ 

Hermione smiled at the Headmaster. ‘I’m looking forwards to Ancient Studies too, it should be fascinating.’

Snape nodded. ‘It’s the only history Binns manages to make interesting.’ 

Dumbledore gave him a pointed look and he shrugged.

Then, unseen by the Headmaster, Snape winked at her. 

Hermione grinned, that was their signal. She had won.

Before they broke up for summer, she and Snape had made a little deal. If she got straight O’s then he would teach her Legilimency on the side.

‘I’ll see you both next week?’ She asked, as Draco moved to pull them onto the next ambassador. 

They both nodded and smiled. ‘She’s capable of great power, that one.’ Dumbledore said after she’d walked off. 

Snape nodded. ‘That’s what worries me.’

* * *

‘Why didn’t the Veela have an effect on you then?’ Harry asked Draco on the train. 

Neville shrugged. ‘Maybe it’s because I’m a Werewolf? I’m not technically human. And Veela only affect human men.’

Her last week had been pleasant enough. She’d returned from the ball ten minutes before curfew still in her dress. Though, not in her jewels, they were back in their box. Narcissa had promised to have them sent to her vault at the bank.

All her muggle photos of the ceremony had been developed during the party and the many dances, so her parents got a good eyeful of the royal jewels she had been gifted. 

Her mother fretted over their maintenance in Hermione’s vault. ‘They’re Goblin-Gold mum. There is no maintenance.’ 

Hermione’s two silver medals, her Blythe and her Lady, had gone into the box too. She’d only ever wear them for the same occasions, made sense to keep them together.

Though, to her annoyance, her mother had framed her Letters Patent and hung them on Hermione's bedroom wall.

She’d been grounded by her parents still, so she spent the week in the garden with her parents. Reading her new schoolbooks and soaking up the sun.

Hermione had brought a book written entirely in Latin for their journey to school.

‘How are your Latin lessons going?’ Daphne asked.

‘They’re done. I decreed her fluent.’ Draco said.

Hermione nodded with a big smile. 

‘What? Already?’ Blaise asked, shocked.

‘Nearly four years?’ Hermione reminded him. 

‘My God, this will be the fourth year we’ve known you now.’ Theo said to her. He was sat on the floor at Tracey’s feet. The large group had all somehow fit themselves into one carriage. 

Mille wasn’t there, she would only arrive from France in time for her first classes the next day. 

Fred and George had gone off to sit with Lee. According to Ginny, there had been a big fight with their mother that morning and they were still sulking. 

Then, of course, there was Crabbe and Goyle. They weren’t sat with them either. 

‘They’re not angry at you, really.’ Blaise had told the miserable Hermione and Draco. 

‘They’re angrier at their fathers.’ Theo nodded along.

‘Give them a little bit of time and they’ll come back to you.’ Ginny had told them both calmly. 

Oddly enough, it was Ginny’s words that perked them up the most. 

‘Does anyone know who the new Defence teacher is?’ Neville asked. ‘Just wondering if I’ll be attacked by a secret Banshee or see a Mermaid this year.’ 

Hermione smiled at his dry humour. 

‘It’s Alastor Moody.’ Draco said without looking up from his copy of the Prophet. 

The picture of Draco and Hermione smiling at each other that Draco had told them not to put on the front page was still adorning the full page of the society section on page ten.

The front page, thankfully, was not about the investing ceremony for the first time in a week. Some Ministry worker called Bertha something had gone missing.

The carriage went horrifically quiet. 

‘What’s wrong?’ Hermione asked.

Draco turned the page without looking up. ‘They all think I hate Moody.’ 

Nobody said anything. ‘Why?’ She frowned in confusion at Daphne. 

‘He was Queen Marie’s guard the day she was murdered.’ Draco finally put his paper down. ‘I don’t hate him. At all. He tried his best to save them, anyone can see that from the state of him.’ 

Hermione really didn’t understand, she _really_ needed to read up again on the Wizarding World. ‘Why? What happened to him?’ 

‘They absolutely mangled him.’ Draco told her. ‘You’ll see what I mean.’ 

‘Why is he the teacher?’ Blaise asked carefully. ‘I heard he’d gone – well…’

‘Mad as a hatter.’ Neville filled in the blank.

‘You can’t say that!’ Daphne gasped.

‘As the resident expert on people going mad, yes, I can.’ Neville said back coolly.

Oh, perhaps Neville didn’t have a dry sense of humour, maybe he was just angry. 

Blaise took Neville for a lap of the train. ‘We’re all just getting a bit stuffy and cramped.’ Blaise the peacemaker had said before an argument could break out. 

Draco had bought a round of sweets from the trolley upon the boys return and that lifted everyone’s spirits until the train arrived. 

‘Sweet Vutris, I can’t wait for the feast!’ Theo complained, rubbing his empty stomach.

‘How can you be hungry!?’ Tracey asked him as she linked her arm through his. ‘You had two chocolate frogs, three cauldron cakes, and a pack of liquorice wands on the train!’

‘I’m a growing boy!’ Theo complained. 

And he was, they all were. All the boys were now taller than the girls. It wasn’t harder to be taller than Hermione but Daphne had a models build and they were taller than her. 

‘Anyone want to donate a few inches to me?’ Hermione asked, forgetting that she was friends with a bunch of hormonal boys that saw innuendo in everything.

‘I have a few for you?’ Blaise had teased. 

Draco would normally glare at whoever gave a crude comment like that to Hermione, but it was only Blaise, he wasn’t a threat. 

The group had split into two groups for the carriages up to the castle. Luna, bless her heart, had a Tupperware of raw chicken to feed to the Thestrals. She did this despite the pouring rain.

Hermione had conjured a few very large umbrellas for her friends.

‘Don’t they scare you?’ Tracey asked as Luna patted the seemingly thin air. 

Luna shook her head. ‘No. They’re quite gentle really.’ 

Tracey looked to Hermione for confirmation and she nodded. ‘They’re a bit different but, no, they’re not scary.’ 

‘I think they’re scary.’ Neville said. Then he shuddered. ‘They’re too bony... Freaks me out.’ 

Soon they were back at the palace, Hermione had to endure telling her friends all about the royal gems she was now the proud owner of.

Finally, the first feast was in session. 

‘Dad had to go to his house this morning, you know?’ Ginny muttered to Draco as they walked up to the castle. She clearly didn’t want anyone else to hear this.

‘What?’ Draco asked carefully.

‘Moody? Dad had to go to his house this morning. Something about his rubbish bins going mental? The muggle police got called and everything.’ The little redhead told him.

This was clearly news to Draco, who thanked her for telling him. 

The Great Hall looked its usual splendid self, decorated for the start-of-term feast. Golden plates and goblets gleamed by the light of hundreds and hundreds of candles, floating over the tables in mid-air. The four long House tables were packed with chattering students; at the top of the Hall, the staff sat along one side of a fifth table, facing their pupils. It was much warmer in here. Hermione cast a large warming and drying charm over her group of friends.

The Gryffindors left for their table, as did their lone Ravenclaw. The large remainder of their group made for the middle of their table, where they now belonged. 

‘His bins?’ Hermione asked Draco with a raised brow. Perhaps she would need Snape to moonlight as her Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher again.

Draco was frowning. ‘He’s gotten a bit paranoid; I’ll give you that. But his defences don’t go off for no reason.’

Hermione saw his worry. ‘It was probably some Prophet photographer trying to get a picture of the new Hogwarts teacher. He’s clearly fine. I wouldn’t worry much.’ 

Draco nodded at her words. ‘I’ll grab a word with him after the feast.’

The soaking wet first years came into the hall after battling their way across the lake with Hagrid in the storm. 

‘We didn’t use to be that small, did we?’ Blaise had asked. 

Hermione had nodded at him. ‘You used to be smaller than me, remember?’

The sorting hat sang a lovely song about belonging to Godric Gryffindor, this was the first time for many students that they realised just how old the sorting hat was. Hermione wondered if anyone had ever interviewed the hat for a profile on the founders, surely that was something the school paper should get on top of. 

Their house gained a respectable amount of first years, all of whom stared at the royal Draco in awe, and then the food was delivered.

The feast was a standard Sunday roast. Hermione, with absolutely no shame, filled her plate entirely with roast potatoes. The entertainment for the feast was the sight of the pesky third year, Colin Creevey, pecking Harry’s head. He had done so, prattling about his younger brother, until Ginny sent him away.

Dumbledore gave his usual speech. “No forest unless you want to be kidnapped by Centaurs, no midnight duels or else, no eloping allowed on school grounds” the usual works. But then…

‘It is also my painful duty to tell you all that the school Quidditch league will not be taking place this year.’

‘What?’ Came a collective gasp of horror from the Quidditch mad fans at the school. Draco, Blaise, and Theo all looked as if Dumbledore had just kicked a puppy in front of them. 

Dumbledore ignored these protests and continued with his announcement. ‘This is due to an event we will be hosting from October until the end of the school year. I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. This year at Hogwarts -’

But at that moment, the doors of the Great Hall banged open as a rumble of thunder echoed around the hall, a fork of lightning flashed across the ceiling and cast an eerie light upon the stranger. A cloaked figure stood in the doorway, leaning upon a long staff. Every head in the Great Hall snapped to the side to try and get a look at the stranger.

The man was wearing a dark travelling cloak, he lowered his hood just as another fork of lightning illuminated the hall. He shook out a long mane of matted hair and began to walk up to the teacher's table.

A dull clunk echoed through the Hall on his every other step. 

The man reached the end of the isle of tables, every eye was still on him, he limped towards the Headmaster. Another flash of lightning crossed the ceiling. 

At the Slytherin table: Daphne, Tracey, Blaise, Theo, and even Pansy all gasped. The momentary flash of bright light had shown the man’s face in all its gruesome detail. 

Every inch of visible skin appeared to be scarred in some way. His mouth was more of a diagonal gash and a notable chunk of his nose was missing.

But this wasn’t what had made them all gasp. It was the sight of the man’s eye that had terrified the young students. Hermione and Draco were generally regarded to be the toughest kids in the school by their peers, unofficially, and even they felt sick. 

One of the eyes was perfectly normal, but the other was false. It was electric blue and appeared to be made of glass, apart from the fact it was whizzing around manically in its socket.  
The odd man reached Dumbledore. He stretched out a hand as badly scarred as his face, some of his fingers seemed to be ending a joint too early. Dumbledore didn’t bat an eye at this mauled man, he shook his hand with a smile on his face.

The headmaster gestured for the man to take the empty seat on his own right side. The man followed orders and took his seat. Then, he took a small knife from his pocket, speared a sausage, and began to eat it.

Perhaps the man wanted to add to his mysterious appearance by ignoring normal things like cutlery? 

He certainly managed to make eating a sausage from a small knife menacing. For a crazy moment, Hermione imagined Draco trying the same thing with Excalibur, he’d just look plain daft.

‘This is Professor Moody, our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.’ Dumbledore said brightly.

Normally, when Dumbledore introduced a new teacher, they were met with polite applause in greeting. Not this time, Dumbledore and Hagrid were the only ones clapping. They stopped once it was clear nobody else would be joining in. Everyone was just too transfixed by Moody’s bizarre appearance to do anything but stare at him, some first years were staring open-mouthed.

So, this is what Draco had meant by “mangled”, _poor sod_ Hermione thought.

Dumbledore seemed to take the unspoken hint to carry on with his speech from before.

‘As I was saying,’ Dumbledore said. He didn’t seem to mind that nobody was looking at him, they were all still looking at the new member of staff.

‘It is my delight to tell you that we have the honour of hosting a very exciting event at our school this year! This event has not been held for over a century!’

This caught the student’s attention. Eyes flicked away from the wild man stabbing his sausages and landed on the Headmaster. 

‘The Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year.’ Dumbledore finally announced, ending the suspense. 

As usual, one of the Weasley twins had something to say about this news.

‘You’re JOKING!’ One of them said in disbelief. From across the hall, Hermione couldn’t tell which of them it was. 

But the tension that had filled the Hall ever since the lighting had heralded Moody’s arrival was broken. Nearly everyone laughed, even Dumbledore chuckled at the twin.

‘I am not joking, Mr Weasley.’ Dumbledore said lightly as the laughter died down.

‘I realise that some of our students won’t be aware of this tournament. So, I shall give a brief history. The Triwizard Tournament was first established about seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities and to hand out a little glory to a few. Past winners include Kings and Ministers of magic. This is, until, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued.’

‘Death toll?’ Hermione whispered to Draco, looking alarmed. 

Her anxiety did not seem shared by the rest of her peers in the Hall. Many of her friends were whispering amongst themselves excitedly, even Draco and Blaise were talking about past tournaments.

Nobody seemed worried about deaths that had happened hundreds of years ago. 

_Clearly, the Wizarding World have lost their collective minds._

‘Over the centuries there have been many attempts to reinstate that tournament. None of these were successful, of course. However, our overlords in the Ministry have decided the time is ripe for another attempt.’

Hermione got the impression that Dumbledore might not have been one of the supporters for reinstating this tournament. 

‘We have worked hard over the summer in designing the challenges to ensure that this time, no champion will find themselves in mortal danger. Rather excitingly, this will be the second time in history that young women will be allowed to enter.’

There was a round of applause for inclusion.

_Maybe they’re all on Pixie Dust?_

‘How does this school have public liability insurance?’ Hermione asked Draco. 

‘What’s that?’ He asked without looking from the Headmaster. 

‘Oh, dear me.’ Was all Hermione could say.

‘The heads of our friends at Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving here with their short-listed champions in October. From there on, the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will be deciding from the pool of names which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup _and_ the thousand Galleons prize money.’

Suddenly, and very much led by Fred Weasley, students began to declare to their friends they were going to enter.

‘You should go for it, Granger.’ Blaise told her. ‘You’d wipe the floor with whatever poor sod goes up against you.’

Hermione rolled her eyes. ‘No thanks, I’ll have a nice quiet year thanks.’

‘You’re probably not allowed to enter, right?’ Blaise asked Draco. 

Draco thought for a moment, then he nodded. ‘Not in this day and age, past Kings have won it though, so who knows? I wouldn’t want to, anyway. Hermione’s right, a nice quiet year will suit me just fine.’

‘I think you should go for it. Imagine a fully trained Wizards turning up for a duel and you pull out a Gods Sword.’ Theo laughed. 

‘I don’t think duels are the kind of challenge they do.’ Daphne told the boys.

‘Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts.’ The Headmaster said, ‘given the dangers involved. The decision has been made that only those who are over seventeen may put their names forwards.’

‘The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be remaining with us for the greater part of this year. So, I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us.’

With this exciting news, Dumbledore sent them all off to bed.

Draco took Hermione’s arm though and began pulling her in the opposite direction to the crowds, towards the teacher's table. 

They were approaching Moody. 

Hermione and Draco then had the strangest sensation as they stopped in front of him. Their shared Gods marks were tingling lightly.

‘Moody!’ Draco greeted the man lightly. ‘I heard you had a spot of bother this morning?’ 

The new teacher straightened up in shock at being approached. Then he saw it was Draco, and bowed. ‘Nothing I couldn’t handle, your grace.’ 

Draco smiled. ‘I’ll see you in class then. Goodnight.’ 

He pulled Hermione away quickly.

Hermione saw he was flushed now and his breathing was much faster.

‘What’s wrong?’ She asked as he pulled her into an empty corridor.

‘Somethings wrong.’ He told her. 

She felt at the mark on her wrist. ‘Yeah, my mark tingled.’ 

Draco shook her head. ‘No. With Moody. Something’s wrong with him.’ 

‘How do you know?’ 

‘Moody, in private, is very close to my family. Very close. He might as well_ be_ a part of the family. I’ve known him my entire life.’ 

‘Okay?’ Hermione wasn’t following. 

‘Hermione, he doesn’t bow to my uncle, never mind bowing to me.’ Draco told her. 

‘Oh.’ Hermione said. ‘Well, maybe it’s because you’re a Duke now? And we’re in a new setting?’

Draco shook his head. ‘No. He left Royal Service after the attack happened and re-joined the Auror department. Everyone assumes there is bad blood, but there isn’t. He was very close to my aunt, and that’s clear by how hard he must have fought to keep her alive. I mean, look at what they had to do to him to keep him down! They cut his leg off!’

‘So, what’s wrong with him?’ Hermione asked. 

Their freedom of dancing every other dance together at the ball suddenly felt like it had been years ago.

_So much for my nice quiet year._

Draco shook his head and began to nervously fiddle with the golden ring on his right hand. ‘I don’t know. But something is very wrong.’

* * *

Well, there we go. Fourth year is underway. 

What are your predictions for the year?

I feel like I might have missed one of Hermione's OWLs out, if you know what that is, please comment below and I'll add it in.

I also hope you got a nice mental picture of the Hattie collection gifted to Hermione. How much do you reckon that collection is worth in Wizarding currency? It's something I'll tell you all one day, but that day is not today.

The first two chapters of my story have been edited by the wonderful theawkwardvelociraptor, I suggest you go and check out the wonderful job she's done!

E x


	66. Marriage Contracts

The light of the Monday dawn heralded the return of Millicent Bulstrode. 

‘Sweet Vutris! Look how tanned you are!’ Daphne said as she pulled her friend into a hug.

‘When did you get in?’ Hermione asked, when it was her turn for a hug.

Millicent smiled. ‘I got back to England at like five, saw my parents for an hour, then came straight here.’

Such was the lovable nature of Millicent, that even Pansy had given her a warm hug and welcomed her home before leaving for her solitary morning walk.

As the other girls began dressing for their first day back at school, Millicent began to unpack her trunk. 

‘What’s next then?’ Tracey asked her old pal as she dressed. ‘Starting your own label?’

Millie snorted. ‘Not yet. I’ve been invited to go back next summer though!’

This was incredibly good news for the young witch. The famed French Mistress _never_ offered a second-year placement to anyone. Millie must have impressed in her six weeks abroad. 

‘That’s amazing!’ Her friends appropriately spent the next ten minutes showering their friend in praise for her accomplishment while they got ready. 

Daphne was, as usual, the last to get ready. But the girls managed to get out to the common room at their usual time.

‘It’ll be so weird doing two years without you, Hermione.’ Millie said to Hermione as they walked the girl’s corridor leading to the common room. 

‘What do you mean?’ Hermione asked. 

‘Well, you sit your NEWTs next year, right? Then you’ll be going off to change the world.’ 

Hermione smiled and shook her head. ‘Only one year. I want to do a Masters. I doubt I’ll be done with education at sixteen.’

Millie nodded at this information, linking her arm with Hermione’s as she walked. ‘Yeah, but you won’t be in the common room anymore. Masters students have their own rooms near the married couple’s corridor.’ 

This wasn’t news to Hermione. Snape had sat her down after her OWL exams to give her information for her future. She really wanted to do at the minimum a Mastery of Potions, if possible, more subjects. She’d see how she got on with her NEWTs. 

‘Yeah, but I’ll still be kicking about the castle to hang out with.’ Hermione reminded her. 

Millie nodded. ‘Yeah, but the rest of us might not be here by then. Lots of girls drop out after their OWLS. We’ll all start getting married soon.’ Millie said this very casually. 

Hermione supposed that growing up in this world would desensitise one to just how batshit it was to be married off at this young age. Hermione shuddered. 

‘You’d have to drag me down the aisle.’ Hermione said firmly for the hundredth time since she had found out she was a witch.

Millie laughed as they emerged into the common room. The boys all rejoiced at the sight of her after six weeks, and just before they could pull her away for hugs she turned to Hermione and spoke quietly. ‘I think it would depend on who’s at the end of the aisle.’ 

Hermione couldn’t help it, her eyes flashed to Draco, his eyes were already on her. 

The walk up to breakfast was filled with Millicent’s stories from her time in France, until she began to question them on their own summers. 

‘So, Draco.’ Millie said as they all took their seats for breakfast. ‘I hear Sirius Black is being kept at Regia?’ 

Draco nodded. ‘Yeah, the trial starts soon.’

‘What do you think will happen?’ Millie asked him.

‘I think he’ll get let off and a big ass apology from my uncle.’ Draco said honestly as he poured himself a glass of orange juice.

‘Will he be given some kind of settlement for wrongful imprisonment?’ Hermione asked him.

Draco nodded. ‘He should, yeah. I don’t know, it’ll be decided between Black and my uncle.’ 

‘Is he not getting in trouble for biting Ron Weasley’s leg off?’ Blaise butted in.

Draco shook his head. ‘Didn’t you see in the paper? He was pardoned for that before he turned himself in. It was “a necessary evil” in the attempt to catch a Dark Wizard.’ 

As one, the young group talking turned to eye up Ronald Weasley. 

He was sat at the end of the Gryffindor table on his own, silently eating some porridge. Seeming to sense eyes on him, his head snapped up and his eye’s briefly made contact with Hermione’s. 

She steeled herself for an insult to be hurled across the Hall at her, but none came. He simply turned back to his breakfast. 

Conversation was then interrupted by the arrival of the timetables.

Hermione groaned when she saw her very full week. No free periods, and classes nine-five. _Kill me now_, she grumbled to herself. 

She was miserable until she saw Draco’s timetable. It cheered her considerably to know he would be suffering along with her. He’d dropped Muggle Studies, yes, but this still left him having two nine am classes each morning. 

She wouldn’t have an Alchemy class until Wednesday, but her Monday was beginning with Ancient History.

According to Snape, she would have the same classmates for Alchemy and Ancient Studies, so she was very cheered to know that she would have a good group to revise with.

She only discovered who was in this group as she stood outside Professor Binns classroom. 

The first to arrive was Roger Davies, a Ravenclaw who had turned seventeen only yesterday. He bore a shiny new watch to mark his maturity. Hermione was not surprised to see him. He was usually right behind her in marks in some classes. 

Hermione was surprised however, that there were no other Ravenclaws that had chosen these lessons.

It also wasn’t a surprise to see Montague, who was the only other Slytherin taking the extra classes. Though they’d had a fling once upon a time, there was no lingering awkwardness between them. In fact, Hermione congratulated him on his elevation to Prefect. 

‘I’d rather it was a Quidditch Captain badge.’ He grumbled. 

Hermione laughed. ‘I’m sure you’ll get it next year. Do you think you’ll get the head boy badge next year?’ She asked him. 

He shook his head. ‘Nah. That’ll go to Diggory surely. Oh, speak of the devil.’

The Hufflepuffs had arrived. Mary Porter and Cedric Diggory had arrived. He was talking of his upcoming seventeenth birthday, apparently, there was a Hufflepuff party planned for that day. Hermione made a mental note to tell her friends of the first party of the year.

Finally, and cutting it rather late, came the Gryffindor’s: Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, and to everyone’s great shock, Lee Jordan.

So, this was it. The eight students taking on the new studies. Hermione wondered if any of them would be perusing a masters as she intended to. 

The Ghost of Professor Binns came gliding down the hall. He didn’t greet his class, nor did he open the door. He simply went through the wood. 

Diggory good-naturedly rolled his eyes and opened the door. He held it open for everyone, all the ladies first. Finally, he gestured the boys to enter before him too, Lee Jordan offered him a little curtsey in thanks. 

Hermione was very happy she had such a good group to study these two intense classes with. 

Hermione and Montague, the Slytherin representatives, went to sit together but Binns held aloft a translucent hand. 

‘I have a seating plan.’ His dull voice sounded. 

Eight heads snapped up in surprise. That was definitely a new thing from _this_ teacher. 

‘On this table.’ The Ghost was reading from a list. ‘Sninnet and Davies.’ 

‘On this table.’ The Ghost moved to the next table. ‘Johnson and Montague.’ 

Binns moved to the second row. ‘Here, Porter and Jordan.’ 

Binns pointed to the final table. ‘Diggory and Granger.’ 

No complaints were offered at this seating chart. Everyone knew everyone. 

Diggory was a very nice boy and very easy on the eyes, Hermione took her seat next to him happily.

‘These will be your seats for the rest of the year.’ They were told. 

At long last, the Ghost turned to his blackboard and began to recite in his usual bored tone. 

Hermione understood there had been an error of understanding. People said this was the only subject Binns managed to make interesting, it was the other way around. Binns droned in his usual dulcet tones as he outlined the syllabus, it was only on the strength of the subject that the small class managed to stay awake.

‘Temple City.’ The teacher began their first lecture. ‘We will begin with its modern history and work our way backwards.’ 

Hermione and Diggory shared a bemused look.

Diggory pulled a sheet of paper from his book and scribbled a note before passing it to Hermione. 

_Well, that’s an odd way to teach history. _

Hermione nodded and scribbled her own reply. 

_I hope we don’t have to teach ourselves._

Diggory read her answer. 

_Probs. At least it’s a cool subject. _

Hermione’s attention was called back to Binns. ‘There live the heads of all three orders.’

Hermione had never read about Temple City, the religious site of Iceland. But she knew of it. 

‘The three heads of the orders are overseen by one power. The High Oracle of Vutris.’

Besides her, Diggory yawned. Binns voice could put anyone to sleep. Hermione genuinely wondered why Dumbledore hadn’t sacked the man. He hadn’t technically done anything wrong, but he was a rubbish teacher in Hermine’s opinion.

Binns, for a nice change, gave them a handout. Well, he had Davies hand them out. 

It was a copy of a Newspaper only dated the year before she had come to school.

_10th December 1990._  
_HIGH ORACLE OF VUTRIS CROWNED_  
_At ten o’clock on the morning of the 9th, Priestess Guinevere of the Welsh sanctuary was crowned as High Oracle. _  
_First came Milo, High Priest of _Ledur_. He offered up the sceptre of _Ledur_. Then an oath of fealty was given._  
Second_, came Rebecca, High Priestess of _Atune_. She offered the ring of _Atune_. Then swore her own oath of fealty._  
Third_, came Albia, High Priestess of Vutris. She cloaked Priestess Guinevere with the white robe of Vutris. Thus, the final oath of fealty was given._  
_Finally came King Armand II. He crowned Priestess Guinevere with a wreath of white roses, as is the ancient tradition. He then knelt before the High Oracle and pledged to always take her council and to maintain her Temples. _  
_The Oracle spoke the final oath to the King:_

_“I, High Oracle of Vutris. Do so swear to serve the people under my care: faithfully, loyally, and honourably. With all of my strength, sacrificing if necessary, _mine_ own life._  
_With the Sceptre of _Ledur_ I wield authority and promise fair trial to those who offend the Gods. _  
_With the Ring of _Atune_ I wield power and promise mercy to my foes._  
_With the Cloak of _Vutris_ I wield protection and promise to guard all those of belief and those without._  
_And to you, Great King, I swear you shall always receive my true and honest council. As is decreed by The Great Ones, I will honour thee as I honour my kin.”_

Below was a picture of this newly crowned monarch. She was very beautiful, with pale skin and long brown hair. And very young, this elevated woman looked like a teenager. 

‘As you can see, we are currently being led by the youngest ever Oracle, I believe she is twenty-two now... On elevation to Oracle, the Priestess forgoes even her name and is known evermore just as

“Oracle” until they die.’ Binns told them.

Wow, she had been a teenager at elevation then.

‘We’ll be looking more into the history of the High Oracle this term, and their involvement in royal affairs.’

The rest of the lecture was spent receiving a lecture on the city itself, the great and mighty Temple City. Apparently, the wizarding version of the Vatican was chosen as it was meant to be where the three Gods first walked on the Earth. 

‘Sir?’ Hermine asked. 

Binns paused his lecture on the southern turrets of Ledur’s temple. ‘Yes, Miss Granger?’

‘Which are older? Our ancient Temples or Temple city?’ She asked.

Binns just looked at her blankly for a moment. ‘Nobody knows. Their brick is dated to a similar time, they seem to have sprung up at the same moment.’

_‘Are you saying the Gods built their own sights of worship?’ _  
_‘Naturally.’_

Hermione’s memories flicked back to Aloise, the oldest person of her acquaintance. 

_What a wonder Temple City must be._ Hermione thought. _A sight built by all three Gods together must be wonderful. _

Hermione wondered if she would ever get to go there. She certainly hoped so. 

_Are you following this lecture at all?_ Cedric wrote on their scrap of paper.

She smiled and penned an answer._ I’ll give you a copy of my notes._

Cedric beamed at her. _Absolute lifesaver._

Soon the first lecture of her NEWT studies was over, and it was time for NEWT level Ancient Runes. 

‘Oh, I have that next.’ Mary Porter spoke up. 

The rest of her class all disappeared for their electives, Divination or Care of Magical Creatures, leaving her alone with the girl who had seemingly broken Fred’s heart if his refusal to speak on the matter was anything to go by.

‘What’s on your mind?’ Mary asked as they walked up the staircase, she had seen the trouble in Hermione’s eyes. 

‘What happened with you and Fred?’ Hermione blurted out. 

‘Ah.’ Mary said. And then she started crying.

‘Oh shit.’ Hermione said, very shocked at this extreme reaction. 

Mary dipped into an empty classroom to their left and Hermione shut the door after them. 

Mary was fanning at her eyes, trying to will the traitorous tears back in.

‘I er… I wanted to introduce him to my parents.’ Mary said, her voice was shaking. 

Mary was one of the most beautiful girls Hermione had ever seen, including Daphne, it made her feel unsettled to see her with red-rimmed eyes and shaking hands and voice. 

‘And Fred didn’t want that?’ Hermione asked, rubbing Mary’s back. She was going to_ murder_ Fred Weasley. 

But Mary shook her head. ‘He came round to see them… but then my father… he…’ Mary put her head in her hands and sobbed. 

Hermione pitied the beautiful girl. She kept trying to get her tears under control only to have a sob break out and the process starts all over again. 

‘Your dad didn’t like him?’ Hermione asked. 

Mary shook her head. ‘It wasn’t that… He said he was very nice… But… I was… I was already…’ 

Hermione pulled the water bottle from her bag and offered it to the girl, she needed to get this out of her. Clearly, this young girl was suffering greatly, Hermione felt a little guilt for upsetting her.

Mary took the offered water gratefully and gulped it down.

It took a long while for Mary to get her breathing under control, Hermione wondered if they would be getting in trouble for missing class. 

‘My parents liked Fred. But my father told me I was already engaged to a business partner of his.’ Mary said, her voice now sounded rather dead, as if she had cried out all possible emotion to be left as an empty shell.

‘Oh.’ Hermione said. 

Mary nodded and bit her bottom lip. ‘Yeah. He’s about twelve years older than I am, from the Isle of Man. I’m to go and live there.’ 

Hermione was frowning. ‘But you haven’t had any courting gifts or given your permission?’ 

Mary actually laughed, but it was filled with bitterness. ‘My father has signed me away for an agreeable sum. Courting gifts don’t matter. I’ll be married at Christmas.’ 

‘Can’t you petition the King?’ Hermione asked. ‘He’ll stop this!’

Mary looked at Hermione blankly. ‘Hermione, this is all completely legal and allowed. The King won’t do a thing.’ 

Hermione shook her head. ‘No. I kn-’

‘Hermione. This is going to happen. I won’t be coming back to school after Christmas. My fate is sealed.’ Mary told her firmly.

‘Why can’t you come back? It’s not like your…’ Hermione trailed off, her eyes flicked down to look at Mary's flat stomach.

‘He wants me pregnant as soon as possible.’ Mary told her, the girl looked afraid. 

Hermione felt very sick. _What the fuck is wrong with all these people?_

‘My father says he’s a nice man, so I suppose that’s something.’ Mary told her. 

Hermione’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Excuse me? You’ve been contracted to a man you’ve never met?’ 

Mary shrugged.

‘Doesn’t that bother you?’

Mary shrugged again. 

Then she saw the concern in Hermione’s eyes and made to reassure the kind girl trying to console her.

‘You’ll have more freedom as head of your house.’

* * *

‘Yeah. You’re the head of House Granger.’ Draco told her over lunch.

‘But I’m not an adult?’ Hermione asked. 

Draco shrugged. ‘You’re the eldest magical being of your house. That makes you head of the family. Crabbe and Goyle are the heads of their families now that their dads are… away.’ 

‘I thought you knew this.’ Daphne told her.

Hermione shook her head.

‘Well, you get proposal letters. Letters like that go to our fathers.’ Daphne gestured between her female friends. 

Hermione looked to Draco. ‘Can I just say this is all really fucked up?’ 

Draco shrugged. ‘It’s just the way things are done.’ 

This didn’t sit well with the head of House Granger. ‘Well, it’s a shit way of doing things and you should try and change them!’ 

‘What would you have me do? I’m fourteen.’ Draco sulked into his toast.

‘You’re also a Royal Duke. Petition the King.’ Hermione said firmly. 

‘No.’ Draco said. 

‘I’m sorry?’ She gasped. 

‘I said no. You’re a Lady of the Realm, petition Armand yourself.’ Draco took a large bite of his toast and downed his orange juice and then stormed off from the table.

‘Poor Mary.’ Tracey mused from her seat at the table, she had completely ignored Draco's odd little outburst.

‘It’ll be one of us soon.’ Millie mused. 

Hermione shook her head. ‘No. I won’t let them take any of you.’ 

Daphne gave Hermione a gentle smile. ‘Sometimes there’s nothing to be done. The head of our house can make the decision for us, but sometimes we are allowed to chose our own futures. Receiving a hair pin from a man of good position can stop fathers from selling us off to the highest bidder.’ 

‘I’ve met your dad.’ Hermione said to Daphne. ‘He would never sell you off.’ 

Daphne smiled. ‘No, he wouldn’t. But not all fathers are good.’ 

The scars on Draco’s back flashed in her mind's eye, it was hard to imagine a father worse than Lucius Malfoy.

* * *

Nice little short filler and set up for you. Our girls are getting older, who do you think will be the first to marry? Do you think any fathers will try to sell them off like poor Mary?

I've been doing a lot of planning for the later years. Some interesting storylines coming up in years to come. (I hope you like them)

E x


	67. Professor Moody

‘Who do reckon this impartial judge who’ll pick the champions is, Granger?’ Fred asked, pausing in the middle of shovelling food into his mouth to speak.

Hermione shrugged and did not look up from her Alchemy textbook, her first lesson was today. This was to be followed by the wonder that was apparently Moody’s teaching. 

‘Will you help us whip up an ageing potion?’ George asked her.

‘No.’ Hermione said, still not looking up from her book. Then she sighed and slammed the book. ‘People die in this tournament, only those of age know enough to enter.’

‘But we’re only missing the cut off by a few months!’ Fred wailed. ‘How is fair that Diggory can enter and we can’t?!’

Hermione rolled her eyes and turned to see Diggory on the Hufflepuff table, he was laughing heartily at something his friend had just told him.

‘Cedric Diggory is one of the top in the year. He’s more than capable of facing down whatever they can throw at him. You two, no offence, are average students.’ Hermione told them.

Fred rolled his eyes at her. ‘But we have something all those nerds entering don’t have.’

George nodded.

‘Oh yeah, and what’s that?’ Hermione asked.

‘Imagination.’ Fred told her.

Hermione snorted. ‘I’d like to see you try and take on a mountain toll with your imagination.’

‘You know what I meant.’ Fred sulked. 

Hermione was reminded by his pout that he’d just had his heart broken, and resolved to tease him no longer. 

‘It is a shame you can’t enter.’ Ginny told Hermione; she’d just slid into the seat next to her brothers.

‘She’d win with her wand arm tied behind her back.’ George gleamed at her. 

Hermione returned to her book. ‘Not interested.’

Hermione was saved from further pecking by the arrival of Harry and Draco to the Gryffindor table. 

‘Double Divination this afternoon.’ Harry groaned.

Divination was his least favourite subject. Madam Sybil liked to predict his death more than any other of her students, and it was getting annoying now.

Before anyone could console the aggrieved Potter, the mail arrived.

A hundred owls came soaring through the open window bearing the morning mail.

Instinctively, Harry looked up in search of his owl. This caught Hermione’s attention.

The small group's attention was taken by Draco’s owl landing before him with his usual delivery of sweets and cakes from his mother, though the idea that the Duchess of Wiltshire baked was laughable.

He passed Hermione her usual cakes but Hermione made no move to take them from him, she was too busy watching Harry. 

Draco sighed impatiently and placed the sweet treat down in front of Hermione. 

‘Are you expecting mail?’ Hermione asked Harry, when he finally seemed to give up on the idea of seeing Hedwig. 

Harry’s eyes flashed up to meet hers before flicking to the others on the table. The silent implication was clear, _I’ll tell you later._

Later, with the patience of Hermione, turned out to be ten minutes later as they were leaving the Great Hall.

‘What’s up?’ Hermione asked, they were walking the same way for a little while.

Harry sighed and began to tell her all about the dream he’d had this summer and the pain he’d experienced in his scar.

‘So, just to confirm. You dreamt that Voldemort murdered a Muggle in a creepy abandoned house in a graveyard and when you woke up your scar hurt. The scar that only hurts you when you’re near Voldemort?’ Hermione asked.

Harry nodded. ‘Yeah. That about covers it. What do you think?’

Hermione paused at the staircase to the tower used for Alchemy. It was an odd route to get to the classroom, she had to go up and down several staircases to get there. She supposed it was to keep unwitting first years safe from a potentially dangerous classroom.

‘Erm.’ She mused. ‘I’d wait for Sirius to reply. I don’t know much about cursed scars; they usually twinge a bit but yours never does. I think you should totally be telling Dumbledore.’ 

Draco seeing that his friends needed a private conversation, had walked slightly behind them. But now he stepped forwards. 

‘We need to get a move on or we’ll be late.’ He told Harry. The boys had a lot of stairs to climb to get to their classroom.

Harry nodded and began to walk off.

Draco paused in front of Hermione. ‘Hey, we’re okay. Right?’

Hermione nodded. ‘Hmm.’

‘I’ll see you at lunch then.’ He said, and hurried after Harry.

The maze journey to the Alchemy classroom gave Hermione plenty of time to reflect on her little spat with Draco.

She had confronted him after he’d stormed out of the Great Hall. 

* * *

_She pushed back the _now familiar_ bed hangings and climbed into Draco’s bed._

_He was laying on his side and didn’t turn to acknowledge her, though he must have been able to smell her perfume. He didn’t have a top on, Hermione hoped he was wearing boxers at minimum._

_Hermione sighed as she moved to sit cross-legged facing his back._

_She stroked her finger along one of the worst scars on his back. He shivered and rolled onto his back, looking straight up to the canopy. _

_‘Want to tell me what all that was?’ She asked._

_He held out his right hand and she took it tightly in both of hers. Very gently she lowered her face to ghost her lips over his knuckles._

_‘I’m sorry I snapped at you.’ He said. _

_‘It’s alright.’ She told him._

_‘It’s just when you were on about going to the King for help…’ He trailed off._

_Hermione had already figured it all out, hence why she’d immediately come down to the boy’s rooms despite wearing the fact she was wearing pyjamas from last year._

_Last year, these shorts and tank had been a little bit tight on her. Now, they were borderline scandalous. _

_‘He can’t help. He can’t get me out of this bloody contract with Pansy. He told me over summer.’ _

_Hermione nodded, why else would he have reacted so strongly earlier?_

_Draco suddenly sat up. ‘WHAT IS THE POINT OF HIM! - What the hell are you wearing?’_

* * *

  
Alchemy, led by Snape, was hard. 

Again, she was sat next to Cedric Diggory and they spent the entire class staring at each other in complete confusion. 

Hermione only understood half the words that came out of her mentors’ mouth. 

‘Hermeticism, also called Hermetism, is a religious, philosophical, and esoteric tradition based primarily upon writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, a squib.’ 

_What the hell is going on?_ Cedric wrote.

‘Much of the importance of Hermeticism arises from its connection with the development of Muggle science.’

_I have NO idea!_

‘In Hermeticism, the phrase “As Above, So Below” can be taken to indicate that earthly matters reflect the operation of the astral plane.’ 

_We’re so fucked._ Cedric had begun pulling at his hair as he took frantic notes.

‘Three Parts of the Wisdom of the Whole Universe.’ Snape continued, he had yet to turn from the blackboard on which he was scrawling symbols, names, and dates.

_We’re so going to fail!_ Hermione was getting distressed. 

‘Of course, Nicholas Flamel is the only known creator of the Philosophers Stone but he destroyed it four years ago. Now, he was head of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. The Golden Dawn, a reference to the eternal Gods light.’

_Why did we do this to ourselves?!_ Cedric gave up on note taking, and placed his head in his arms to groan.

A quick look around the room showed that Cedric was the latest in a long line to give up. Hermione was the only person not wallowing… so far.

Snape finally dismissed his considerably brain fried class, who all staggered the odd route back to the main corridor of the school.

‘Anyone else want to come and jump off the Astronomy Tower with me?’ Lee Jordan asked.

‘I will.’ Cedric said.

Hermione smiled. ‘Can you do that after DADA?’ 

Cedric sighed. ‘I suppose so. Come on.’ 

Cedric, Mary, and Hermione began the walk to the Defence Against the Dark Arts tower.

‘Babbling didn’t mind us missing class then?’ Mary asked Hermione as the trio walked. 

Hermione shook her head. ‘Nah. She’s a big softy.’ 

‘Professor Babbling is one of the strictest teachers here Granger.’ Diggory told her as they joined the queue of Slytherin’s and Hufflepuff’s for their next class.

‘Really? She’s always lovely to me.’ Hermione mused.

‘That’s because you’re a genius.’ Mary told her.

‘Oh.’ Hermione frowned, were all her teachers giving her special treatment?

Diggory let out a light laugh at her frown. ‘Relax Granger, it’s not a bad thing that your teachers like you.’

Hermione gestured to the shiny Prefect badges both Diggory and Porter wore on their school robes. ‘Well, you would say that wouldn’t you?’

‘Yeah actually, I was surprised you weren’t made a prefect last year.’ Cedric told her.

Hermione shrugged. ‘I’m too young to be patrolling the corridors at night is the issue.’ 

Mary nodded along with Hermione’s speech. ‘Yeah, I suppose that makes sense. Does that mean they’ll make you a Prefect next year?’ 

‘But she’d only be one for one year then!’ Cedric said. ‘And they’d just have to make a new one after she’s left.’ 

Hermione shrugged. ‘Really, I’m not that bothered about it.’ She lied, again.

‘When you started Hogwarts, I had you pegged as a future Head Girl.’ Cedric told her.

She smiled. ‘I skipped two years, that’ll have to be accomplishment enough for me.’

Hermione’s lack of badge was pondered until the class was called into the room.

Mary wandered off to sit with her girlfriends and Cedric turned to Hermione. ‘Want to sit together?’ He asked.

Hermione nodded and followed him over to an empty seat. 

They had chosen perfectly placed seats. Not too to the front that they would constantly get picked on by the teacher or look super nerdy, nor were they too far to the back that they would be distracted by those dicking about.

That said, this was the NEWT class, everyone here had elected to be here. The class was pretty full still though, Lupin had done a wonderful job of getting everyone through their OWLs last year.

The clunk of Moody’s false leg caused the class to fall silent. 

The battered ex-royal guard and Auror made his way up the aisle of the classroom. 

He offered no greeting to his class, he made straight for the blackboard and picked up some chalk.

_“DADA _NEWTs_”_ He wrote on the board.

‘Put your books away.’ He said, turning to face the class.

This was met with much joy; practical lessons were always everyone’s favourite.

‘We’re going to be going straight in on our Non-Verbal spells.’ Moody announced. Then he waved his hand for them all to stand. 

Moody banished their desks and bags to the corners of the room.

‘Put your hand up if you will be seventeen by Halloween.’ Moody said. 

Cedric’s hand went up next to hers. His birthday was this Friday. There was a scattering of other hands.

Moody nodded. ‘Keep your hand up if you’re going to put your name in for this tournament.’ 

Some hands went down, like one of Mary’s friends. Cedric’s hand stayed up.

‘You’ll really want to pay attention then, a non-verbal spell might just save your life in these challenges.’ 

Cedric straightened up next to her, clearly, he was taking Moody seriously. 

Moody began to pace in front of the row of sixth years. 

‘Now… I believe you are all new to the use of non-verbal spells. What is the advantage of a non-verbal spell?’

Hermione’s hand shot up. 

‘Miss Granger, is it?’ 

‘Yes, Sir. The advantage is that your adversary has no warning about what kind of magic you're about to perform which gives you a split-second advantage.’

Moody seemed to examine her for a moment. ‘Is that a direct quote from The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Six?’

Hermione blushed and nodded. 

But Moody didn’t seem intent on insulting her. ‘Very good memory. That’s good… it’ll give you an edge against the enemy.’

With that odd comment, he moved on.

‘Only some can do this, of course. It is a question of concentration and mind power.’ Moody lectured. ‘Divide into pairs please.’ 

Hermione and Cedric moved to an empty space near the teacher’s desk. ‘One partner will attempt to jinx the other without speaking and the other will attempt to repel the jinx in equal silence. Then we will swap around.’

The class was very capable, Flitwick’s duelling meets had been a good opportunity to learn some new spells. Hermione knew for a fact that Cedric was one of the most capable duellers int eh school, but she was better. 

A reasonable amount of cheating ensued around the class; many students were just whispering their spells instead.

Hermione had already studied non-verbal spells in her private meets with Snape, she wouldn’t say she had mastered them though. 

Still, her non-verbal shield charm seemed to be holding firm against the many different approaches Cedric was trying. 

Moody spotted this and offered her twenty points for quick learning. 

He ordered the classroom to swap around. 

It took a few goes, but eventually Diggory was able to hold a silent and steady shield charm, earning him twenty points too.

‘Very good work, Granger, Diggory.’ Moody said, the rest of the class fell silent as he approached them.

‘Granger, you went up against a Werewolf last year. Correct?’ He asked. 

Hermione nodded. She really hoped that he wouldn’t ask her what spells she had used, the fact she was able to turn into a massive brown wolf was one of the worst kept secrets going. 

‘And Flitwick says you’re one of the most gifted duellers he has ever seen.’ Moody mused. 

Hermione shrugged at that one. The attention was making her feel slightly awkward. Cedric, the traitor, stepped back from her to avoid Moody’s eye. 

‘And Dumbledore told me you cursed Voldemort in the face in your first year.’ 

There were several gasps, Hermione wondered if they were at the act or the use of the name. 

She nodded. 

‘Let’s see how you hold up against me.’ He said.

He turned his wand on Hermione so fast that Hermione barely had time to think.

A purple spell shot right at her face, but she met it. The unknown spell ricocheted off a non-verbal shield. There were shrieks as students dived out of the way and the spell went straight out of the window. 

Her shield charm, in fact, had been that strong it had knocked both Moody and Diggory off their feet. 

Hermione thought for a moment that the clearly insane teacher might be mad about the fact that she’d basically just thrown him to the ground. However, he stood up beaming.

‘Excellent! They’ll have a hard time taking you down little Miss! Take another twenty points.’ He was beaming at her. ‘You should consider a career as an Auror or even a Royal Guard!’ 

Hermione blushed. 

Then Moody moved on without further pomp. ‘You’ll find this year that Non-Verbal spells will be required more and more in all of your classes.’

* * *

‘That’s the weirdest class I’ve ever had.’ Cedric told her as they walked down to the Great Hall together. 

‘Tell me about it. I’ve never had a teacher try and curse me before.’ Hermione told him.

Cedric snorted. ‘You duel Flitwick all the time!’ 

‘Oh! That doesn’t count! We’re duelling! I meant I’ve never had a teacher try and curse me in class.’

Cedric nodded. ‘Okay, I’ll give you that one.’ 

They had stepped into the Great Hall now and Cedric was being hailed by his friends. 

‘See you in Charms.’ He said brightly as he wandered off. 

Hermione journeyed to her own table, which was currently heavily occupied by the Gryffindor’s. 

‘Are you alright?’ Draco whispered to her the second she sat down next to him. ‘My marks been prickling.’

Hermione nodded. ‘Yeah. Our Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher tried to curse me in the name of teaching.

‘He what?’ Draco hissed. 

Hermione shrugged. ‘I blocked it. No harm done. How’s your morning been? Could you pass the roasties, Blaise?’ 

Blaise passed the requested plate as Draco complained about his morning. 

Harry joined in once the subject of Divination was raised. ‘Apparently, the thing I dread will come to pass sooner than I think.’ 

Hermione raised a brow. ‘What a load of bollocks.’ 

Harry nodded. ‘I know, she said the exact same thing to Lavender last year and her rabbit ended up dying. She’s just making lucky guesses.’ 

Draco’s eyes flicked to Hermione and as they both thought the same thing. She was right about Black last year. 

If Madam Sybil was correct in only half of her predictions, the wizarding world would still be devastated. 

‘And she set us loads of Homework!’ Draco complained. ‘A detailed analysis of the way the planetary movements in the coming month will affect you, with reference to your personal chart.’ 

‘It’s going to take all sodding weekend!’ Blaise grumbled from across the table.

‘It’s what you get for taking such a waste of time subject.’ Hermione told them as she tucked into her potatoes. 

‘We’ve not even gotten to Care of Magical creatures!’ Harry told her. 

‘Oh, fuck me.’ Draco said as he shook his head in shared horror with Harry. 

Hermione’s lunch was spent agreeing with her mates that Blast-Ended Skrewts were not suitable for the classroom, or anything.

That is, until the Prophet arrived. 

‘Oh bugger.’ Fred said as he read the article. He passed his paper around the table. 

It seemed Rita Skeeter had found out about Moody’s bins.   
_Arthur Weasley, who is head of the Muggle Relations department at the Ministry, was involved in a tussle with several Muggle law-keepers (“policemen”) over a number of highly aggressive dustbins._  
Mr._ Weasley appears to have rushed to the aid of “Mad-Eye” Moody, the aged ex-Royal guard and Auror retired from Royal Service after failing to protect Queen Marie, and then from the Ministry when no longer able to tell the difference between a handshake and attempted murder. _  
_Unsurprisingly, _Mr._ Weasley found, upon arrival at _Mr._ Moody’s heavily guarded house, that _Mr._ Moody had once again raised a false alarm._  
Mr._ Weasley was forced to modify several memories before he could escape from the _policemen,_ but refused to answer Daily Prophet questions about why he had involved the Ministry in such an undignified and potentially embarrassing scene._

The group made their way into the corridor still discussing the article. 

‘When did your dad get promoted?’ Millie asked Fred. 

‘The King felt guilty about my sister getting hurt in his school.’ A new voice came from behind them. Ron Weasley had been rather well behaved this term, but it seemed the opportunity to insult Draco had been too good to resist. 

‘Watch your mouth.’ Hermione said to Ron as he passed. 

‘Oh, do shut up you bloody cow.’ Ron sighed as he turned to walk away. 

Draco, not standing for his – for Hermione being insulted, pointed his wand right at Ron’s back. 

BANG. There was a great puff of white smoke that left everyone in the vicinity couching for a moment.

‘OH NO YOU DON’T, LADDIE!’ The group spun around. 

Professor Moody was limping down the marble staircase as the smoke cleared. His wand was out and it was pointing right at a pure white ferret, which was shivering on the stone-flagged floor, exactly where Malfoy had been standing.

Hermione gasped in horror at the sight.

‘Did he get you, laddie?’ He asked Ron. 

Ron, seeming to be baffled by this turn of events, shook his head.

‘LEAVE IT!’ Moody bellowed.

‘What?’ Ron asked, now he was really confused.

‘Not you! Him!’ He pointed over his shoulder to where Blaise was trying to pick the Ferret up.

It seemed that Moody’s rolling eye was magical and could see out of the back of his head. 

Moody started to limp toward Hermione, Blaise, and the ferret, which gave a terrified squeak and took off, streaking toward the dungeons.

‘I don’t think so!’ Roared Moody, pointing his wand at the ferret again. 

It flew ten feet into the air, fell with a smack to the floor, and then bounced upward once more. Hermione shrieked in horror.

‘I don’t like people who attack when their opponent’s back’s turned.’ 

The ferret bounced higher and higher, squealing in pain. 

‘Never — do — that — again —' Moody ordered, speaking each word as the ferret hit the stone floor and bounced upward again. 

‘Stop!’ Hermione had collected her wits, and was pointing her wand right at Professor Moody’s face. The mark on his wrist was aching. 

‘Professor Moody! Miss Granger!’ Came a shocked voice. 

Professor McGonagall was coming down the marble staircase with her arms full of books.

‘Hello, Professor McGonagall.’ Moody was calm, bouncing the ferret still higher. Hermione hadn’t taken her wand from his face and was still ordering him to stop that very second or else.

Suddenly Ron spoke up, shocking everyone. ‘Really Sir, it’s my fault. I insulted his friend.’

At this confession McGonagall seemed to realise what was going on. Or, perhaps she had spotted the white ferret.

‘What — what are you doing?’ Gasped Professor McGonagall, her eyes following the bouncing ferret’s progress through the air. 

‘Teaching.’ Was Moody’s reply. 

‘Teach — Moody, is that a student?’ Shrieked Professor McGonagall, the books spilling out of her arms. 

‘Yep.’ Said Moody. 

‘No!’ Cried Professor McGonagall, running down the stairs and pulling out her wand; a moment later, with a loud snapping noise, Draco Malfoy had reappeared, lying in a heap on the floor with his sleek blond hair all over his now brilliantly pink face. 

Blaise and Neville each hooked an arm under each armpit and heaved the boy to his feet.

Hermione noticed Draco wincing. 

Hermione ignored McGonagall scolding Moody and moved to inspect Draco. 

‘He’s broken your wrist. YOU’VE BROKEN HIS WRIST!’ Hermione was livid as she glared at the teacher. 

‘Miss Granger!’ McGonagall silenced her with a sharp look. 

‘Zambini, Longbottom, please take Mr Malfoy to the Hospital Wing.’ McGonagall said and the three boys quickly disappeared around the corner, Blaise and Neville heavily supporting Draco.

‘Moody, please come with me.’ McGonagall said firmly, she waved her wand and her pile of books reformed in her arms, and she set off in the direction of the Heads office. ‘Granger, Weasley, you too.’

She ordered. 

Hermione sighed; she was going to miss the start of charms. 

They didn’t make it to the Headmasters office though, they bumped into him in the corridor walking with Snape. 

McGonagall was quick to fill the headmaster in on the event. Hermione saw Moody roll his eyes to Dumbledore and her blood boiled. 

‘Miss Granger?’ Dumbledore asked. 

Hermione realised she hadn’t been paying attention to what was being said.

‘Sir?’ She asked. 

‘Did you threaten to curse Professor Moody?’ Dumbledore asked again.

‘Yes, Sir. He broke Draco’s wrist.’ She told him firmly and with no hint of regret. 

Moody actually smiled at her. He’s bloody bonkers. ‘I don’t want her punished. Bloody tough one, she is.’ 

Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose in confused frustration.

‘And Draco Malfoy tried to curse Ronald when his back was turned?’ 

Hermione nodded and sighed. ‘Though I don’t think broken bones are a suitable punishment for a jelly legs jinx.’ 

‘He didn’t ask for your opinion, Granger.’ Snape told her.

She glared at her mentor. ‘Well he’s getting it. If this was a Muggle school he’d be arrested.’ She said, pointing at Moody.

‘You may go.’ Dumbledore told her; he never raised his voice at her. ‘No punishment.’

Hermione glared at the Headmaster for a moment before letting out an angry sigh and setting off for Charms. 

* * *

The first Hufflepuff party of the year kicked off in a wild fashion. The Slytherin group arrived half an hour late to find three students had already passed out. 

‘Happy Birthday!’ Hermione greeted Cedric, who had passed her a fruity cocktail, a hug and a quick kiss to the cheek.

‘Ta!’ He said. ‘Bit annoying actually, people keep giving me birthday digs.’ He pulled up the sleeve of his polo to reveal forming bruises there. 

Hermione suitably winced. ‘Just drink through the pain!’ She offered.

‘Oh! I intend to!’ He said as he necked the remainder of his Fire-Whiskey. 

He was soon called away by his usual crowd of pals and Hermione went to stand by Draco’s side. He was frowning at her.

‘When did you and Diggory become so pally?’ He asked.

‘Hmm?’ Hermione said as she sipped at her drink. ‘Oh, Cedric sits next to me in like half our classes.’ 

This didn’t seem to cheer Draco up, but he didn’t press the issue further. He consoled himself in his drinking. 

As fourth years, or in Hermione’s case being the appropriate age, they could now stay until Midnight. 

Much drinking and frivolity took place in the extra hour they were allowed to stay. Ginny still had to leave at eleven, and Harry left with her to walk her home. This caused much gushing from the girls. 

The clocks struck midnight and the fourth years were quickly tossed out into the corridor.

As one of the last out, Hermione turned back to see people coupling up. Cedric seemed to be going up the stairs with a Ravenclaw in the year below them. Fred saw her looking as he necked a redhead and winked at her. 

With an eyeroll, she left the room. The door shut firmly behind her. 

They made a quick stop at the kitchens for some drunk food of cheeseburgers, cheesy chips, and pizzas.

‘I wish we could stay.’ Theo said.

‘I know!’ Neville said, he was yet to split off for his own common room.

‘It could be so much fun.’ Blaise mused.

Tracey snorted. ‘Oh please.’

Daphne nodded at Tracey. ‘You’re a bunch of Virgins.’

Millie laughed at the annoyed expressions on the boys' faces. ‘Do you really want your first times to be in front of a bunch of other people.’

Hermione laughed and linked arms with Daphne. ‘You’d all last about five seconds and we’d make fun of you forever.’ 

The rest of the walk back was spent with each boy grumbling to themselves that they would surely put on a stellar performance. 

* * *

‘What was that?’

‘I didn’t hear anything?’

‘No, there’s definitely someone coming.’

‘Why did you have to give Potter that map?’

‘His father made it. It should be his!’

‘Shhh! It’s Filch!’

Hermione and Draco dived behind a tapestry. They remained there until the footsteps disappeared into the distance. 

Hermione stepped out from behind the tapestry and shivered at the cool midnight breeze. She pulled her dark glittering cloak tighter around her pyjamas.

‘Let’s go.’ Draco said, confident that they weren’t about to be caught and receive a month’s detention before terms even started properly.

A howl pierced the stillness in the air. 

Hermione and Draco both jumped in surprise, then shared a worried glance.

‘Do you think that’s Neville?’ Draco whispered, rubbing at his arm awkwardly.

Hermione shook her head. ‘Can’t be… He’s all the way in the Shrieking shack, we wouldn’t hear him.’

‘Lets just get in the tunnels. I’ll feel much better when we’re down there.’ Draco said. 

They came to the flute player in the Great Hall of Regia. 

‘Ostium.’ Hermione muttered. 

The portrait door swung open.

They moved quickly down the stairs of dark stone, each with a hand on the wall to steady them against the steep descent. 

The torches burst into life before them, illuminating the four tunnels branching away from them.

They made their way through the tunnel quickly; they had a limited time to complete their goal.

‘So, you’re not with Neville tonight?’ Draco asked as he lifted the wooden plank guarding their destination. 

Hermione sighed and nodded; Draco passed her Excalibur while he climbed down the rickety ladder. 

‘He wants to do it alone for a little bit. I don’t like the idea of him being on his own, but I can’t force myself on him.’ She said as she dropped his sword down the dark hole.

She began the climb down the ladder and tried not to blush when she felt Draco’s hands on her waist once she reached the halfway point. He lifted her down so she wouldn’t have to navigate the last few steps, which had rotted heavily.

‘We really need to fix this ladder.’ Hermione said, batting Draco’s hands off her waist once her feet were safely on the ground.

‘I don’t know… I wouldn’t get to lift you down then.’ 

Hermione rolled her eyes at his teasing and walked past him.

It seemed to occur to them at the same moment that the last time they had been down here they had tried to rip each other’s clothes off as they made out. 

Hermione put aside the stirrings inside her to observe the secret room, for this is why they had come down here. They wanted to look at the room only revealed by the light of the full moon.

Hermione stepped through the tiny Temple, she passed the Altar and the statue 

She stepped to the right wall, with its faded blue paint of the Atune and water scene. Hermione sighed as she wondered what was once painted here. It was a lost piece of History. 

She stepped eagerly through the momentary darkness to emerge in the secret room. It was well lit, as it had been before.

Her eyes fixed on the Mural of the Mermaid instantly. 

‘How long before the door shuts?’ Draco asked as he stepped through.

Hermione shrugged. ‘Er, half an hour? Give or take.’

The small square room was entirely lit by a small crack in the rocky ceiling, with a clear beam of light hitting the now prominent hole in the wall.

‘Jut keep your eye on that light. When that goes off the wall the door will shut, and I really don’t fancy getting stuck down here until the next Full Moon. Think of how much NEWT material I’d miss.’ She shuddered at the thought.

‘And, you know, you’d starve to death?’ Draco reminded her. 

‘That too.’ She agreed. 

The Mermaid on the wall was still the most beautiful creature Hermione had ever lain her eyes on. She wondered if that thought was blasphemous when there was a mural of the Goddess Atune on the left wall of the Temple.

‘What do you think you’ll find in here?’ Draco said, his eyes were firmly on the light keeping their exit open. ‘Whatever treasure was down here is clearly long gone.’

Hermione shrugged. ‘I dunno. I just think it’s pretty neat.’

She stepped forwards to admire the long red hair of the mermaid and her piercing blue eyes. This Mermaid, if at all real, had lived over a thousand years ago.

Hermione pulled her eyes from the sculpted face to examine the bright red tail where legs should have been and it contrasted boldly against the grey rock on which she sat on. 

And then she looked down. The large opening in the ground was still full of water. 

‘Do you reckon it’s an old well?’ Hermione asked. 

Draco shook his head. ‘I doubt it. There’s a lake right outside, why dig out a well?’

‘Maybe it’s a Mermaid tomb?’ Hermione wondered aloud. ‘Or a Mermaid house?’

She knelt down on the side of the stone to try and see further down the dark water, she couldn’t see a bloody thing, merely her own reflection.

She reached a hand forwards, intending to plunge her hand into the water. 

She was stopped by Draco grabbing her arm.

‘Oh! Come on!’ She protested the serious and panicked look on his face.

‘No – no. My mark hurt!’ He told her.

Hermione frowned, but trusted his warning. They both turned their heads slowly to look down at the ancient pool.

‘What can be dangerous about a hole in the ground?’ Hermione asked, blinking up at Draco.

He shook his head. ‘No idea. Maybe there’s a bunch of angry Mermaids down there?’ 

Hermione stepped to touch the water gingerly. 

Again, Draco grabbed her arm. ‘I really don’t think you should touch that water. It literally hurts. He said, looking down at their shared mark. 

A tingle or an itch, usually meant some mild threat. A little shoot of pain usually meant more severe danger or threats. Pain, on the other hand, meant there was something possibly life threatening.

Hermione looked down at the dark water and sighed. ‘Alright. No touching the water.’ 

Draco smiled. ‘Promise you won’t sneak down here without me and try and touch it?’

Hermione rolled her eyes. ‘Don’t be silly. Come on, the wall will shut in a minute. The light’s almost gone.’ 

They made it back through the gap in the wall just as the final beams from the full moon left the wall. The stone column slid back into place, and the celestial room was no more for another month.

There was no evidence in the stone wall where the doorway had been, not a single crack or stone out of place. 

They were stood facing the left mural, the scene of Atune in full Goddess regalia. Hermione stepped to the beautiful woman with strawberry-blond hair and emerald eyes. The golden head atop her head and the purple orb in her hand.

‘Want to go back?’ Draco asked. ‘It’s too late to do a ritual now.’ 

Hermione nodded and yawned; NEWT classes were taking a toll on the amount of sleep she was getting. Even glamour charms hadn’t been able to fully hide the dark circles under her eyes.

* * *

With her Ancient History class, her final lesson of the day, over. Hermione made a beeline for the Dungeons.

‘Someone’s in a hurry.’ Cedric said.

Hermione nodded. ‘Yeah, I want to get some reading done.’ 

Cedric nodded in understanding, he was taking the same subjects as her, including the impossible Alchemy.

‘Well, some of us were thinking of getting a study group together for Alchemy, see if we can figure out what’s actually going on… You in?’ 

Hermione nodded with wide eyes of appreciation. ‘Sweet Vutris, yes please. I have legitimately no idea what’s going on.’

Cedric snorted. ‘Gods, if you’re stuck, the rest of us are doomed.’

Hermione rolled her eyes. ‘I’ll see you later.’ 

With this, she made for the stairs. 

She did indeed want to get some reading done, just not the type of reading Cedric would be doing. 

She descended into Hufflepuff’s secret tunnels and headed straight for the library.

_Creatures of Atune – By Cecil Prewett_

Hermione pulled the book from the top shelf, she wanted to make some notes on Mermaids before she banged out her Charms essay. She wasn’t entirely sure why, perhaps it was the sight of the beautiful mural or perhaps the mysterious water, but she’d become slightly obsessed with Mermaids this week.

_These creatures are pure and divine. Unlike their half-breed cousins the Merpeople, who inhabit col and dark waters. _

_A true Mermaid is a woman transformed. The key distinctions being the appearance and the ability to transform at will between their human form and that of the Mermaid. _

_It is said that in the ancient days, superstitious Muggle sailors would tie women up and throw them overboard when in rocky waters. _

_Vutris and Atune wept for their fellow women, and Atune made the decision to save their lives. _

_Atune reached out and transformed the women. _

_Their legs, bound together in _chains_, fused together to form a tail to swim great distances at speed. Their eyes, unseeing in the dark, lit to see for miles. Their bones, heaving with the pressure of the icy depths, hardened to sustain no damage. Their lungs, choking on _salt water_, mutated to breathe the water. _

_Over time, these saved women grew to despair, for they missed their loved ones. They asked Atune for one more miracle, and she listened. _

_The women gained the ability to turn from human to Mermaid at will forevermore, though they would always feel the call of the water and that of their kin._

Hermione made her notes and chose another book. 

_Legends of the Deep – By Sabrina Craft _

Hermione flicked through the chapters. _Aspidochelone, The Dobhar-chú, Elephant koi, Gunakadeit, Hippocamp, Hydra, Kraken, Leviathan, Lion Turtle…_

Hermione sighed and shook out her hand, she should have just looked at the contents page instead of flipping through all these pages.

_Makara, Merlion, Mermaid…_

Hermione readied her quill for more notes. 

_There has been no mermaid sighted in over three hundred years now, though we know they are historical fact from the writings of Cecil Prewett and other court recorders (see bibliography p986) _

_The Mermaid used to be more common, the reason for their decline is unknown. Their sightings are known from songs and art. (see p673)_

_As for recorded Mermaids, it is rumoured they ranged from humble muggles to Queens of the Wizarding world. The song Blythe’s joy hinting that the monarch had the gift._

_Little else is known about their history, due to their secretive nature. Indeed, we know more of the Ancient Elves who lived millennia ago than creatures who roamed three centuries ago._

_There are no recorded male Mermaids. _

Hermione shut the book in frustration. All that rifling through those pages and that’s all she got? 

In her frustration, she decided that would he enough research for today. She wanted some dinner, then she would do her charms essay. 

The common room was awkwardly silent upon her return, her friends were all stood over the evening edition of the Daily Prophet. 

‘What’s up?’ Hermione asked as she approached. 

‘Crabbe and Goyle…’ Draco trailed off hopelessly. 

‘Senior.’ Blaise filled in. 

Hermione realised what had happened, they must have had their trial. 

‘And?’ She asked. 

‘Twenty years. They got twenty years.’ Millie told her.

Draco sank down onto the leather chair and put his head in his hands. ‘I just put my friend’s parents in prison for twenty years.’ He whispered. 

‘No. You put two Death Eaters in prison.’ Came a new voice from the stairs leading to the boy’s rooms. 

It was Crabbe and Goyle.

‘It’s alright.’ Crabbe said to Draco and Hermione.

‘We knew it was coming.’ Goyle continued. 

‘Do you forgive us?’ Hermione asked.

‘No.’ Crabbe said.

‘Oh.’ Hermione was downcast.

‘Because there’s nothing to forgive.’ Crabbe carried on.

Hermione perked up.

‘They’re really shitty people.’ Goyle said.

‘Like, really shitty.’ Crabbe said.

‘They are Death Eaters.’ Goyle said.

‘And Death Eaters should be in jail.’ Crabbe said. 

Hermione let out a cry and rushed to take both boys in a tight hug, she’d been thinking they would be angry with her forever.

Draco did not join in the hug, but he did share a soulful look with his old friends. 

* * *

‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY!’ 

‘Happy birthday Granger!’

‘Halfway to thirty! You’re getting old!’ 

Fred earned a biff to the back of the head for that last one.

Daphne and the other girls had banded together to get her a range of sweet-smelling perfumes and a Spa kit for their massive bathtub. She couldn’t wait to try some of the products out.

The boys had banded together, no doubt under the guidance of Draco, to get her a volume of books on Temple City in Iceland, to aid in her NEWT studies. Draco had also gifted her a basket of her favourite assorted treats.

Her favourite present had also come from Draco, though he had given it to her secretly as the clock had ticked midnight.

*+*

_‘I’m not meant to be in your bed anymore. Wasn’t that a deal we made?’ She asked as she looked down at her thoroughly tucked in self._

_Draco rolled her eyes. ‘We’ve made that deal like four times; we never stick to it. But we’re behaving, so it’s okay.’_

_‘I’ll need to be back in my room before any of the girls wake up.’ She told him. _

_He smiled and lay down on his side, so they were facing each other. Hermione wondered if he had begun sleeping without a shirt on to torture her. In revenge, she had taken to wearing her skimpiest pyjamas. _

_‘I’ll have you back before anyone knows you’re gone.’ Then he pulled his pocket watch out from under his pillow._

_‘Ten, nine, eight…’_

_Hermione gasped. Was it time already?’_

_‘Three, two, one… Congrats, you’re old.’ _

_Hermione batted him lightly on his bicep, right where the Basilisk Venom had seared his flesh._

_Draco chuckled lightly and then turned and stuck his arm out of his bed curtains, the bandages had come off his healed wrist a few days ago now, a moment later he shoved a tiny and awfully wrapped silver box under her nose. _

_‘Happy birthday Kitten.’ He murmured._

_Hermione took the present. ‘Thank you, My Lord.’ _

_She pulled off the wrapping paper, which she discarded at the foot of the bed, and opened the box._

_Then she looked up at Draco. ‘Please tell me that’s not-’_

_‘-Elvan White Gold? Alright, I won’t tell you.’ He grinned. _

_Hermione groaned and threw herself back on his pillow. ‘It’s too much!’_

_He shook his head. ‘Tough. I just thought you would want some you could wear while you’re brewing all your potions with Snape.’ _

_Hermione couldn’t help smile at how thoughtful he was and looked down into the box again._

_Nestled in an ancient cushioned box, were a set of miniature hoop earrings, perfect for casual wearing or practical wearing._

_‘Do you like them?’ Draco asked._

_Hermione nodded. ‘Of course, I love them! Thank you.’ _

_‘Plus, they’re the one bit of jewellery I can give you that nobody can read into.’ Draco said._

_Hermione rolled her eyes. ‘Like that’s ever stopped you. I seem to recall an exquisite hairpin being gifted to me in _first_ year.’_

_Draco’s cheeks tinged pink. ‘Who got you that one?’ He asked, playing along._

_‘Some Earl.’ Hermione smiled at him. Then she shut the lid on the earrings and placed them safely under the bed. ‘Thank you, they’re lovely.’_

_Draco smiled. ‘You’re very welcome. That’s just a side present. I got you one with the rest of the boys.’ _

_Hermione groaned and flopped face down back onto the pillow. ‘You spend far too much on me.’ _

_‘Ah! No. The earrings didn’t cost me a knut. I got them from the vault.’ _

_Hermione groaned into the pillow. ‘That’s even worse! They’re royal!’ Of course, all of this was muffled by the pillow into which she was smashing her face. _

_Draco smiled fondly down at her and lay on his back next to her, she’d come and lay on his chest in a minute or two._

_He was right, naturally, it was not forty seconds before she had scooted onto her side and nuzzled into his side. _

_‘Does it ever bother you that you’re so much older than me?’ He teased._

_Hermione pinched him lightly. ‘I am not! It’s only nine months… Although they do say men are years slower than women mentally.’ _

_‘I’m way more mature than you!’ Draco protested._

_Hermione actually snorted. ‘Oh please.’_

_‘I’m the Duke of Abbington. People live under my rule and protection, I am more mature than you.’ He insisted. _

_Hermione rolled away from him, but took his arm and pulled him with her so he was spooning her. _

_‘We’re both equally mature then?’ She offered._

_She could feel his breathing on her neck._

_‘Fine. I’ll let you have that one.’ _

_Hermione smiled into her pillow. ‘Very gracious of you, My Lord.’_

_‘Happy birthday, fifteen today. Time really flies. It feels like yesterday you came into my carriage in all your _bushy haired_ glory looking for Neville’s toad.’ _

_Hermione smiled at the memory. ‘Hey! My hair’s not bushy anymore.’ _

_He reached a hand up to lazily play with her hair, sleep was beginning to overcome them._

_‘I dunno. I kind of liked it. Made you look all wild…’ Draco trailed off as sleep claimed him. _

_A moment later, and Hermione joined him in sleep._

* * *

* * *

I cannot put into words the difficulty I've had posting this chapter. The site has been crashing on me all day. This is my fifth go trying to post this. So, I am doing so very quicky, sans editing. Please forgive any ridiculous errors. I had like 2 mins to paste this and put the italics and line breaks in.   
  
I’ve realised I’ve made a bit of a booboo. So I was going to say last chapter that Montague had taken the place of a Slytherin Prefect who had been stripped of rank for being naughty. In editing, I’ve cut that part out but left in the comments on Montague being elevated to Prefect. Just so you’re aware. My bad guys. I throw myself on your mercy.

E x


	68. The Bastard Heir

_Nicholas Malfoy, the illegitimate son of the Duke of Wiltshire, turns one today!_

_The Duke and his official mistress Eloise Lestrange, are celebrating his birthday with a party at Malfoy Manor. It is unknown if the Duchess of Wiltshire or other members of the royal family will be in attendance. _

Draco angrily tossed the paper down on the table. ‘No, they will not be in fucking attendance.’ 

‘It’s not his fault how he was born.’ Hermione reminded him. She was looking at the official picture released to mark his birthday, the boy was adorable. 

‘Finish reading the article, then come at me.’ Draco huffed as he angrily ripped into his cheese on toast. 

_The Duke of Wiltshire also marked the day by formally adding young Nicholas to his list of heirs, and granted Nicholas and Mistress Lestrange an estate near his own manor._

‘Oh, dear me.’ Hermione muttered. 

‘Do you want to know what estate he’s given them?’ Draco asked, looking considerably angry. 

Hermione scanned the article, there was no further mention of the estate. 

‘It’s Lothlar.’ Draco told the group.

There were gasps from the table and a frown from Hermione. ‘What’s bad about that estate?’

‘It’s my mothers.’ Draco told her.

Hermione joined the gasps. ‘He can’t do that!’ 

Draco nodded. 'Yes, he can. Everything that was my mothers became his when they got married. He can do whatever he wants with it.’

_Well, that’s positively medieval_. Hermione thought in horror. ‘That’s messed up. I didn’t know that was a thing.’

The girls at the table all sighed in agreed frustration. 

‘That’s just the way things are.’ Theo said.

‘Yeah. The guy runs the estates and the finances and the wife runs the home and does all the society stuff.’ Crabbe said. He and Goyle were both wearing their family rings now. Since their fathers' arrests they had been made head of the family, they were now even in charge of their mothers at the tender age of fourteen._ I bet their mums love that._ Hermione thought.

‘So, Lucius has given his mistress and bastard son his wife’s estate?’ Neville asked as he sat down, he’d only caught the end of the conversation.

‘Yup.’ Draco said, and dropped his head into his arms to groan. 

‘How’d you hear that? It’s not in this article?’ Neville asked as he quickly scanned the paper. 

‘My mum wrote to me this morning to tell me. She’s pissed off.’ Draco said, though most of this was muffled by his arm and the table.

Hermione was frowning as the cogs turned in her head. ‘Why put him on his list of heirs? He has you for that.’ 

Draco’s head came up. He was now that angry that he seemed to be calm. ‘Oh. That.’ He looked directly to Hermione sat next to him rather than addressing the table. ‘Matilda wrote to me this morning too; she has a theory about that.’ 

Their friends clocked on to the fact this was now a private conversation, and set about chatting amongst themselves. Many were asking Neville how his first school-based transformation had gone a few days ago, Hermione had already had that conversation with the boy when delivering a Pepper-Up Potion the morning after. 

‘Go on then?’ Hermione prompted Draco. ‘Why has Nicholas been added to the list of heirs?’

‘We think he intends to make_ him_ the Duke of Wiltshire in my place.’ 

Hermione gasped. ‘He can’t do that!’

‘Yeah. He can. He can do whatever he wants, it’s his title. A royal Dukedom is like, one of the only titles that don’t revert back to the crown when you die.’ 

Hermione was appalled, but not exactly surprised. ‘What a dickhead.’ 

Draco huffed. ‘Doesn’t really matter now. Denshaw Abbey is bigger than the Wiltshire Estate.’ Then he began to speak much quieter, not wanting to be overheard. ‘The concern is that as my father’s heir, Nicholas would be above me in the line of succession technically.’

Hermione frowned. ‘Can’t the King-’

Draco nodded, interrupting her. ‘Yeah. All Armand has to do is publish his own line of succession to nip that plan right in the bud. But it doesn’t matter. We healed Matilda, none of us will end up on the throne.’ 

Hermione nodded. ‘And there is _no way_ your uncle will ever legitimise Nicholas anyway.’ 

Draco nodded his agreement, but he still looked concerned. 

‘I don’t like how he is being kept away from my uncle and cousin, if he’s just being raised by my father, he’ll poison his mind. He’ll raise him to be just like him.’ Draco began to wring his fingers as he fretted.

Hermione smiled. ‘I knew you cared about him really.’

Draco rolled his eyes. ‘He’s my half-brother, he’s _my_ heir. I don’t want him to be evil. I’m hardly about to take an Avada for him.’

Hermione smiled and patted his arm lightly. ‘It’s a start.’

Then, they both shivered as Professor Moody walked by their spot at the Slytherin table on his way up to the teacher's table. 

Both of them instinctively brushed their fingers against their shared Gods marks. 

‘Hey guys.’ Draco said, addressing the group. He had their friends’ attention at once.

‘Yeah?’ Blaise responded for the group.

‘Have you noticed anything _off_ about Moody?’ The young Duke asked.

‘Off how?’ Theo asked. 

‘I mean. That first lesson was insane.’ Daphne shuddered. 

All eyes flicked to Neville momentarily. 

‘What?’ Hermione asked. ‘What did he do?’

‘He showed us the three unforgivable curses.’ Draco told her quietly.

‘_He what?!_’ Hermione shrieked, drawing the attention of nearly half the hall.

It took a moment for the chatter and buzz of the Great Hall to pick up again, and Hermione blushed at the attention.

‘He used spiders.’ Millie told her.

‘He started with the Imperio.’ Draco told her. 

‘Imperius.’ 

‘Yeah, that. He made the spider do cartwheels.’ Daphne told her.

‘No wonder so many wizards got out of Azkaban after the war for saying they’d been under it. It completely took away it’s will, poor little thing.’ Pansy said suddenly, she’d been really quiet this year, and for her to say something like this? To pity a spider? Marked a considerable change for her.

All eyes flicked to Crabbe and Goyle.

‘Shit. Sorry.’ Pansy backtracked. ‘I didn’t mean-’

Crabbe held up a hand to stop her. ‘It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.’

‘Then what happened?’ Hermione asked, not enjoying the momentary awkwardness.

‘Well, he droned on about “CONSTANT VIGILANCE” for a bit.’ Blaise said, trying his best but doing poorly at an impression.

‘Then he showed us the Cruciatus Curse.’ Goyle told her. 

Her mouth fell open in horror, she couldn’t help looking at Neville. He had gone pale.

Blaise, next to him, placed a comforting hand on Neville’s shoulder. 

But there was nothing for it. 

‘Excuse me.’ Neville said, as he pushed back from the table and left the hall.

Blaise sighed, downed his juice, and followed after him.

‘You should have seen him in class, he looked like he was going to pass out.’ Daphne said sadly.

Hermione had to take her own hands and squeeze them tightly to stop herself from reaching for her wand and pointing it at her Professor’s head.

‘Then he showed us the Killing Curse.’ Harry told her.

Everyone was watching the scarred boy nervously. But he wasn’t reacting as Neville had.

‘He shouldn’t have shown you that.’ Hermione said to him quietly. There were nods of agreement from around the table.

Harry shrugged and then looked off in the distance, Hermione realised he had zoned out looking at the back of Ginny’s head over at the Gryffindor table.

‘I dunno… I’ve been trying to imagine how they died ever since I found out about magic… but to see how quick it was for them? I-I didn’t mind being shown it.’ Harry mumbled. 

Draco nodded at Harry’s words. ‘It is a very quick death.’

Harry was nodding. ‘A flash of green light and it was over. I’d been imagining horrible pain like what happened to Neville’s parents.’ 

Hermione understood how he could find solace in seeing the darkest spell, if it brought her friend comfort, who was she to judge him?

Daphne began to shift uncomfortably, before she too got up and left to table with a new redness to her eyes.

Hermione sighed as she saw her friend leave and made to stand.

‘No – I’ll go.’ Millie said, before she went after Daphne.

Daphne’s younger sister had just been removed from the school. She was too frail now, her condition had rapidly worsened. It wouldn’t be long now. 

Astoria wouldn’t have the quick death that Harry’s parents had, she was lingering on the edge of life and death. Daphne said she wasn’t awake for long periods of time now, and when she was awake, she was in pain. The poor child was now being dosed with that many pain potions that she wasn’t really with it.

Daphne would now be going home at the weekends to be with her sister in her final days. She would leave after the weekly choir performance she wanted to stay for, then go home to her sister and return late on Sunday night. This schedule would go for weeks, or until... Hermione didn't want to think about it.

Daphne, for the most part, was able to keep up good spirits. She had known this day was coming and was well prepared, but it still hurt.

Hermione had been so deep in thought; she’d missed the change in conversation.

‘Hermione?’ Theo asked. 

‘Hmm?’ 

‘We were wondering why Snape looks so scared of Moody. Any ideas?’ Theo asked.

Hermione looked to the teacher's table; indeed, Snape did look highly uncomfortable sat next to Moody. Moody, who was continuing his tradition of eating his food with a pocket knife instead of cutlery. 

Hermione shrugged, though she suspected the answer she wasn’t about to go shouting about that the Head of Slytherin was an Ex-Death Eater.

* * *

It was later that evening when she confirmed her suspicions. 

‘Sir, why don’t you like Moody?’ She asked as they brewed together. They were keeping up their tradition of making the Hospital Potions together and making more _experimental_ concoctions. 

Currently, they were trying out a brew called “Venenum”. Hermione had come across the brew while down in Hufflepuff’s secret library and copied it down. 

She figured a potion that literally had the Latin word for Poison in its title would be worth trying out. Snape hadn’t asked her where she had found it, he’d just agreed it sounded cool and that they should try it out.

‘Pardon?’ Snape asked as he returned from his private potion ingredients store, arms laden with some of his rarer ingredients. 

‘Why don’t you like Moody?’ She asked again as she stirred counter-clockwise three times.

Snape sighed. ‘I’m surprised you need to ask.’

_Well, that confirms that theory_. She thought. ‘It’s always best to hear things from the source.’

Snape rolled his eyes, he used to write that on her essays in her referencing section.

Then he sighed. ‘He actually once argued that I should serve time in Azkaban, that I’d changed sides too late. Perhaps he is right.’ He mused, looking off into the distance. Hermione noticed he had placed a vase of lilies on the desk in his private brewing room.

‘He’s not.’ Hermione said, as lightly as she could, as she adjusted the brewing temperature.

‘Hmm. I _was_ a Death Eater Hermione. I was one for nearly a year and a half before I turned spy.’ Snape told her. ‘I genuinely believed in what he was saying.’

Now that she had turned fifteen, or perhaps it was because she was a NEWT student now, she noticed that adults were being a lot franker with her.

‘But then you realised you were on the wrong side and turned spy.’ Hermione said firmly, it made her highly uncomfortable to hear her beloved Mentor saying he should be in a prison cell.

‘No. I turned spy because The Dark Lord was going to hurt the girl I loved.’ Snape said dryly. ‘It was another year or two before I realised he was a nutter.’ 

Hermione raised a brow at that. ‘But you are a half-blood. How can you believe that Pure-bloods are above you?’ 

Snape shrugged, it’s all I’d heard all my life. I didn’t know any different.’ Snape added the next ingredient while she stirred. ‘Plus, my father was a Muggle and let’s just say we didn’t get on.’

Hermione sighed. ‘Well, both of my parents are Muggles, and they’re the best people I know.’ 

Snape gave her a rare smile, but there was something in his eyes that she couldn’t place. Was it guilt? Or shame?

‘Of course, I know now that blood purity is a bunch of nonsense. You’re certainly not a Pure-blood, and you’re the greatest mind the wizarding world has seen for centuries.’ He told her, there was a lot of pride in his voice.

Hermione and Snape didn’t usually bare their souls to each other like this, an awkward silence filled the room for a minute while they carried on brewing.

Then he sighed. ‘You need to know something…’ 

Hermione looked up to him. ‘What?’ 

He seemed to think for a minute as he took in her expression and then he sighed. ‘The Dark Mark.’ He pulled up his sleeve to bear the mark. ‘It’s been getting darker.’ 

Hermione repressed a shudder at the inky black mark branded onto her favourite teacher's flesh, she lifted a finger to very lightly touch it.

‘What does that mean?’ She asked as she dropped her hand and resumed brewing.

‘He’s getting stronger. Dumbledore agrees with me. He is going to return to power.’ Snape said.

Hermione nodded. ‘We knew what Madam Sybil said last year, Pettigrew would help him return to greater power than he had before.’ 

Snape added the final ingredient, Acromantula venom, one of the most expensive and rare ingredients he kept. 

Hermione stirred five times clockwise. 

‘I don’t like him.’ Hermione said.

Snape raised a brow. ‘Who?’ 

‘Moody.’ She told him. ‘I think he’s dangerous. I get a really bad feeling near him.’

‘Well, four decades of getting hit with curses in the line of duty has left him a little... _odd_.’

Hermione killed the heat on the potion and Snape brought forth the reinforced vial.

‘What are we testing it on?’ She asked, looking around for a test subject.

The potion was thin and a startling bright purple. 

‘How about you go get Potter and we’ll pour it on him?’ Snape suggested with a grin.

Hermione gave him a dry look but then laughed when she imagined the possible expression on Harry’s face when she told him tomorrow that Snape wanted to trial a deadly poison on him, not that he ever would.

‘I have some plants and mice set aside.’ Snape told her.

Her mind flashed to Moody and the spiders. ‘I am not killing anything!’ 

Snape rolled his eyes and stepped into his storeroom. ‘They’re already dead. These are the ones caught in the school mouse traps near the kitchens.’

Hermione nodded, though the idea still made her sad, why couldn’t they use humane traps? She’d have to take it up with Dumbledore. She’d added an entire subject to the curriculum, introducing humane traps shouldn’t be too hard.

They began with the plants. 

Snape pulled on his thick Dragon-hide gloves, which he only broke out for the most advanced and deadly concoctions. He gathered about half a stopper of the purple potion and added a single drop over the top of one pretty little rose.

The effect was instant. The flower turned back and died almost instantly, then it began to wither and rot before their eyes. Soon, there was nothing left of it at all.

Hermione and Snape shared a look. ‘I am not watching a poor little mouse rot.’ 

Snape nodded. ‘Agreed. I’m going to – I can’t pour this down the sink can I?’

Hermione shuddered, one drop would probably kill everything in the Black Lake, from the Grindylow to the Giant Squid.

‘I’ll have to store it, then.’ He pulled out a blank label and wrote the potions name on it along with the effects. He finished the label off by drawing a neat little skull and crossbones. He then carefully applied the label to the vial and disappeared with it to the potion store.

‘Is it really safe to keep it in there? What if someone gets in?’ Hermione asked.

‘I have a secret compartment in there, I’ve put it there.’ Snape told her when he stepped back out.

‘Cool. Why do you need a secret compartment?’ Hermione asked curiously.

‘It’s for storing deadly ingredients and the like. As you said, anyone could get in there.’

Then Snape came to stand in front of her. ‘Speaking of, you’re not brewing Polyjuice Potion are you?’

Hermione shook her head. ‘No. Are you missing ingredients?’

Snape sighed and nodded. ‘If it’s not you or your little friends, I don’t know who it could be.’

* * *

As a sixth year, NEWT level, Hermione was now seeing more of the actual curses than the counter curses they had been focusing on in previous years.

Hermione was pleased she had heard the account from her friends of his use of Unforgivables in class, that way she was able to hide her disdain when Moody entered the classroom with three glass jars and demonstrated the curses to her class. 

_What the actual fuck._ Cedric wrote to her.

_This is so messed up_. She wrote back.

Their demonstration didn’t take the entire class, only about half of it. 

Moody’s magical eye whizzed to look at Hermione before looking to the chalkboard.

‘Now, my other students are all trying to fight off the Imperious. We will get to that. But today I want to talk about the practical uses of curses... And we have someone among us who has used some of the most powerful curses out there. Miss Granger?’ Moody came and stood in front of her shared desk with Diggory, who quickly turned a page in his book to hide the insulting comments they had been writing about him.

‘Sir?’ Hermione asked.

‘Well, you’re the only one here who has ever fought the Dark Lord. What spells did you use?’ He asked. 

The entire class was staring at her on bated breath.

‘Consaucio.’ Hermione muttered her answer.

Moody seemed impressed. ‘That’s a powerful bit of magic. Dark Magic too.’

Hermione shrugged. ‘I did what I had to.’ 

Moody was positively beaming. ‘EXACTLY! You do what you have to do against the enemy!’ 

The entire class jumped as Moody shouted these words.

Then the silence of the classroom was disrupted by the wooden clunk of his false leg as he made his way to a training dummy kept in the middle of the room. Hermione wondered why he didn’t get a newer leg; Ron’s false leg didn’t make a sound as he walked.

‘This is very Dark Magic, a powerful curse that debilitated your enemy, it may even kill them.’ Moody told the class. Diggory was shooting a wary glance at Hermione sat next to him.

The teacher pointed his wand at the training dummy. ‘Consaucio!’ 

The dummy was blasted backwards, deep slashes appeared on it. The spell had cut it to ribbons. It fell into a heap on the ground.

Now everyone was really looking at Hermione in shock.

_Did you really do that?_ Cedric scribbled and slid the note to Hermione as Moody examined the remains of the dummy.

_Voldemort was coming right at us. So, yes._ She scribbled back angrily and pushed the scrap of paper back at the older boy who had been becoming a good friend this year.

_I’m not having a go. That’s really impressive you managed it. If that was me Voldemort would have killed me in ten seconds._

Hermione rolled her eyes. _I’m sure you’d have been fine. Just run away if you see him, that’s my plan._

‘What other powerful spells have you used?’ Moody came to ask Hermione.

‘Erm. Combustum, Excindo, Sepelio, Ignis Verberaque… Sine dolore.’ She listed them off as she ran through her memories.

‘Ignis Verberaque? The fire whip?’ Moody asked.

Hermione nodded.

‘They really are going to have a hard time taking you down.’ Moody seemed excited. 

For a terrible moment, Hermione thought he was going to ask her to demonstrate for the class, but instead, he decreed they were moving on with their last ten minutes to the curses actually _on_ the curriculum.

‘How are you supposed to defend yourself against something you’ve never seen? A wizard who’s about to put an illegal curse on you isn’t going to tell you what he’s about to do. He’s not going to do it nice and polite to your face. You need to be prepared. You need to be alert and watchful.’ 

Moody quickly conjured another training dummy. ‘Watch the wand movement here closely.’ He said, and then he lunged.

* * *

‘He’s bloody bonkers.’ Cedric said as they made their way down to the Great Hall for lunch.

Hermione nodded. ‘What was he doing demonstrating that spell? It’s not something we’ll ever be tested on.’ 

Cedric shrugged. ‘He’s really _been there_, you know? He just wants us prepared for what’s out there I guess.’ 

Hermione shrugged and brushed her finger over her Gods mark absently. ‘I don’t know. There are a million spells he could teach us to take someone down, why show everyone the one that might actually kill someone?’ 

‘You didn’t kill anyone.’ Cedric offered.

Hermione gave him a dry look. ‘I nearly did. I used it on a Death Eater at the Quidditch World cup that was trying to kill Harry. He nearly bled to death.’ _My friend’s father. _

Cedric paused mid-step before composing himself and matching her strides again.

‘Well, you used it on Voldemort, that’s still cool.’ He said.

_Classic Hufflepuff._ Hermione thought. _Always trying to find the positive._

‘I got him right in the face. He’ll have a massive scar forever.’ She told him.

Cedric grinned. ‘Wicked.’ 

They entered the Great Hall together and Cedric was called over by his friends again. ‘I’ll see you in Ancient History.’ He said, tone as friendly as ever, before departing.

Hermione walked to her own table, where Neville seemed to be mid-story.

‘That’s definitely not normal.’ Theo was telling the boy.

‘What’s not normal?’ Hermione asked, sitting her usual spot between Draco and Daphne.

‘My senses are like _way_ stronger since I got bitten.’ Neville told her casually as he poured himself a cup of apple juice.

Hermione frowned. ‘How so?’

‘Well, my eyesight is better. My hearing is insane, I can hear every conversation in this Hall, it’s actually really annoying I have to concentrate to tune them out. Then there’s my sense of smell, that’s even stronger. Oh, and I’m a really fast runner now.’ He listed each thing off.

‘Running isn’t a sense.’ Blaise teased as he elbowed him in the ribs.

Neville grinned. ‘You know what I mean, don’t be a dick.’

‘Yeah, that isn’t normal. It’s really, _really_ rare.’ Hermione told him.

‘I’ve never heard of anything like that happening?’ Draco joined the conversation.

‘I’ve only read about it. Happens to like one in every hundred wizards who get bitten.’ She told them, reciting from _Magdalene’s – Creatures of the Dark. _

‘Go on?’ Neville sounded excited. Finally, something cool had happened to him.

‘It’s called Wolfblood, I think. Might be Bloodwolf… No, that’s just silly. Wolfblood. It’s definitely Wolfblood’ Neville was looking at her eagerly. ‘Basically, you keep all the advanced skills of a Werewolf when you’re in your human form.’ 

‘That’s so cool!’ Blaise exclaimed.

‘Hmm, I bet you’re really strong too,’ Hermione told him. 

‘After we’ve eaten, we should take you for a test run.’ Draco said.

‘Awesome.’ Neville grinned and the entire table began to inhale their lunch.

They stepped outside and sighed as they saw it was raining, heavily.

It was too heavy for most to see though, except for… 

‘Nev, can you see through this?’ Hermione asked. 

He nodded. ‘Easily.

Hermione grinned, ‘lets go then.’ 

‘But you can’t see?’ Draco said to her, the rest of their friends were already heading back inside disappointed.

‘Not as a human I can’t.’ Hermione tapped the side of her nose.

Draco nodded. ‘I can’t wait for a proper thunderstorm. It’s going to be wicked.’

Hermione shrugged. ‘I dunno, you might turn into something lame like a Pidgeon or a bug.’ 

Draco seemed to think for a moment and then he shrugged. ‘A Pidgeon wouldn’t be _too_ bad, how sick would it be to fly? And if I was a bug, I’d be able to do all sorts of spying.’ 

Hermione rolled her eyes. ‘Get back inside before you catch your death.’ 

Hermione and Neville walked through the battering rain until they were by the lake, neither had a cloak on. 

Hermione’s first test came as she stood at the lakeside, she touched Neville’s arm. He was warm, actually, he was piping hot.

‘You’re running hotter than us.’ Hermione told him, she didn’t raise her voice, he knew he would be able to hear her. 

‘What do you want me to do?’ He shouted to her over the rain, she didn’t have advanced hearing like this.

‘I want you to run a lap of the lake, as fast as you possibly can.’ Hermione told him. Then, she cracked her neck and pictured the large brown wolf. Her body shimmered and she fell forwards, her hands didn’t hit the floor, her paws landed softly on the wet grass.

Her eyesight was vastly improved in this state, as was her hearing and smell. 

Neville took a deep breath when he saw the patch of missing fur on her flank, but didn’t comment on it. ‘Ready?’ He asked her.

She nodded her massive head.

Neville took a deep breath and set off. 

It didn’t take long for him to disappear from view in the thick tree line, her eyesight wasn’t _that_ good.

Hermione waited on the banks of the river patiently, timing how long it took him to reappear.

He soon returned to her other side, he wasn’t out of breath, he was absolutely soaked from the rain though.

‘How long was that?’ He asked.

Hermione pictured her human form and jumped off her front paws to stand on her rear legs, she timed it perfectly so that she wouldn’t have to be on her hands and knees on the muddy wet grass.

She was smiling. ‘Just to say, it normally takes people about an hour to run the lake. You just did it in ten minutes.’ 

Neville raised his eyebrows in surprise. ‘Wow.’ Hermione heard him mutter over the rain, it was lessening off a little.

‘How do we test if I’m strong?’ He asked.

Hermione smiled and transformed into her massive wolf form. Before Neville could cry out in shock, she bounded at him and leapt at him.

He caught her easily. 

His eyes widened as he realised that he was holding a massive wolf. He then very gently lowered her back to the ground.

Hermione turned back into her human form just as the rain turned into a light drizzle.

‘You’re strong.’ She said conclusively.

‘I’m _really_ strong.’ He repeated back. 'You felt as light as a feather...'

‘Congrats. You’re a Wolfblood.’ She said. ‘It apparently all comes from one Werewolf strain, and even then, it’s not passed directly. It’s like a dormant gene, it needs the right conditions to activate. Lupin must have been infected by someone carrying the strain.’

‘I understood half of that.’ Neville smiled at her, then gestured for them to walk back up to the castle. ‘Come on, or we’ll be late.’

‘Do give me a shout if and when you want some company on a full moon.’ Hermione told him before he opened the door.

He gave her a grateful smile, then absently itched at a large scratch on his arm. Hermione supposed the process of actually turning into a Werewolf must leave some damage. 

‘I know, I just want to go it alone for the moment, just until I really get to grips with it. Does that make sense?’ He asked.

Hermione gave him a gentle smile. _No, it doesn’t, I’d want company if it were me._ ‘Of course. Just give me a shout when you’re ready.’

Hermione cast a quick drying charm over them both and they stepped back inside just in time to head to their next classes.

* * *

That night, Draco and Hermione decided they were going to give themselves a night off. No homework, no studying, just some good fun. They’d earned it.

They had decided it was finally time to take the plunge. 

They descended into Hufflepuff’s secret tunnels… and arrived at the swimming pool.

‘Ready?’ Draco asked, he began peeling off his clothes, he was wearing his swimming trunks under them. 

Hermione grinned and pulled off the light dress she’d tossed on over her bikini, she saw his eyes briefly flick down to the scar at her waist and hip. 

‘Not to brag but I was in the Dolphin group when I was in Primary school.’ Hermione laughed and dived into the water. It was perfectly heated, just as the tunnels were with their heated floors.

Draco jumped in after her, creating a big splash she had to shield her eyes from. 

After much frolicking, splashing, racing, and a handstand competition in the shallower end, the pair began to float aimlessly on the water. 

Hermione, after a few minutes of peaceful floating, put her feet on the ground and stood up.

She could see Draco still floating on the other side of the pool. 

She did a calm and slow breaststroke over to him but stopped in her place when she heard him humming. 

He was humming to tune to Blythe’s Joy, she thought. He _did_ have a good voice, as far as she could tell.

He must have felt her near him, as he opened his eyes and stopped humming, then he stood up in the water. 

‘Why don’t you ever sing? You clearly enjoy it.’ Hermione tried to sound casual as she thread the water near him, she couldn’t put her feet down at this depth as he could.

Draco sighed and dunked his head under the water for a moment. 

‘My father didn’t think it was a, er, princely pursuit. Let’s leave it at that.’ He told her as he resurfaced. 

‘Oh, your father. That man you are now equal to?’ She asked with a raised brow.

‘Please drop it.’ He said, wading to the shallower end of the pool. When the water was about his hips, he stretched up high. Hermione’s eyes landed on the many scars on his back, some were light and would surely fade but some were deep, wide, and long. 

Hermione couldn’t help wondering if he’d gotten one of the scars from the numerous beatings. All over unmanly singing? _Surely Lucius isn’t that evil._ Hermione thought. Oh_ wait, yes, he bloody well is._

Then Hermione had another idea on the score of being equal.

‘You are equal to your father; can’t you get out of your own marriage contract?’

‘I’m not of age. He can’t manage my estate but he can manage me.’ Draco told her as he climbed out of the steps of the pool.

‘So, you can cancel the contract once you turn seventeen?’ Hermione swam towards the steps; Draco had sat down on the top stair. 

This pool didn’t have conventional ladders into the water just circular stairs down into the water. 

‘Well yeah. But do you really think Lucius will let it sit that long? I’ll go home for summer one year and walk into a wedding. I bet you any money.’ Draco shuddered. 

Pansy hadn’t been _that_ bad this year. Draco accepted that her parents put a lot of weight on her shoulders, it was the one thing they really had in common. But he didn’t want to marry the girl, and to be honest he very much doubted she wanted to marry him.

‘Don’t worry. I’ll rescue you from the altar.’ Hermione told him.

* * *

* * *

What's this? Two updates in two days? 

Ao3 is working for me properly today! Yay!

Hope you're all well my little magical family.

As always, I am sustained by your comments, feed me.

Hands up who used to watch Wolfblood when they were little? Or in my case when you were far beyond the target age...

E x


	69. The Goblet of Fire - Part One

_The Trial of Sirius Black Begins!_

_The Daily Prophet will be releasing daily updates as this trial progresses._

_The trial was delayed by the capture of the two Death Eaters: Abraxas Goyle and Cecil Crabbe. _

_This morning Sirius Black was escorted by a team of Royal Guards to the courts in London. The first days of the trial will be reviewing the evidence from his previous arrest._

Harry tossed the paper down; he was practically bouncing in his seat. ‘He’ll be free so soon!’ 

Ginny, who was sat next to him, gave him a wide smile. ‘You could go and live with him. I – I mean we, we would all be able to see you over summer!’ 

‘Like you don’t see him over summer now?’ Fred teased his little sister. 

‘Yeah, when he stays at Neville’s you’re round there nearly every day.’ George finished.

‘What’s wrong with that?’ Harry asked with a raised brow.

‘Nothing.’ George said quickly, and busied himself with his morning eggs.

Since Moody had demonstrated the Avada curse to all of his classes, people had begun to treat Harry with some sort of reverence and fear for surviving it. He knew it would only last a few more days, _at the most_, so he was keen to make the most of it.

Ginny gave him a grateful smile, and he winked at her.

Over on the Slytherin table, Neville and Luna had joined the serpents for another breakfast.

That group was reading the same paper.

‘Uncle says the trial probably won’t even go on that long. There are just too many witnesses to Pettigrew’s guilt.’ Draco told the group.

‘Are any of you going to be called as a Witness?’ Daphne asked.

Hermione nodded. ‘Only conditionally so far. They don’t know if they’re going to need us or not. We’ll see how it goes.’

‘Uncle doesn’t think we’ll be needed. If they do need any witnesses, they’ll probably choose me, Harry, and Hermione.’ Draco said.

Blaise frowned. ‘Why not Neville, Ginny, or Ron?’ 

‘Because people are prejudiced against Werewolves. They don’t want me to have the wrong impact.’ Neville said lightly, he seemed to be resigned to his condition now.

‘Ginny’s a bit too young.’ Hermione said. ‘I mean, so are we but she’d need parents present for her testimony.’ 

‘And Ron?’ Theo asked. ‘Why can’t he be a witness?’

‘Because he had his leg bitten off by one of the key witnesses.’ Hermione told him.

‘Oh yeah.’ Blaise said. ‘I keep forgetting he has a false leg.’ 

‘Yeah. They don’t want to put him on the stand and then him say the wrong thing.’ Draco carried on saying.

There was a momentary lull in conversation.

‘I like your earrings, Luna.’ Daphne said. 

Luna had swapped out her usual radish earrings in exchange for little dangly magic wand earrings in honour of the date. 

It was the day the two visiting schools would be arriving.

Neville, who was sat next to Blaise, pulled a rather large book out of his bag and began flicking through it now that he had finished eating.

‘What’s that Nev?’ Luna asked.

Neville held up the front of the large tome to display its title - _Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean. _

‘Is that from the library?’ Hermione asked.

Neville shook his head. ‘Professor Moody gave it to me, Sprout told him I’m really good at Herbology. He thought I’d like it.’ 

‘Is that why he hauled you back to his office after class?’ Draco asked. ‘To give you a book?’ 

Neville nodded. ‘I thought he was going to talk about my parents at first, and he did, a little. He worked with my dad for years… But then he started talking about Herbology and gave me this.’

‘That was nice of him.’ Hermione gave the boy a gentle smile. There was no denying Neville could at times be delicate over certain subjects, it was usually best not to dwell on the subjects that upset him.

‘What time are the other schools arriving?’ Draco asked, he must have been thinking the same as Hermione.

* * *

Lunch was spent watching the boys blag their Divination homework. 

‘Why don’t you get stabbed in the back by someone you thought was a friend?' Draco offered Harry.

'Yeah... that’s a good one.’ Harry scribbled it down. ‘Because… Venus is in the twelfth house.’

Hermione rolled her eyes and continued reading her book – _Advanced Duelling for the Masters – Merlin. _

‘On Wednesday. Should I come off worse in a fight?’ Neville asked.

‘I was going to have a fight on Wednesday!’ Blaise protested. ‘Fine… I’ll… Lose a bet.’ 

‘You could be betting Neville will win his fight.’ Draco told him.

This was scribbled down.

The boys continued to make up predictions for the rest of their lunch hour, they grew steadily more tragic as they went.

Crookshanks brushed against Hermione’s ankles, and she reached down to scratch his head before he wandered back out of the Great Hall.

The boys were now staring around the Great Hall, trying to think of some new misfortune one of them hadn’t experienced yet. Harry, Blaise, and Neville all saw Fred and George sitting together at the Gryffindor table, heads together over a single piece of parchment. 

Hermione and Draco turned in their seats to look at the Weasley twins. 

_That looks secretive._ Hermione thought to herself.

‘They’re not making new order forms.’ Hermione said. ‘I already helped them make them.’

‘Then what are they doing?’ Draco wondered.

Hermione turned to Neville. ‘Can you hear them?’

He nodded. ‘That sounds like we’re accusing him. Got to be careful.’ Neville recited.

As if they had heard Neville repeating their conversation, Fred and George looked up at the small group watching them.

They obviously couldn’t just smile and return to their tasks and pretend the group hadn’t been watching them.

_What are you doing?_ Hermione mouthed at Fred.

_Nothing._ He mouthed back.

Then, the twins wound up their parchment and left the Great Hall.

The boys turned back to their predictions now that the distracting mystery of Fred and George had been removed.

‘I think I’m finished.’ Harry said happily.

‘Can I see?’ Hermione asked, curious as to what misfortunes he had written down.

She scanned the paper quickly then laughed. ‘Not having a very good month, are you?’ 

‘At least I’m forewarned.’ Harry said solemnly, causing some chuckles at the table.

‘You’re drowning twice.’ Hermione told him, handing the parchment back.

‘Am I?’ He noticed the error. ‘I’ll change one to burns, probably come true that one, we’re seeing the Skrewts later.’

‘Don’t you think it’s a little obvious you’ve made these up?’ Hermione asked the boys. 

Draco laid down his quill, he’d just been predicting an attack by Inferi. He’d also predicted being trapped in a cave, drowning in blood, and losing his magic.

Draco had just been about to change some of his more dramatic predictions when a white owl landed on his notes.

‘Hedwig!’ Harry beamed. He gave his animal companion a nibble of toast and poured some water into a small cup for her to drink as he untied the scroll from her leg.

‘Is that from Sirius?’ Hermione asked.

‘What does it say?’ Neville asked.

Harry read the note and then passed it around the table.

The letter was very short, Sirius Black appeared to be a man of few words, or a man with little time anyway.

_Harry,_

_The first day of the trial has gone well, according to the lawyers. _

_The news about your scar is the latest in a series of strange rumours that have reached my ears this year. If it hurts again, I want you to go straight to Dumbledore._

_I’m told he’s got Mad-Eye out of retirement, which means he’s seeing the same sighs, even if barely anyone else is._

_I’ll be in touch soon; this trial is taking up all of my time._

_My best to your friends. _

_Keep your eyes open, Harry._

_Sirius._

‘Your scar hurt?’ Blaise asked Harry.

Harry sighed. ‘Yeah, over summer.’ Was all the information he offered; he didn’t feel like recounting the dream again.

Harry soon sent off a reply to his Godfather before everyone had to leave for the afternoons lesson.

* * *

It turned out Moody really hadn’t been joking when he said he would be putting the Imperius Curse on everyone. 

She’d heard from her friends that he’d tried it out on all of them. Apparently Neville had done some rather impressive acrobatics, Draco done cartwheels around the room, and only Harry had been able to resist his instruction to jump on a desk – kind of.

Hermione took her seat next to Cedric. 

‘Hey Granger.’ He greeted her. Everyone was practically bouncing in their seats in anticipation for the other schools arriving that night.

‘Hey.’ She greeted back as she pulled out her notebook.

Then, Moody announced he would be putting each of them under the curse that lesson.

‘I feel compelled to tell you this is like, super illegal.’ Hermione said without raising her hand.

The students were bid to stand and Moody banished all the objects to the borders of the classroom, leaving a good floor space free. 

‘Dumbledore wants you taught what it feels like.’ Moody told Hermione loudly.

‘Bullshit.’ Hermione muttered to Cedric.

‘You reckon?’ Cedric whispered back.

She nodded. 

Moody must have heard them, his magical eye swivelled to land on the pair. ‘If you’d rather learn the hard way – when someone’s putting it on you so they can control you completely – fine by me! You’re excused. Off you go.’

Hermione crossed her arms stubbornly and raised a brow at her teacher.

‘No? Well shut it then.’ Moody barked at her. 

It was a struggle not to roll her eyes. 

Cedric supposed that after facing down Lord Voldemort, a scary Ex-Auror must be like a gentle walk in the park. He decided to follow her example, crossing his arms in stubbornness, if he was going to enter this competition he needed to toughen up.

Moody began to beckon students forwards in turn and put the Imperius Curse upon them. 

Hermione watched, one by one, as her classmates were called forwards.

Mary Porter hopped around the classroom, singing The White-Haired Maiden. Montague did a rather impressive monkey impression. Then Cedric was called forwards, he did a rather impressive set of gymnastics that ended in a double backflip.

None of these capable wizards managed to throw off the curse. 

‘Sir? Doesn’t this depend on the power of the castor?’ She asked with a frown, surely this wasn’t a fair test.

‘Yes, it does Granger… So, if you can fight_ me_ off, you can fight anyone. Come on, front and centre.’ He gestured her forwards.

She huffed and moved to stand before the disfigured man.

Moody raised his wand, pointed it at Harry, and said, ‘Imperio!’

Hermione would later agree with her friends that it was the most wonderful feeling. A delicious floating sensation and every worry in her mind drifted away.

She stood there, completely relaxed, aware of all eyes being on her but not caring.

And then she heard Mad-Eye Moody’s voice, it echoed in some distant chamber of her brain, and sounded as flowery as a Goddesses whispers. _“Do a backflip.”_

Hermione bent her knees obediently, preparing to hurl herself backwards. 

_“Do a backflip.”_ The order came again.

‘… Why, though?’ Another voice had awoken in the back of her mind. It was exactly as Harry had described it to her. 

She could hear her own voice, it felt cold against the flowery tongue ordering her. But it was the one she wanted to listen to, it was hers.

‘Bloody stupid thing to do,’ said her voice.

_“Do a backflip.”_ Came the sweet voice.

She shook her head and frowned. ‘No, I don’t think I will,’ said the cold voice. It was much firmer than the flowery voice now.

_“Do it! NOW!”_

The next thing Hermione knew she was on her back, and in considerable pain in the back of her skull and spine.

She’d lunged backwards at the sharp command, but hadn’t allowed herself to jump. The result? She’d thrown herself backwards, hard.

She gasped in pain and Cedric, ever the helpful Hufflepuff, had rushed forwards to help her up.

‘Now that’s more like it!’ Moody growled. 

Hermione suddenly felt rather empty, the melodic voice in her mind had vanished. For a crazy moment, she wanted it back.

She recalled exactly what was happening and the pain in her back doubled, especially as Cedric hauled her to her feet. He was quite a lot bigger than her, a seventeen-year-old boy against a fifteen-year-old girl was no contest. He made easy work of picking her up.

‘Thanks.’ She muttered to him once she was steady on her feet.

‘Look at that, you lot… Granger fought it! And she damn near beat it! We’ll try that again Granger.’ He said to her. ‘Just as good as Potter, they’ll have trouble controlling you.’ He was nodding.

Hermione, who had just spent her lunch watching Harry make up his Divination homework, wasn’t entirely sure she liked being compared to Harry. Though, she had to admit he was an extremely powerful wizard, Draco had told her all about the Patronus’.

It did give her a target though, Harry had told her it had taken four goes to throw the curse off, she was determined to beat that score.

And she did. 

Moody pointed the wand at her again. ‘Imperio!’ 

The flowery voice returned, she told it to sod off. She didn’t even wobble this time. 

This made Moody incredibly excited. 

He’d spent the rest of the lesson talking about curses on the curriculum and why they would die if they actually used one of those pathetic spells in a battle before suggesting his own replacement.

* * *

The final lesson had ended early for the arrival of the other schools, to Hermione’s enormous relief, this meant she was missing out on Alchemy. Snape had made up for the early finish by setting them a long essay due Monday.

Over dinner everyone was sat at the correct table for this important occasion. Draco and Blaise were telling Hermione in great amusement about their Divination lesson. Madam Sybil had read out large sections of their predictions, awarding them top marks, and commending them for their brave acceptance of their terrible fates. But then she had ordered the same homework again for the following month, that had wiped the smiles from their faces.

Everyone was sat chattering away, waiting for some announcement. 

The castle had undergone an extra-thorough cleaning. Even the grimiest of portraits had been scrubbed, much to the displeasure of its subjects. The suits of armour had all been polished and oiled to the point one could see their reflection in their bodies. 

The decorations had gone up now. The enormous silk banners hung from the walls, one for each of the Hogwarts houses. Behind the teachers table was the largest banner of all, it bore the Hogwarts coat of arms: lion, eagle, badger, and snake were all united around the large H. 

Hogwarts was clearly putting its best foot forwards.

Over at the Gryffindor table, Fred and George had their heads together again.

‘It’s a bummer, all right.’ George was saying gloomily to Fred. ‘But if he won’t talk to us in person, we’ll have to send him the letter after all. Or we’ll stuff it into his hand. He can’t avoid us forever.’ 

‘Who’s avoiding you?’ Ginny asked, sitting down next to them along with Harry and Neville.

‘Wish you would.’ Fred snapped, looking irritated at the interruption. 

Ginny ignored this. ‘What’s a bummer?’ 

‘Having a nosy git like you for a sister.’ George retorted. 

‘Stop being dickheads.’ Harry told the pair as he tucked his shirt in at McGonagall’s silent order from across the hall.

Fred sighed. ‘Sorry, Gin.’ 

‘You two got any ideas on the Triwizard Tournament yet?’ Harry asked ‘Thought any more about trying to enter?’

‘We asked how the champions are picked, but McGonagall just told me to shut it and carry on transfiguring my raccoon.’ George sulked.

‘I reckon you could do the tasks, Harry,’ Ginny said. ‘You’ve done loads of dangerous stuff.’ 

‘Not in front of a panel of judges, he hasn’t.’ Fred said.

‘Yeah, McGonagall says the champions get awarded points by how well they’ve done in the tasks.’

‘Who are the judges?’ Harry asked.

‘The Heads of the participating schools are always on the panel.’ Ginny said.

Everyone looked at her in surprise.

‘What? I read!’ She protested. 

Over at the Slytherin table they were oddly discussing the weather.

‘Yeah, Snape told me. We were all meant to be lined up outside to see these grand arrivals, but it’s bucketing it down. So that’s right out.’ Hermione told them.

‘They’ll just have to put on something in here.’ Blaise said. ‘Poor sods, they’ll all be walking in sopping wet.’

Hermione snorted. ‘No, they won’t. There is such a thing as a drying charm.’

‘Oh yeah.’ Blaise said.

Then Dumbledore took the stand.

‘May I introduce our guests?’ He bellowed. ‘First, from our friends from France – Beauxbaxtons’

The doors to the great hall flung open. 

The first student through the doors, a young girl with blond hair who was far too young to be entering to competition, came first. She was holding what Hermione took to be the school coat of arms, two crossed, golden wands, each emitting three stars.

Then stepped in the Headmistress. Hermione recognised her from Christmas Balls but the woman’s sheer size was still breath-taking. She was roughly the same size as Hagrid.

The woman had a handsome, olive-skinned face with large, black eyes and a rather pointed nose. Her dark hair was drawn back into a low bun. She was dressed from head to foot in black satin, and many magnificent opals gleamed at her throat and on her thick fingers.

Dumbledore began to clap as he walked down to meet them halfway, and others joined in, as the French school progressed up the walkway. 

There were about a dozen boys and girls all who looked to be at the entrance age. Hermione noticed they were shivering and rolled her eyes; they were all wearing blue robes of what looked like very fine silk. Of course they were cold, they were wearing silk to visit the top of Scotland.

All of them were looking around their beautifully decorated Great Hall with apprehensive looks on their faces.

Dumbledore, rather conveniently, greeted the headmistress right in front of where Hermione and her friends were sat, so she heard the entire exchange.

‘My dear Madame Maxime.’ Dumbledore said. ‘Welcome to Hogwarts.’

‘Dumbly-dorr’ Madame Maxime said in a deep voice. ‘I ’ope I find you well?’

‘In excellent form, I thank you.’ Dumbledore smiled brightly at the giant woman. 

‘My pupils.’ Madame Maxime said, waving one of her enormous hands carelessly behind her.

‘Durmstrang will be here in a moment, we must find our seats.’ Dumbledore told the woman and her group.

Hermione wondered if the French sat at the Ravenclaw because their blue uniforms would match the Ravenclaw uniform and they didn’t want to clash.

Dumbledore hurried back to his podium and the Hall fell silent again. ‘And now, our friends from the North! Durmstrang!’ 

A group of young men entered the hall, they all seemed to be built quite thickly. _Perhaps they have a weight lifting class?_ Hermione amused herself at the thought.

As they walked up the walkway, Hermione saw their bulk was due to the heavy fur cloaks they wore._ At least someone can dress appropriately. _

The man leading them wore silver fur, making him stand out against the young men he led. ‘Dumbledore!’ The man called heartily.

Dumbledore began the clap again as he walked towards the man.

‘How are you, my dear man?’ The headmaster of Durmstrang asked, clapping the aged Dumbledore heavily on his shoulder.

‘Blooming. Thank you Professor Karkaroff.’ 

The man was tall and thin, like Dumbledore, but his white hair was much shorter and he had a rather weak chin.

‘Dear old Hogwarts.’ Karkaroff said, looking up at the castle and smiling; his teeth were rather yellow, and Hermione noticed that his smile did not extend to his eyes, which remained cold and shrewd. ‘How good it is to be here, how good…. Viktor, come along, into the warmth… you don’t mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold… Sit yourself near the fire.’ He said, gesturing to the roaring fire next to the Slytherin table.

Karkaroff beckoned forward one of his students. As the boy passed, Hermione caught a glimpse of a familiar prominent curved nose and thick black eyebrows. 

She knew the boy – man, at once. She’d danced with him after all. Krum had come to Hogwarts.

The boys at the table collectively lost their minds.

‘He’s just a Quidditch player.’ Hermione told them, rolling her eyes at their undignified behaviour.

‘Didn’t you dance with him, Granger?’ Blaise asked, with a teasing raised brow. 

‘Yeah. So what?’ She asked.

Blaise held his hands up in surrender. ‘Nothing – nothing.’

Victor Krum then didn’t help her case. ‘Ah! Herminny!’ He spotted her, and swooped to sit down next to her, forcing Draco to move up in his seat.

The other Durmstrang students settled themselves along the Slytherin table, near the fire as their headmaster had ordered. Most of them were sat with the older students though. 

‘Hello, Victor.’ She greeted the older boy with a friendly hug. ‘How are you?’

Krum was shrugging out of his thick cloak and draping it across his lap. ‘I am vell.’ He grinned at her, then he noticed he was sat next to the nephew of the King.

‘Ah! The Duke, I hear?’ Krum extended his hand.

Draco smiled and shook the offered hand. ‘Please, just Draco… May I introduce my friends?’ 

Draco walked the Quidditch star through his friends list, and Krum gladly signed autographs for those who asked.

The French students seemed rather disappointed with Hogwarts. The boys from the north, however, seemed amazed. 

Many of them were looking up at the starry black ceiling with expressions of interest; a couple of them were picking up the golden plates and goblets and examining them, apparently impressed.

‘I very much enjoyed our dance at Christmas, Herminny.’ Krum told her.

Hermione ignored the looks on her friends faces and smiled at Krum. ‘So, did I, we’ll have to do it again.’

Further conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the grandest feast Hogwarts had seen in many moons.

‘Vow…’ Said Krum, impressed at the overflowing plates of piping hot delicacies in front of him. ‘Ve have nothing like this. Vat would you recommend?’ He asked Hermione.

Hermione pointed out a few of her favourite dishes, and he sampled some of each of them.

‘Where are you all staying while you’re here?’ Draco asked as they eat.

‘On the ship.’ Krum told him as he ate a sausage stuffed with caramelized onion. 

‘Isn’t that very cold?’ Hermione asked.

Krum shrugged. ‘Ve are used to it. Besides, it is not so cold here as it is at Durmstrang.’ 

Hermione shivered at the idea of any place that could be colder than Scotland in the winter. ‘It’s a shame you won’t be here in summer, you can’t beat a British summer.’

Krum smiled at her. ‘I vill have to visit again.’

Hermione dearly liked Krum, he was a humble and kind man, from what she knew of him. She didn’t like the worried expression on Draco’s face every time they spoke; it was a little bit annoying actually. She always saw him cuddled up with Pansy and never said a word. They weren’t a couple, and he was engaged! She could do as she wished.

The rest of the feast was highly amusing. A beautiful blond Beauxbatons girl had gone to the Gryffindor table to ask for one of their plates of food. The entire hall of boys had stared at her open mouthed as she walked.

‘Honestly, none of you have any self-control.’ Said Blaise, the only boy at the table not effected.

‘Reckon she’s part Veela?’ Draco asked, as his senses returned to him.

Hermione shrugged. There had been a lot of boys staring at the girl and Hermione had to admit, the girl was _rather_ pretty. Even the normally stoic Daphne seemed taken in. 

‘I’m telling you, that’s not a normal girl!’ Theo said, leaning sideways so he could keep a clear view of her. ‘They don’t make them like that at Hogwarts!’

‘Wow.’ Said Tracey with a dry and unimpressed air. ‘With compliments like that it’s a wonder you’re not surrounded by eager girls.’

Krum laughed at Tracey’s wit. ‘Ve have no girls at Durmstrang! Be happy with vat you have!’ He told Theo.

A quick glance at the Gryffindor table showed Blaise was not the only unaffected male. Neville didn’t seem overly bothered, and Harry seemed too busy chatting with Ginny to care that a beautiful girl had just spoken to him. I bet Ginny liked that. Harry barely looking at a beautiful woman just to talk to her.

‘When you’ve all put your eyes back in.’ Hermione said. ‘You’ll be able to see who’s just arrived.’ She gestured at the staff table.

‘Who is this man?’ Krum asked her.

‘That, Victor, is Ludo Bagman and Barty Crouch. They work at the Ministry.’ She told him.

‘What are they doing here?’ Draco grumbled. Hermione had told him all about the events of the World Cup and the sacking of Winky.

‘They organised the Triwizard Tournament.’ Hermione answered.

When dessert arrived, it was Krum’s turn to point out some of his favourites, all of which Hermione sampled. Victor defiantly had a sweet tooth. Hermione would bet her front teeth that the boy would lose his mind over a trip to Honeydukes, and began to tell him about the sweet shop in the neighbouring village. 

Finally, the golden plates were cleared away once the hall of students were overly stuffed.

A hush of excitement fell over the Hall, everyone was wondering what was coming. 

Dumbledore was taking the stand now that the guests were settled and fed.

‘The moment has come.’ He smiled at the sea of upturned faces. ‘The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. Now… before we bring in the casket-’

‘The what?’ Daphne muttered to Hermione, who shrugged.

‘-I want to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. First, I want to introduce, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation.’ 

There was a polite applause.

‘And second.’ Dumbledore said. ‘Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports’

There was a much louder applause for the old Quidditch star, clearly the Ex-Beater had many fans here.

Mr Bagman seemed to enjoy the attention, and acknowledged the cheer with a little jovial wave.

‘Mr Bagman and Mr Crouch have been working tirelessly over the last year to arrange the Triwizard Tournament. They will be joining the three Headmasters to make up the panel that will judge the champions performance.’

At the use of the word “champion” there was a notable shift in the room. Everyone seemed to be sitting a little more alert now. 

Dumbledore smiled at this.

‘The casket then. If you would, please, Mr Filch.’ Dumbledore gestured for the squib to come forth.

Filch had been lurking in a corner of the Hall as usual, but he now approached Dumbledore carrying a great wooden chest that was encrusted with jewels. The chest would look at home inside the royal vault, but Hermione doubted there was a tiara and necklace set inside.

Over at the Gryffindor table, Dennis Creevey actually stood on his chair to get a better look. Hermione saw Snape and McGonagall glaring at the boy.

‘There will be three tasks.’ Dumbledore told the room as the chest was placed before him.

‘They will test each champion in many different ways. Their magical prowess, their daring, their powers of deduction, and their ability to cope with danger.’

Nobody in the Hall seemed to be breathing, the sense of anticipation was too great. Hermione had to give it to her Headmaster, he had a great flair for showmanship.

‘There will be one champion picked from each school, naturally, and they will be ranked on how they perform in each task. The champion with the highest score overall will win the Triwizard Cup… These three champions will be selected by an impartial judge: The Goblet of Fire.’

Dumbledore now took out his wand and tapped three times upon the top of the casket. The lid, rather dramatically, cracked open.

Dumbledore reached in and pulled out a large, wooden cup. It would have been rather a disappointment if it weren’t for the fact it was full to the brim with bright blue fire.

Dumbledore set the aptly named Goblet of Fire down where everyone could see it. ‘Anyone wishing to submit themselves to be considered need only write their name on a scrap of parchment and drop it into the Goblet.’ 

Dumbledore seemed to pause for effect before continuing. ‘Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours to put their names forwards. Tomorrow night, the fifth, the goblet will spit out the names it had judges the most worth from each school.’ 

Hermione looked to her friends. ‘A day isn’t a very long window, is it?’

Dumbledore then continued, answering this question. ‘The first challenge will be at the end of the month, on the twenty-fourth. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all wishing to enter. In the morning it will be moved back to the Great Hall. If you are seventeen, there is no curfew tonight, you may put your name in at any time over the night.’

Then Dumbledore seemed to remember that the Weasley twins existed. ‘To ensure that no underage student gives in to temptation… I will be drawing an age line around the Goblet of Fire. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line without incident.’

Then Dumbledore took a serious turn. ‘Finally, before we are all to bed, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered lightly. Once chosen, there is no going back… Good night to you all, and good luck.’ 

‘Your Headmaster gives a very good speech.’ Victor said as the Hall full of students rose. 

Hermione smiled and nodded. ‘Is your Headmaster not like that?’

Krum shook his head. ‘No, he is all seriousness.’ 

‘Are you going to be entering?’ She asked him as they joined the crowds leaving the Hall.

Krum nodded. ‘Ve all Vill.’ 

In the Entrance Hall the foreign students were all preparing to walk out into the storm. Krum turned to her and bid her a good night before joining his own friends who were being herded by Karkaroff into a line.

Harry and Neville came to stand next to the Slytherins, probably trying to get a better look at Krum.

Karkaroff turned and led his students to the main doors, Hermione, Harry, Neville and Draco stepped aside to give the ground more room.

‘Thank you.’ Karkaroff said carelessly, then he glanced at who he was speaking to.

Karkaroff froze. 

He quickly dropped into a stiff bow at the sight of Draco. ‘Your Grace.’ He said.

His eyes glanced over Hermione while still in his bow, and he greeted her too. ‘Lady Granger.’

He looked at Neville in interest, before coming to settle on Harry.

His eyes were fixed on Harry’s scar. His group of students was staring at the foursome too.

‘Yeah, that’s Harry Potter.’ Growled a voice from behind them.

For the first time, Hermione was thankful to her bonkers Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor.

Karkaroff had spun around at the sound of the new voice to come face to face with Mad-Eye Moody. The colour drained from his face. ‘You!’

‘Me.’ Moody growled. ‘Unless you want to say something to Potter, or the Duke of Abington, you might want to move on... You’re blocking the way.’ 

This was very true, half the students in the Hall had stopped walking by to see what was going on, all of whom were Hogwarts students that were all known for being a bunch of nosy buggers.

Without another word, Karkaroff led his students out into the storm. Moody watched the man until he was far out of sight in the rain before walking off.

Krum waved at Hermione before ducking out into the rain.

‘Hermione’s got a boyfriend.’ Daphne mockingly sunk as she took Hermione’s arm and pulled her down the stairs to their own common room.

Hermione rolled her eyes. ‘Oh please, he’s just a friend.’ 

‘Think he’s got a bit more than friendship on his mind.’ Blaise teased.

Draco remained uncharacteristically silent.

‘Do you reckon Fred and George are still going to try and get their names in?’ Hermione asked, desperate for a subject change.

‘I dunno. Do you reckon an aging potion would fool that age line?’ Theo asker Hermione.

Hermione shook her head. ‘No way. I reckon it’s impossible to get past Dumbledore’s line… You’d have to get someone who actually _is_ of age to put your name in, and you’ve more chance of flying to the moon on your broomstick than that happening.’

Hermione wondered how angry Dumbledore would be if anyone underage did manage to get past his age line. Hermione could probably find a way to get around it if she had more time, but she wasn’t interested in entering at all.

* * *

Since the next day was a Saturday, most students would normally have had a lie in. Not this Saturday though. 

The Great Hall was pretty much full from the earliest possible moment. The Goblet of Fire had been carried up to a stool in front of the teachers table by Dumbledore once the Hall opened for breakfast.

A thin golden line had been placed around the stool that normally bore the sorting hat. Hermione wondered why they couldn’t have placed the legendary cup on something slightly more impressive than an old wooden stool.

‘Anyone put their name in yet?’ The Gryffindor’s joined their friends at the Slytherin table, plus Luna. 

‘All the Durmstrang lot.’ Hermione told Ginny.

‘I haven’t seen anyone from Hogwarts yet.’ Millie told the Gryffindors’. 

‘I reckon a lot of people would have put them in overnight. I wouldn’t want everyone watching me.’ Harry said as he helped himself to a muffin, then passed the muffin plate to Ginny.

‘Imagine if the Goblet just spat your name right back out at you.’ Fred said as he and George joined their younger friends.

Then Hermione saw the excited light behind the twins’ eyes. ‘Oh no.’ She said.

Fred held up a vial. ‘Oh yes.’

‘Cooked it up this morning.’ George told her.

‘It isn’t going to work.’ Hermione told them, but knew there was nothing to stop them.

The boys both took a bite of toast and then washed it down with a swig of their potion each.

‘You don’t look any older.’ Hermione told them after a minute.

‘Well, we didn’t need to get much older. Only a few months.’ Fred told her.

‘We’re going to split the prize money if one of us wins.’ George grinned. 

‘Is Lee not a part of this terrible idea?’ Ginny asked her brothers.

Fred nodded. ‘Yeah, he’s already taken it. He was our Guinea pig.’ 

Hermione sighed. ‘Go on then.’ 

The twins stood up and called Lee Jordan over.

‘Ready?’ Fred asked the other two.

‘Ready!’ Lee and George chorused back.

The three boys each pulled a slip of parchment from their pockets and when every eye was on them, they stepped through the age line. 

The three boys let out a cheerful yell of triumph. For a split-second Hermione thought it had worked, but then, not to her surprise at all, it all went wrong for the three boys.

There was a sizzling sound, and the three boys were hurled out of the golden circle. The three boys landed hard on the ground. They flew a good ten feet before they landed hard on the ground. Then, the Dumbledore-flair became apparent. The three boys all sprouted beautifully long white beards.

The Great Hall filled with laughter. 

‘I did warn you.’ Came a very amused voice from the doorway. It was Dumbledore. ‘Off you go to Madam Pomfrey, she’s already tending Fawcett and Mummers. Though, I must say, neither of their beards is as magnificent as yours.

The three boys, all howling with laughter, left the Great Hall.

The silk banners were still adorning the Hall, and probably would be for the rest of the day.

‘There’s a rumour going around that Warrington got up early and put his name in.’ Blaise told the group.

‘A Slytherin champion would be nice.’ Draco said.

‘Ew. No thanks.’ Ginny teased. 

‘I know Cedric Diggory is putting his name in.’ Hermione told the group. ‘Hufflepuff are all abuzz about it.’

‘I thought he wouldn’t want to risk his good looks.’ Draco said, rolling his eyes.

All of the Durmstrangs’ were sat at the end of the Slytherin table today, with people their own age. But Victor Krum had leaned over his friends to say good morning to Hermione and her friends. 

There were cheers as Angelina Johnson came into the Hall and placed her name into the flames, her cheeks showing her embarrassment at all the attention. She had just turned seventeen a week ago. 

‘Better her than pretty-boy Diggory.’ Theo said.

Hermione snorted. ‘I sit next to Cedric in a lot of classes, and I usually end up duelling him in Flitwick’s club. He could put Angelina on her ass.’

‘I doubt she’d mind.’ Millie muttered, imagining Cedric’s perfectly sculpted face.

Blaise let out a long and rather loud yawn. Unable to resist the temptation, Theo stuck his finger into the open mouth. Blaise gagged and whacked Theo on the shoulder.

‘You tired?’ Draco asked him.

‘No. I’m yawning because I’m pleasantly rested.’ He grumbled sarcastically.

‘Bad dreams?’ Neville teased. Blaise and Neville had become remarkably close over the years, Hermione wondered if Neville considered Harry or Blaise to be his best mate.

‘Err.’ Blaise said as he shrugged. ‘Not bad really. Just weird.’

‘Go on?’ Theo asked, clearly amused.

‘I had a dream Hermione was addicted to Pixie Dust and she kept going through my stuff looking for shit to sell for drug money.’ 

Hermione snorted. ‘Please, if I needed drug money I’d go through Draco’s stuff. It’s worth way more.’

Draco rolled his eyes. ‘You have your own Jewels to sell now, dear.’ He scoffed. ‘They’re worth a pretty penny.’

‘You got the Queen Hattie Collection, right?’ Blaise asked.

Hermione nodded and Blaise whistled.

Hermione frowned, Matilda had told her they were expensive, but perhaps Hermione was still underestimating their value.

‘How much is it all worth?’ She asked Draco.

‘Er…’ His voice went a little squeaky. ‘Well…’ 

‘A fuckton.’ Blaise told her.

‘Well, the earrings are the cheapest part of the set, and they’re worth something like eighty million.’ Draco said.

Hermione’s mouth fell open. ‘Go on?’

‘Then the necklace… That’s about a hundred mil.’ 

Yeah, she’d undervalued the collection.

‘The ring is two-fifty mil.’

Hermione put her head in her hands.

‘The crowns about eight hundred million.’ 

There was momentary silence at the table.

‘Why?’ Hermione asked, raising her head. ‘Why on earth would you give me such an expensive collection?’ 

Pansy, to her credit, didn’t make a single scathing remark at this topic. She seemed rather bored actually, she was sat staring absently out of the window.

Daphne was doing some quick maths. ‘One billion, two hundred and thirty million… Can you elevate me to the Ladyship? I wouldn’t mind a billion quid worth of jewellery.’ 

‘What’s that in Muggle money, Granger?’ Blaise asked curiously. 

Of her friends, only the half-blood Tracey semi-understood Muggle currency.

Maths had never been her favourite subject, she pulled out a sheet of parchment to do the sum.

‘Three billion, seven hundred and six million. Give or take a few pounds.’ She said.

‘Wow.’ Blaise said.

‘You can’t blame me for this one.’ Draco said, with his hands up in mock surrender. ‘I didn’t pick it out. They just gave you a set that nobody wears that isn’t actually a part of the official crown jewels.’ 

Hermione’s head went back down to the table, she’d developed a sudden headache.

This went on until the Daily Prophet arrived. There was a section of the front page dedicated to the ongoing trial of Sirius Black, no new developments. There was a box about the Triwizard Tournament, it seemed Skeeter had tried to guess who might enter for Hogwarts. She’d basically written up a list of all of-age Prefects and somehow put Hermione’s name on the list as her top guess. 

Everyone’s attention, however, was on the Society section.

Matilda’s best friend and Ladies-Maid, Ana, had been captured walking down a street with McNair who was a high-ranking Ministry member. Hermione supposed they must have come into contact as McNair was currently guarding The Duke of Wiltshire.

‘Reckon they’re dating?’ Daphne asked.

‘I doubt it.’ Draco said. ‘McNair’s not exactly a catch, is he?’ 

‘Yeah, and Ana is the Ladies-Maid to the future Queen, she gets a hundred proposals a month.’ Hermione said. 

‘Yeah, but she’s not young anymore.’ Pansy said, joining their conversation again. ‘Neither is Matilda, for that matter.’ She seemed worried she might have offended Draco with this statement, but he just shrugged.

‘I’d like to see someone try and order either of them into matrimony.’ Draco said, clearly amused at the thought.

‘Ana will be considered an Old Maid soon. She’s getting close to her mid-twenties.’ Crabbe said.

Hermione rolled her eyes. ‘You know, lots of Muggle’s don’t get married until they’re nearly thirty. It’s considered really wired to get married as a teenager.’

‘You’re older than my mum was when she got married.’ Draco reminded Hermione.

‘Yeah, but your mum got married insanely young.’ Blaise told Draco.

Draco could only shrug, Narcissa had clearly been ordered to marry Lucius and drop out of school the second she finished her OWLs.

Hermione couldn’t stand the insanity of the world she lived in for a moment longer. ‘I’m going to the library.’ She said before walking off. She’d distract herself by working on her Alchemy essay.

* * *

‘Herminny?’ Came the deep accented voice.

She looked up from her essay and smiled. ‘Hey Victor. Would you like to sit down?’ 

Victor smiled and nodded and took the seat next to her, rather than the one across from her.

‘Vat are you vorking on?’ He asked, leaning to look at her essay.

‘Just my Alchemy essay. It’s on the “As Above, So Below” principle.’ She told him.

Krum nodded, he had absolutely no idea what she was on about. ‘Vat sounds very interesting.’ 

He gestured for her to carry on writing, and she did, she was on a roll. This was the one part of Alchemy she actually understood. Alchemy, unlike all others, was one hundred percent coursework with no exams. Hermione supposed it just wasn’t practical to hold an Alchemy exam, “you have one hour, please create the elixir of life,” didn’t really work.

‘What brings you to the library?’ She asked as he stretched out next to her.

‘Hiding.’ He said without thinking. ‘I mean – er…’ 

Hermione let out a light chuckle. ‘You do have quite the fanbase here.’ 

Krum nodded. ‘I tried to jog the grounds before the morning meal, and they followed me!’ He sulked.

Hermione smiled. ‘Well, nobody will disturb you here. It’s far too early to be in here on a Saturday. Especially this Saturday, everyone’s sat watching the Goblet of Fire… In future try jogging around the lake, less people are up for that one.’ 

‘Thank you Herminny. I vill try that.’ He smiled.

‘What subjects are you studying at Durmstrang?’ She asked as she moved onto her conclusion.

‘Oh, this and that. We do not have the same options as you here… Hogwarts is vonderful.’ 

Hermione smiled. ‘Karkaroff won’t be happy to hear you say that.’ 

Krum rolled his eyes and sighed. ‘Ah Karkaroff, He just vants me for my fame.’ 

Hermione, best friends with the nephew of the King, had seen this kind of behaviour. ‘Draco gets stuff like that all the time. It must suck.’

Krum nodded. ‘All I vant is to play Quidditch.’ 

‘You are very good. I loved watching you fly in the World Cup.’ She told him as she finished her final line on her essay.

She bound the scroll up and tucked it away in her bag. 

‘Vould you like to take a valk? I could show you the ship we came in?’ He asked.

Hermione smiled and they stood, he offered his arm and she took it. It was drizzling slightly so Hermione conjured an umbrella and they both hid under it from the rain.

* * *

Hermione went and found her friends again for lunch.

‘I heard Krum took you on the Durmstrang ship?’ Daphne said as she sat down, nudging her in the side. ‘What happened? Did he kiss you?’

Hermione felt Draco stiffen besides her.

‘No!’ Hermione protested. ‘He gave me a tour of the ship and told me all how it works and they we walked back up for lunch.’ 

Daphne deflated next to her. ‘I’m meant to be living vicariously through you! Can’t you go off and do something scandalous?’

Hermione rolled her eyes. ‘My apologies. Next time I’ll suck him off in front of the whole school.’ She retorted; her voice heavy with sarcasm.

Daphne smiled. ‘Much obliged.’

Then Hermione noticed what Daphne was doing. ‘What are you drawing there?’ She asked, leaning to get a better look at her sketchbook.

‘Hmm?’ Daphne had been looking ahead since Hermione sat down, yet her hands were still furiously scribbling in the book.

‘Daphne? You’re not even looking at what you’re doing?’ Draco said, noticing this oddity too.

‘Hmmm? Oh.’ Daphne looked down at the book as if seeing it for the first time. She looked at what she’s drawn with a look of horror. Hermione took the book from her friend to get a proper look.

‘It’s that knife! You’ve drawn it before.’ Hermione recognised the golden blade.

‘I have?’ Daphne raised a brow.

‘Yeah it was the first thing you drew in here; look I’ll show you.’ Hermione began flicking through the pages.

She grew paler with each page she turned.

‘Daphne?’ She said in a high voice. ‘I think we need a teacher.’

‘Why?’ Daphne frowned, as did Draco.

‘Daphne… That knife… it’s_ all_ you’re drawing. But it’s getting worse.’ Hermione showed the book to Daphne. It was as if Daphne had never seen her own drawings.

The first pages showed the beautiful detail of the golden knife but the pages became darker and darker until the most recent pages, where it lay in a pool of scarlet blood.

* * *

* * *

Forgive my lack of editing. Ao3 is back to hating me. CRASHED FOUR TIMES ON ME!

Is there any greater merriment that sticking your fingers in your mate’s mouths when they yawn when you’re younger? 

Also, if you want a proper idea of what English boys are like – saying you want a charming English boyfriend – you should watch the Inbetweeners UK. Because that will shatter the illusion. May I also recommend Russel Howard, Micky Flannigan, or the IT crowd if you want a good selection of proper (by which I mean my favourite) British comedy.

If you’re wondering why I changed the date from October to November when the other schools arrived, it’s because I made a booboo in planning. Nicholas was born in very early November and I accidentally put it in the last chapter because I’m dumb.

Part two soon. 

What do you all think is going of with Daphne? 

E x


	70. The Goblet of Fire - Part Two

McGonagall flicked through the drawings again before handing the sketchbook back to Snape.

‘And she wasn’t looking as she drew?’ Snape asked the small group.

‘No. It was a bit frantic really.’ Hermione told the two teachers.

Draco and Hermione had taken Daphne and her book of drawings before the two teachers at once. 

‘What do you think it is?’ Hermione asked.

Daphne was sat with her head in her hands, she felt a little sick.

‘Honestly? I have never heard of anything like this.’ McGonagall admitted. 

‘I’ll have a look through my books, this sounds vaguely familiar to me but I can’t place it.’ Snape said.

‘But it’s not normal.’ Daphne said quietly.

‘No. It’s not normal.’ Snape told her, oddly gently for him.

‘Am I going crazy?’ She asked quietly.

‘I don’t think so.’ Snape said. ‘Let me look into it, and I’ll get back to you.’ 

‘Should we try and find the knife?’ Daphne asked.

‘What knife?’ McGonagall asked.

‘The one I’ve been drawing! I have a really bad feeling about it…’ She trailed off awkwardly.

As she said this, a light went off in Snape’s mind, but he wanted to confirm he was correct first. ‘We’ll order a search of all student dorms for it. The House Elves can do it during the selection feast tonight.’

McGonagall gave her fellow Professor an odd look, but didn’t protest the idea. 

Daphne nodded. ‘Thank you.’ 

‘Off you go.’ McGonagall told the trio. 

They rose to leave Snape’s office. 

‘Remember our four o’clock appointment Granger.’ Snape said to her and she nodded, she hadn’t forgotten.

‘What’s that for?’ Daphne asked Hermione as they left.

‘He’s teaching me to read minds.’ Hermione said lightly, as if it was a joke, though it wasn’t.

They re-joined their friends, still at the lunch table. 

Millie had her nose buried in her own sketchbook, marking up the latest designs to rock the fashion world no doubt.

‘What’s going on then?’ Blaise and Neville asked at the same time.

Daphne shrugged. ‘Snape’s going to look into it. He doesn’t think I’m losing the plot, so that’s something.’

Neville yawned loudly and put his head back down on the table, he’d appeared to be mid-nap when they had come back into the Hall.

‘Why’s he so tired?’ Theo asked. 

Poor Neville had been in a daze all day, barely able to keep his eyes open.

‘Downside of that cool Wolfblood power he has.’ Hermione told them. ‘No moon days.’

‘No moon days?’ Blaise looked up from looking at one of his best friends in worry. He’d been worrying that Neville might be anaemic.

Hermione nodded. ‘Yeah. Opposite of a full moon. No moon in the sky for him to draw power from. He loses all those extra abilities and feels super weak. I found a book about it; I’ll lend it to you.’

* * *

‘The Dark Lord is highly skilled at Legilimency – as are several of his highest-ranking Death Eaters.’

She and Snape were down in his private brewing rooms, it was time for her first lesson. The darkening of his Dark Mark had spurned on the need for these lessons, as opposed to starting after Christmas as originally planned.

‘But the mind is not a book, to be opened at will and examined at his leisure. The mind is a many-layered thing.’

‘Like an onion.’ Hermione nodded along.

Snape raised a brow and thought for a minute, then sighed and nodded. ‘An annoyingly good likeness. Yes, like an onion. The mind has layers.’ 

Hermione couldn’t help her smile.

‘Not everyone can learn this skill, but you’re you so…’ He trailed off. ‘I’d be shocked if you can’t manage it.’

_No pressure there then_. She thought to herself.

‘This can be a handy skill, not to mention life-saving. The Dark Lord, for example, almost always knows when someone is lying to him.’ Snape told her.

Hermione frowned. ‘How did you do it then? You were a spy against him for so long?’

The corner of Snape’s mouth turned up in a small grin, then he smoothed his face back into its usual mask of indifference. ‘The trick is not to lie at all. Tell half-truths instead of lies. “No, I don’t know where he is right now” because you can’t know a hundred per-cent that he isn’t currently in the safe house.’

Hermione nodded. 

‘Or… Just be a very good liar.’ 

Hermione rolled her eyes.

‘I’ve only ever seen one person look into the eyes of the Dark Lord and lie successfully.’ Snape mused; his eyes had focused off in the distance.

‘And who’s that?’ Hermione asked.

Snape seemed to snap back to reality. ‘Marlene McKinnon, right before she died. Quite impressive really… Anyway, those who have mastered Legilimency are able to delve into the minds of their victims. Only those trained in Occlumency are able to close off certain emotions and memories… but we’ll get to that.’

He gestured for her to stand; she’d been leaning on his desk. 

‘Wand out.’ He said. ‘I want you to try and fight me off.’

Hermione felt suddenly nervous, having someone dig around in her memories wasn’t how she pictured spending her Saturday.

‘You may use your wand to try and disarm me, or defend yourself in any manner you can think of.’ He told her.

Hermione nodded and readied herself, they’d been through all of the instruction, she was picturing brick walls around her memories and thoughts.

‘Moody said you did a good job at resisting the Imperius Curse-’

‘-Super illegal, but go on.’ She couldn’t help the interruption. 

Snape continued, ignoring her outburst. ‘Similar powers and strength are needed for this. Ready?’

Hermione nodded and took a deep breath.

‘Legilimens!’ Snape struck harshly; he was never one to go easy on anyone.

Her brick wall crumbled at once, the office swam in front of her eyes before vanishing in a fog. Other images began to stir. She was sitting on her father’s knee as they watched the news break about the Chernobyl disaster… she was in Mexico swimming with her mother amongst colourful fish… she was five, and dropped a book, flung her hands out only for it to levitate back into her hands… She was sitting under the Sorting Hat, hearing it declare her for House Slytherin… She was rounding a corner with a mirror in her hand next to Penelope Clearwater, meeting the great yellow eye…

‘No!’ She didn’t want to see that again. 

Snape’s office came back into view and Hermione realised she was on the floor with an ache in her knees. She’d thrown herself to the ground.

She looked up, already exhausted, at Snape. 

‘I’d have been amazed if you got it the first time.’ He told her. ‘You must strengthen your walls, imagine them keeping your mind safe like a fortress.’

Hermione began picturing the exact bricks her London house was built from, seeking comfort and familiarity in the image.

‘Did you see everything I saw?’ Hermione asked as he helped her up.

‘Flashes. Where was the beach?’ He asked.

‘Mexico.’ 

Snape nodded. ‘Not as bad as it could have been for a first try. Let’s go again.’ 

_Not as bad as it could have been_, high praise from her mentor. She amused herself with the thought as she built her brick walls around the castle of her mind.

‘Clear your mind… Let all emotion flow away from you…’ 

Hermione nodded and took a deep breath, trying her best to clear her mind. Not as easy as one might think for a hormonal teenage girl.

‘Repel me with your mind, let me see only what you wish. Use your brain and you won’t need your wand.’ Snape was telling her again. ‘Ready?’

Hermione nodded her permission and Snape pointed his wand at her again. She focused hard on her walls.

Snape had to apply more pressure to get through the walls this time, but he still got through. She was a wolf, being swiped at by a Werewolf, a sharp pain in her side… Montague was leaning in to kiss her… Draco was taking her down to the Royal Vault, a great Dragon guarding the way… The Dark creature was advancing on her in the clearing…

‘No!’ She threw the teacher out of her mind again. 

The office came back into vision. She hadn’t fallen this time. No, this time, she’d blasted Snape off his feet. He was pulling himself up from ten feet away.

‘Sorry!’ She said quickly.

He waved her off. ‘Did you mean to produce a Shield Charm?’ 

‘No.’ She muttered.

He nodded. ‘Thought not. You let me get in too far.’ 

Hermione let out a frustrated sigh. ‘It’s not exactly easy.’

Snape actually smiled. ‘I know. Try picturing different walls around your mind. It’s all trial and error, I’m afraid. But you did throw me out faster that time.’

‘Only because I blasted you across the room.’ She grumbled.

She imagined the stone of Hogwarts instead guarding her mind. 

Snape pointed his wand at her again. Hermione could feel the sharp pressure attacking the walls, it took him a long while now, but he eventually found a crack and ripped her walls down.

Hogwarts was looming across the Black Lake… She was watching a Shakespeare play with her parents… The trees were on fire around her as the blood dripped down her hand, the sweet voice of a Goddess in her ear warning her of the Monster of the Chamber of Secrets… She visited her Grandfather in hospital…

It took effort, but she managed to throw him out. 

She fell to the ground panting.

‘Very good.’ Snape nodded. ‘You need stronger walls still.’

Hermione nodded.

‘What happened to your Grandfather?’ He asked.

‘Stroke.’ She said. 

Snape helped her to her feet once again, she had a sheen of sweat across her forehead now.

‘You’re making a good effort.’ Snape told her. ‘Try out different walls again, picture something strong and utterly impenetrable.’ 

The walls of Regia formed around her thoughts. 

Snape pointed his wand at her again.

She could feel the pressure of his attack, but the castle walls held firm and kept her thoughts safe from invaders.

The pressure vanished from her mind at last and she fell forwards again.

‘Very good!’ Snape commended. ‘I got the barest hint of any emotion.’ 

Hermione dragged herself up from the floor before he could offer his hand. ‘Ta.’ She said. She had a horrible headache.

‘That’s enough for today. Help yourself to a Pepper-Up Potion.’ He said. 

She thanked him and dipped into the storeroom, a quick gulp later and she felt brand new. 

‘It is important to hide your emotions as much as you can.’ Snape told her as they packed up. ‘Fools who wear their hearts on their sleeves and cannot control their emotions will be easy prey for the Dark Lord… You’re already restrained and reserved, this is good. It will help.’ 

Hermione wouldn’t say she was reserved at all, though she supposed that having to repress her feelings for Draco over the years must have been like training for the mind. At least there was one benefit to all this mess.

Snape had set her homework, naturally. She was to imagine her walls at all times, constant practice… constant vigilance. 

She found Draco, Harry, and Ginny all in the Great Hall watching students toss their names into the Goblet.

‘What now?’ She asked, sitting next to them. 

They still had a few hours before dinner. 

‘We could go and visit Hagrid?’ Harry offered.

‘Okay. Just as long as I don’t have to meet the famous “skrewts”. I don’t fancy getting burned.’ Hermione said.

‘Oh look!’ Ginny suddenly said.

The French students had finally arrived to put their names into the cup.

Draco determinedly didn’t look at the group in blue. ‘Let’s get out of here before I see that bloody Veela.’ 

Hermione and Ginny chuckled as both boys quite literally shielded their eyes to avoid looking at the girl. 

‘Honestly.’ Hermione rolled her eyes as she and Ginny pulled the two boys out of the Great Hall.

‘What do you think happens to the ones that aren’t chosen?’ Ginny asked. ‘From the foreign schools.’ She clarified.

Harry shrugged. ‘Maybe they’ll go back home.’

Draco shook his head. ‘Nah. They’ll stay. For support and all that.’

As they stepped outside and began the walk to Hagrid’s hut, Hermione pointed out the Durmstrang ship in the distance and explained how it submerged underwater. Krum had shown his intelligence during his perfect explanation of the complex magic involved. 

Then they saw the gigantic powder-blue carriage in which the Beauxbatons’ must have arrived in, it bore their school arms on the doorway. It was parked not five hundred yards from Hagrid’s front door. There were gigantic winged horses, much bigger than those Draco owned, grazing in a nearby paddock. 

Harry raised a fist and banged on Hagrid’s front door. Fang’s barks were an instant reply.

They heard Hagrid shushing his beloved companion before he came to the door.

‘Hi Hagrid!’ The foursome chorused. Then they all froze.

Hagrid was wearing his best, and simultaneously worst, suit. It was made of brown hair; he’d teamed this monstrosity with a checked yellow-and-orange tie. 

He’d also tried to tame his hair. 

That wasn’t what they’d all frozen at though. The man had clearly tried taming his hair, by dumping what looked like grease into it. He’d tried to sleek his hair back. It really didn’t suit him at all.

The group sat down at the table while Hagrid put on a pot of tea and told them all how his Skrewts had begun to unfortunately kill one another.

Soon, they were immersed in the conversation of the imminent reveal of the Triwizard Champions. 

Hagrid seemed quite gleeful. ‘Just you wait. Yer going ter see some stuff you’ve never seen before!’

Hagrid had offered them some of his rock cakes, but they’d all gotten out of that one thankfully by telling them they didn’t want to ruin their appetites so soon before dinner.

By five o’clock, it was growing dark.

‘Just an hour to go!’ Hagrid said in excitement.

‘Yeah, we should get back to the castle. I need to put my sword away before the feast.’ Draco said, gesturing to the sword belt at his hip. It made him feel deeply uncomfortable to be without the magical sword now, it felt like he’d lopped off a part of his arm if he was without it for any length of time. So, he’d taken to going around with the sword and nobody was yet to question it.

‘I’ll come up with yeh. See if there’s any settin’ up needs doing.’ Hagrid stood.

Then he went to a chest of drawers and opened a bottle. A really horrible smell reached them.

Hermione and Ginny both coughed loudly, their eyes watered at the strength of it. Draco and Harry both covered their nose and mouth with their hands. 

‘Dear Vutris! What is that?’ Ginny gasped.

‘Don’t you like it?’ Hagrid asked, looking put out.

The group shook their heads.

Hagrid blushed. ‘Maybe it is a bit much.’ He said gruffly. 

‘You just put too much on is all.’ Hermione told him.

Hagrid nodded, ‘I’ll go scrub some off. Hang on.’ He walked out the door and through the window they saw him scrubbing vigorously in a barrel of water outside.

‘Anyone else think he’s acting odd?’ Draco whispered.

‘Look!’ Ginny pointed. 

Hagrid had suddenly straightened up. Hermione looked off out the far left window and saw that the French school was walking up to the school.

Hagrid seemed to be speaking to Madam Maxime, then, he walked off up to the school with the French.

‘He’s going up to the castle with her!’ Ginny giggled.

‘I thought we were all walking up together?’ Harry frowned. 

Hermione and Ginny shared a look. Boys. They were both thinking. So clueless. 

‘He fancies her ninny.’ Ginny told Harry, who frowned at the idea. 

‘Ew.’ He muttered. 

Draco nodded at Harry’s statement. ‘If they end up having kids’ they’ll set a world record.’ 

The group let themselves out of the cabin to walk up to the castle. They made their way to the Great Hall together. 

Draco checked his pocket watch, he still had twenty minutes.

‘I’m just going to nip down and dump my sword.’ He said to Hermione, who nodded and walked off to the Slytherin table to join Millie and Tracey who were the first of their friends to arrive.

Draco set off for his common room, he’d drag the rest of their friends up with him. Or he would have, if he hadn’t passed them on the stairs. ‘I’ll only be a minute. Go ahead.’ He told them, when Blaise and Theo had offered to wait for him.

He almost walked right past Daphne, sat on the arm of an armchair in the common room. 

It was odd, the second he had walked in to the room her head has snapped round. But she wasn’t looking at him, her eyes were fixed on the jewel in his sword.

‘Daph? Daph!’ Draco said loudly.

Daphne seemed to snap out of it. ‘Sorry, what were you saying?’ She straightened herself up as she stood from her perch.

‘Are you alright?’ Draco asked with a frown, stepping closer to his oldest friend.

‘Hmm, yeah sorry. Come on, feast won’t eat itself.’ Daphne said lightly, beginning to walk away from him.

‘Daph, you’re crying.’ He said quietly.

And she was, tears were streaming down her cheeks.

Daphne, in shock, wiped a tear from her cheek and stared at the moisture on her finger. 

‘Are you okay?’ Draco asked again, coming to put a comforting hand on her arm.

‘No. I’m sad. I’m really sad. Why am I so sad?’ She asked him, looking up into his eyes. Draco had never seen her so confused.

Draco didn’t know what to do, he settled on distracting her. ‘Let’s go and enjoy the feast, that ought to perk you up a bit. Okay pal?’

Daphne nodded and wiped furiously at the tears rolling down her cheeks.

Now that she was aware of it, she managed to stop the tears.

‘Let me just go chuck Excalibur under my bed and we’ll go?’ He said.

He really was in and out of his bedroom, he raked a nervous hand through his hair as he hurried back up the stairs. What was wrong with his dear friend, first the manic drawing of a bloody knife and now this. He put it all from his mind and offered her his arm with a smile.

They didn’t make it to the Great Hall.

‘Miss Greengrass?’ Snape called to her before they could walk in and join their friends.

‘Sir?’ She asked, letting go of Draco’s arm.

‘A word?’ He asked. His voice was unusually strained. 

Daphne disappeared down the corridor with her head of house, she did not reappear.

Draco told Hermione what had transpired as he sat down next to her. They could worry together.

Draco had been one of the last to enter. 

The candlelit Great Hall was full, heaving even. The Goblet of fire had been moved; it was now standing in front of Dumbledore’s empty chair at the teachers’ table. 

Fred and George, now sans beards, could be heard laughing over at the Gryffindor table. Neville, the poor sod was still without the power of the moon, was asleep with his head on the table.

A Werewolf could be easy pickings like this, Hermione had realised during her research. The no moon effect was a rarely documented occurrence, she’d only read about it in a book in Hufflepuff’s secret library. She supposed nobody ever bothered to interview a werewolf, or perhaps the werewolves didn’t want to reveal a weakness to be exploited. 

Hermione was snapped out of her thoughts as the Durmstrangs’ stepped into the room. They all sat at the far end of the Slytherin table, not mingling with the English at all. Though, Krum did lean forwards to wave at Hermione again. 

The food arrived and was very grand, though it was a struggle to eat. Perhaps because it was their second feast in two days, or the worry for their friend, Hermione and Draco didn’t seem to fancy the extravagantly prepared food as much as they would have normally.

Hermione was going to end up with a stiff neck as were her friends, by the amount of times they were craning their necks to see whether Dumbledore had finished eating yet. 

Everyone was ready for the plates to clear, Hermione doubted anyone in the history of the school had ever inhaled a feast in such record time. Desert had been only a five-minute affair.

At long last, the golden plates returned to their usual spotless state and the crowd fell silent as Dumbledore slowly stood.

Dumbledore took the stand, flanked either side by the other two Headmasters. Ludo Bagman kept winking at students, particularly the French girls. Mr Crouch was managing to look utterly uninterested at such a stand out event.

‘Well.’ Dumbledore said cheerfully. ‘I dare say the Goblet is ready to make its decision.’ He leaned forwards to examine the blue flames for a moment. ‘I’d wager it requires only a final minute.’ 

The tension in the hall was unbearable. Even Hermione, who thought all of this was needlessly reckless, was sat on the edge of her seat.

‘Now – if I call your name, that is – if I declare you to be your schools Champion, I would ask that you please come to the top of the hall. You will walk along the staff table here, and go through to the next chamber where you will receive your first instruction.’ Dumbledore gestured at the door in question, presumably for their foreign visitors' benefit. 

Hermione cast her eyes down the table at the older students. She momentarily caught Krum’s eye and displayed her crossed fingers for him, which made him smile and wink at her. Krum had told her on their walk that he wanted to be named Champion so he could prove himself as more than a mindless Quidditch player.

Dumbledore pulled his long wand out of the sleeve of his robe and gave a very dramatic sweeping wave across the Hall. The flames around the room all dimmed. Hermione rolled her eyes; he really did have a flair for the dramatic.

Once they were in a state of semidarkness, the Goblet of Fire shone brighter than anything else in the room. Even the stars on the ceiling were dimmer than this brilliant artefact. The brilliant blue flame was almost painful to look at, but everyone persevered, nobody wanted to miss a single second.

‘Any second now.’ Montague whispered to his friend, a little way down the table from Hermione.

He wasn’t wrong. The flames inside the Goblet turned an explosive red and sparks began to fly from it. There were gasps around the Hall.

Then, suddenly, a tongue of flame shot into the air. The Goblet had spat out a very charred piece of parchment. Dumbledore easily caught the parchment and held it up to the flames in order to read the name.

The flames of the cup turned blue again.

‘The Durmstrang champion…’ Dumbledore paused, letting the delicious sense of anticipation build. ‘… is Victor Krum!’ 

Hermione cheered for her friend as he stood, as did the rest of the hall. Krum patted the boy on his right on the back and shook the hand of another across the table from him as he stood. He began to trudge up the Hall, he winked at Hermione as he walked by and she couldn’t help but blush.

‘No surprise with that one.’ Blaise said as he clapped.

No, there was no surprise. None of the other Durmstrang boys seemed remotely shocked or disappointed that their names hadn’t come out of that cup.

Victor did as Dumbledore had ordered. He shook hands with each Headmaster, then walked along the staff table and through to the next chamber.

Once he was gone into the next room, the flames turned red again. 

Another piece of parchment shot out of the flames and into Dumbledore’s ready hands. 

‘The champion for Beauxbatons… is Fleur Delacour!’ 

Delacour? Hermione knew that name… Mabel Delacour! Hermione’s French friend, with whom she had a semi-regular correspondence with their shared interest of art, must be married to one of Fleur’s uncles! She could ask Mabel if the blond currently making her way up the hall was a Veela or not.

Then Millie snorted. ‘They’re not exactly being supportive, are they?’ She nodded at the other French students on the end of the Ravenclaw table.

Two girls, who Hermione thought were Fleur’s friends since they had been sat either side of her, had burst out crying and were sobbing with their heads on their arms. 

Fleur shook the hands of the three Headmasters, then followed the same pathway Krum had taken. She was bathed in the once again blue light from the Goblet of Fire as she walked.

Silence fell once she had left the room and the Goblet of fire turned red once again. This was the big one… the Hogwarts Champion…

Sparks showered out of the Goblet before the tongue of flame shot high into the air. The final piece of parchment seemed more charred than the other two. Dumbledore read the name from the flames as they turned blue again.

‘The Hogwarts champions…. is… Cedric Diggory!’ 

The uproar from the Hufflepuff table was deafening. Every single one of them had jumped to their feet and were screaming and stamping. 

Cedric was pulled into several hugs and high fives as he walked along his table. He’d looked around the eye and made brief eye contact with Hermione, who had dragged all of her friends to their feet to cheer as well, and she gave him a nice thumbs up. 

That’s two friends she had competing now. She wouldn’t be able to put any bets on then… unless she just bet the French Veela would lose…

Cedric had shaken the hands of the three Headteachers, Dumbledore had clapped him on the back, and he had disappeared along the staff table and through to the next chamber. 

The Hufflepuff’s took a long while to stop cheering, it was rare they got any recognition, Hermione supposed. They deserved their moment in the sun.

It was some time before Dumbledore could make himself heard again.

‘Wonderful!’ Dumbledore called happily as the final Hufflepuff’s, Cedric’s mates, sat down. ‘Well, now we have our three champions. I am sure I can count on all of you to give your schools champion every ounce of support you can muster.’

Dumbledore wondered for a moment why all of the crowd was suddenly frowning at him. Then he met Hermione’s eye and followed it round, the Goblet of Fire had turned red again.

Sparks were flying out of it once again. An incredibly bright and long flame shot out of the cup bearing another piece of parchment. 

Automatically, Dumbledore grabbed it and read the name in the torchlight. He stood frowning at the parchment for a moment.

Everyone stared at Dumbledore. Dumbledore stared at the parchment. 

Then he looked up. 

He didn’t shout this name as he had the others, he spoke normally. But nobody had any trouble hearing.

‘Harry Potter.’

Hermione snapped her head round to the Gryffindor table. Neville had been awoken by the Hufflepuff’s cheers for Cedric, and was staring at the boy sat next to him open-mouthed.

Harry looked pale, clearly just as surprised as the rest of them were. 

There was no applause. 

Harry shook his head.

Then the Hall seemed to explode. People began to stand on their chairs to get a better look at Harry, everyone was talking to their friends. The Hufflepuff’s all seemed to be arguing loudly at anyone who would listen. 

Harry just sat there in shock shaking his head. 

McGonagall had gotten to her feet and swept past the two Ministry men; Mr crouch finally looked interested in what was going on. She ignored the other two Headmasters to go straight to Dumbledore’s side and began hissing in his ear. 

Dumbledore listened to her, then shook his head.

Harry was looking at Ginny sat next to him. Hermione saw him mouth “no” at the redhead.

Then his eyes swept through the hall, as if looking for answers. 

Through a gap in the many interested students, Harry came to look desperately at Hermione. 

He gave her a look of pure panic; Hermione could only return that look with her own expression of confusion. 

‘Harry Potter!’ Dumbledore called in a steady voice. ‘Up here please.’ 

Hermione saw Ginny nudge Harry, and he rose shakily to his feet. 

Hermione thought a little calmer, Dumbledore would sort this nonsense out. Clearly this was some prank gone wrong… she hoped.

Every eye in the Hall was on her friend as he made the long walk up to the teachers table.

Dumbledore stopped in front of Dumbledore. Clearly his mind had been aligned with Hermione’s, he was looking to Dumbledore for an answer and further instruction.

But then Dumbledore shocked them both thoroughly. ‘Through you go then.’ He gestured at the door at the end of the staff table.

‘You’re all dismissed!’ Dumbledore said calmly to the rest of the students. 

‘Holy Vutris. I didn’t see that coming.’ Blaise said as they joined the crowds leaving the Hall as all the adults turned and walked after Harry.

The common room was abuzz for quite some time, it was almost an hour later that Snape entered.

‘Potter has to compete. Our school has two champions.’ Snape announced to those still awake.

‘Isn’t he going to get punished?’ A third year asked.

‘No, Johnson, he isn’t. We don’t think Potter put his own name in.’ Snape told them. 

Snape refused to talk on the subject any more, instead, he called Hermione and Draco over to him.

‘Is Harry alright, sir?’ Hermione asked once they were stood in the corridor.

‘That’s not why I wanted you both. It’s about Miss Greengrass… Daphne.’ Snape said.

‘Is she okay? Why did you take her away before the feast?’ Draco asked.

Snape looked deeply uncomfortable and quite upset if Hermione was being observant, which she was. Hermione suddenly knew what he was about to say, and she felt incredibly sick.

‘The News came from Greengrass Manor just before the feast. Astoria Greengrass is dead.’

* * *

* * *

70 Chapters! Wow! And we’re not even halfway to being done!

I hope you've all enjoyed four updates in four days, I'm giving myself tomorrow off.

E x


	71. The First Date

The entire school was walking into the Great Hall in full uniform, despite it being a Sunday.

‘So, Dumbledore was calm?’ Hermione asked Harry as they joined the queues in the entrance hall.

‘Yeah? He just really calmly asked if I put my name in the Goblet of Fire and I said I didn’t.’ Harry told her.

‘Well, Karkaroff and Maxime weren’t very happy. But Crouch said there wasn’t anything that could be done… Karkaroff threatened to leave and said he was going to complain to the Ministry.’ Harry told her.

Hermione raised a brow as they shuffled forwards with the crowd. ‘What did Dumbledore say to that?’ Hermione had noted that Durmstrangs’ were still here this morning.

‘Moody came in, he said Karkaroff could complain to the King if he wanted, there wasn’t anything to be done for it. Then Moody went on about thinking like a Dark Wizard and that someone who wants me dead probably put my name in. So that was great to hear.’ Harry said dryly.

‘Dumbledore won’t let you get hurt.’ Hermione said firmly. The _“neither will I,”_ went unspoken. ‘What happened next?’ 

‘He started telling us about the first task – I’ll tell you after.’ Harry said, they had been pulled apart to their respective tables.

The Great Hall wasn’t decorated brightly today, and the visiting schools wouldn’t be joining them for this assembly. There were black drapes on the wall behind the teachers table, the Hogwarts symbol looked very gloomy in black. They were hanging as a mark of respect to Astoria. This assembly was for her.

Hermione and her friends took their usual places at the Slytherin table, slightly to her right were Astoria’s friends. They were all devastated.

Professor Dumbledore stood up behind the staff table to take his stand. The noise in the Great Hall ended, all chatter now ceased.

Hermione had never had an assembly on a Sunday, she suspected no student in the room had. 

The tables were empty of plates but they did have a single goblet each, the older students all had alcohol in and the younger students had water. Hermione had used her pull with the older students she took class with to get goblets of alcohol for her group.

The headmaster paused, his eyes scanned the Slytherin table and landed compassionately on Astoria’s friends. Their little group looked odd without the blonde.

The Slytherin table had been the least chatty before he had stood, they were all mourning.

‘Today we acknowledge the loss of a very fine person. A dear friend to many who should be sitting before me now.’ He waved his hand at the empty seat on the Slytherin table.

‘Astoria Greengrass has passed from this world. In the end, death came as a friend.’

Many in Astoria’s year were now in tears, even the boys. On her right, Draco was wiping at his eyes. Daphne was Draco’s oldest friend; he had known Astoria his entire life as a result.

‘A very dear, sweet girl, who was a friend to many in this hall. Her absence will be felt by many.’ Dumbledore continued.

Then he turned and picked up his goblet, the other teachers picked up theirs and stood. The students of the hall followed suit, standing with their goblets.

‘I would like us to toast the memory of Astoria Greengrass.’ Dumbledore said.

‘Astoria.’ The Hall echoed back to their Headmaster as they raised their goblets. 

Everyone took their seats again.

‘Astoria exemplified many qualities of all the houses. She was driven, determined, and realistic – as all Slytherins’ are. But she was also kind, patient, hardworking, clever, witty, and she was very brave.’

Tears began to stream down Hermione’s face. She and Draco had their hands tightly clasped under the table.

‘A blood curse took our dear Astoria. Let this be a lesson to all not to let our anger punish the years to come.’

Hermione wasn’t quite sure if a memorial assembly was the right place to preach morals. 

‘There’s no sickness, toil, or danger.   
Holy Triad call me home.   
I may rest my weary head,   
In the bosom of my Gods.’ 

Dumbledore spoke this verse and then bowed his head.

This was a line from “The Kings Lament.” The funeral speech given at the funeral of all Kings. Those four lines were said at all funerals now for Wizards and Witches.

Everyone in the Hall bowed their heads for a minute’s silence and remembrance. 

‘Remember Astoria. Remember her determination, her kindness, her intellect, her bravery. There may a time when all of us are facing down our maker, we must hope to have Astoria’s fine qualities.’

They were dismissed from the Hall table by table. The Slytherins’, as they were the chief mourners, led the procession of students from the Hall.

‘You okay?’ Hermione asked Draco, rubbing his shoulder.

He nodded. ‘Yeah. I’m gonna go take a walk.’ He seemed a little bit dazed. 

‘Do you want some company?’ She asked.

He shook his head. ‘I won’t be long. I’ll come find you later.’ 

Hermione nodded and Draco left through the main doors.

Harry came up to Hermione, ‘you alright?’ He asked.

She nodded and took a deep breath; she cleared her mind. ‘Right… tell me about this first task.’ 

She and Harry walked away from the rest of the crowd, towards the library. Bagman said the first test is to test our daring. They didn’t tell us what it is. Just that it takes place on the twenty-fourth like Dumbledore said.’

‘Anything else?’ She asked, she had been hoping for more to work with.

‘Just that we’re not allowed to ask for help from our teachers. I’m only allowed to face the challenge with my wand... And that I’d get the information for the second test at the end of the first… Oh! And I don’t have to do any end of year tests! None of us do!’ 

Hermione rolled her eyes; Harry would forget he was facing down three deadly challenges the second he’s told he doesn’t have to sit any exams.

‘Have you spoken to Daphne?’ Harry asked as they walked into the library.

Hermione nodded. ‘I sent her a letter this morning. I doubt she’ll have time to reply, she’ll be with her family.’ 

‘Do you know when she’ll be back?’

She shrugged. ‘Snape said she’d probably come back after Christmas.’ 

Harry nodded. ‘Times like this I’m happy I’m an only child.’ 

Hermione could only agree. 

‘Sometimes I wonder though, if my parents had lived…’ Harry trailed off. ‘Why don’t you have any siblings?’

‘Oh. My parents really struggled to have me apparently.’ Hermione told him.

‘Well, my parents were twenty when they had me so I think I was an accident. A happy accident.’ Harry smiled.

Hermione smiled too. ‘You forget, that’s a completely normal age to pop one out in this world. Most girls have a kid by the time they’re twenty.’ 

Harry shuddered. ‘Nope. No thanks. I’ll be thirty before I have any kids.’ 

‘You never know.’ Hermione teased, nudging his side. 

He batted her away lightly. ‘Right. Where are we starting?’

Hermione disappeared for a moment and reappeared with a large tome. She slammed the heavy book down in front of him. ‘I thought we’d start with basic duelling.’

* * *

‘Is anyone giving you grief for your name getting called?’ Draco asked Harry the next day over breakfast. 

Harry and Ginny were both at the Slytherin table. Apparently the Slytherin table had the best toast.

Harry shook his head. ‘A few people have asked me how I got my name in. I don’t think Cedric believes I didn’t do it.’

‘I’ll have a word.’ Hermione said before biting into her toast.

‘He’s not been mean or anything!’ Harry insisted quickly.

Hermione shrugged as she swallowed. ‘I’ll still let him know you had zero ability to put your name in. No offence.’

‘None taken.’ He said.

‘So, the Hufflepuff’s are giving you a bit of stick then?’ Draco said.

Harry shrugged.

‘Can you blame them?’ Ginny said. ‘They never get any spotlight and the second they do a Gryffindor swoops in to steal their glory.’ 

There were some musings of agreement. 

Then Harry looked over Hermione’s shoulder at the Gryffindor table. ‘That doesn’t bode well.’ 

The rest of the table turned to follow Harry’s gaze. Ron and Pansy were huddled together in deep conversation, they kept glancing up at the teachers table. Were they looking at Snape? 

‘They’ve been quite good this year.’ Ginny mused.

There were nods around the table.

‘I guess having his leg bitten off humbled him.’ Draco said. He was still very angry about the ferret incident, if Ron hadn’t been there and opened his dumb mouth it wouldn’t have happened.

‘What about Pansy? There’s not been anything to humble her and she’s actually been nice to me this year.’ Hermione asked Draco.

Draco shrugged. ‘Probably got tired of everyone hating her.’ 

Further conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the Owls. Draco’s one of the fastest, arrived first. 

His great bird was the fastest despite the fact it seemed to be carrying the paper along with several letters.

Draco affectionately scratched at his Eagle-Owls head before pulling the letters free. He set the copy of the Daily Prophet aside for a moment, nobody asked for it since their own copy would be arriving in a moment. 

‘Oh, they’re both from my uncle.’ Draco said. 

He opened the letter on top first, he read it quickly with a rapidly growing smile. Then he looked up at Harry. ‘Wait till you see the Prophet.’ 

Then he passed the first letter around the table.

_Draco,_  
_The court just found Sirius Black innocent. He is now a free man. Pettigrew has just been named the worlds number one wanted Wizard._  
_Now all that remains is to arrange a settlement for his long jail time._  
_I reckon Harry will be hearing from him soon. _  
_I hope you’re being good at school. _  
_Armand_

Hermione was relieved none of them had needed to be called as witnesses. 

Before Hermione could pass on the letter to Harry, Hedwig had already landed in front of him with her own letter. 

‘It’s from Sirius!’ Harry said, he leapt to his feet with joy. ‘He’s been found innocent!’

Ginny leapt to her feet too and Harry grabbed her in a tight hug while still jumping for joy.

‘What does he say?’ Ginny asked.

Harry showed her the letter. ‘He says he wants to come and surprise me soon!’ 

‘That’s so great Harry!’ Hermione smiled.

‘Let’s go tell Neville!’ Harry said. 

He and Ginny rushed off to find their other friend. 

Hermione turned to Draco. ‘Isn’t that great – what’s wrong?’

Draco had opened the second letter. He was staring down at the parchment. Hermione leaned over to read it.

_Dragon,_  
_We’ve just got the news. _  
_The Lieutenant of Ireland is dead. A sudden heart attack. _  
_More news in the next few days._

His uncle hadn’t signed this hastily scribbled note.

Hermione didn’t understand Draco’s extreme reaction, he’d frozen and was deathly pale. 

‘Dragon?’ She asked quietly. 

Presumably Draco had known this Lieutenant. He had scrunched his eyes shut.

At long last he looked at Hermione. ‘The Lieutenant of Ireland is Daphne’s Granddad.’

Hermione shut her eyes and groaned. Daphne had now lost her sister and her grandfather in the space of a week.

‘The Lieutenant of Ireland is like the governor over there; they manage the country and report directly to the King.’ Draco told her. 

Hermione noticed the copy of the Prophet Draco had cast down. The front cover wasn’t filled with a picture of the recently freed Sirius Black. It was holding a picture of a man in his sixties. 

_Who will the King invest now?_  
_Nicholas Greengrass, Lieutenant of Ireland, was found dead by his wife this morning at the age of 63. Healers determined the Lieutenant died of a heart attack in the night._  
_The post will remain vacant for the appropriate mourning months – then the King will choose a new Lieutenant. _  
_The Duke of Wiltshire, who hasn’t been seen in active Royal Duty since the birth of his second son, is who this reporter thinks will be the next Lieutenant of Ireland._  
_By Rita Skeeter._

‘Shit.’ Was all Hermione could say.

Draco could only nod too. ‘Shit.’

* * *

‘Vat are you doing up here all alone?’ Krum stepped into the light; he was holding his own sealed letter.

Hermione was in the process of tying her letter to Freddie’s leg as he nipped affectionately at her fingers. She turned to give Victor a smile as she sent her Raven off flying into the midday sun. ‘Hi Victor. I’m just sending a letter to my friend. What are you doing up here?’

‘The blonde girl?’ Krum asked.

Hermione nodded. ‘Yeah, she’s gone home until January. She’s had a lot of sudden losses in her family.’ 

Krum nodded. ‘I heard. The Lieutenant of Ireland, vasn’t it?’

‘Yeah.’ Hermione confirmed. ‘So… I was just sending her a little letter to let her know we’re all thinking of her… It’s really hard to know the right thing to say…’ She trailed off and twiddled her fingers.

Krum gave her a gentle smile. ‘I’m sure she’ll appreciate hearing from you.’ At least, that’s what Hermione thought he’d said. His accent could be a bit strong sometimes.

Then Hermione noticed the letter in his large hands. ‘Oh, did you want to use a school owl?’ She asked.

Krum nodded. ‘Vich one can I use?’ He looked up to the great wall full of owls.

‘Any of them, they’re all for student use on that wall. Though, they may not be up to a long trip… There’s a post office in the village that are specially for international use. You might be better using one of them.’ She mused.

‘I’ve never been into the village.’ Krum said. ‘Vould you show me?’ 

‘Sure.’ She said casually. ‘There’s a trip coming up at the weekend actually if your letter can wait until then?’

Krum gave her a bright smile that lit up his face. It made his sharp profiled, grumpy-face, look rather boyish and endearing. His dark features contrasted the image nicely. 

‘Yes. It can! We could get some lunch or dinner vile ve are avay from the castle?’ Krum offered.

Hermione nodded, _sounds reasonable_. ‘Great. We’ll go in at about twelve and get some lunch while we’re there?’ 

Krum beamed. ‘Vonderful! Should I meet you by the front doors?’ 

Hermione nodded. ‘Yeah, I’ll see you then. I’ve got to get going, I’m meeting up with Snape.’

‘I’ll valk you down.’ Krum told her.

Together they descended the spiralling staircase that led to the Owlery. ‘Professor Snape? Vhy do you haf an appointment vith him?’ 

‘Oh, we always have private sessions.’ She told him as they set off up the pathway and across the bridge. 

‘Do you need private tutoring? I thought you were meant to be a genius?’ Krum asked, not trying to be rude but rather he was genuinely curious.

‘We just go over some advanced material.’ Was all the answer she could give him, or was willing to give him. She couldn’t really be bothered going into an explanation of: _“So yeah my mentor is teaching me to read minds and how to shield my mind from being read.”_

They had reached the pathway where they would split apart, Hermione back to the castle and Krum back to the Durmastrang ship anchored in the lake.

‘So I vill see you on Saturday?’ Krum asked.

Hermione smiled at her friend. ‘Yup. See you then.’ 

Then, Krum did something she hadn’t expected. He took her left hand in his and kissed it. ‘Until then.’ He murmured into her skin, before gently dropping her hand and striding away without a backwards glance. 

Hermione watched him walk away in shock. She stumbled rather ungracefully through the castle in a sense of shock. It occurred to her that she had just agreed to go on a date with Victor Krum, an eighteen-year-old Quidditch star…

‘You’re late.’ Snape said as she walked into the private brewing room. 

She frowned and looked at the clock on the wall behind her. ‘No… I’m not? I’m five minutes early…’ 

Snape folded his arms. ‘You’re late if I say you’re late. Are you ready?’ 

Hermione rolled her eyes at her ridiculous mentor but nodded. She pictured the firm walls of Regia protecting her thoughts, particularly the thoughts she was currently having about Krum, and tried not to flinch as Snape pointed his wand at her.

* * *

‘Is your cousin dating her guard?’ Millie asked as the next morning’s edition of the Daily Prophet was passed around like hot potato.

The front page was filled with a picture of Matilda… a picture of the Crown Princess… for lack of a better way of describing it, necking her security guard. 

‘Be a bit bad if she wasn’t wouldn’t it?’ Draco said. He had a serious expression but Hermione could tell by the light of his eyes that he was highly entertained. 

‘I had no idea Matilda was courting anyone?’ Ginny said. The Gryffindor’s were, of course, sitting at the table with the quality breakfast toast. 

‘Hmm.’ Draco nodded as he hummed that, yes, the Princess was quite taken with her guard.

‘I suppose he’s from a good family.’ Crabbe said, there were nods from the table. Tom _did_ have an impressive lineage. Nobody could say he wasn’t worthy of the Royal Heir.

‘I’ve never seen her with any courting gifts?’ Ginny asked again. Harry, who was sat on her left, started blushing at the mention of courting gifts.

‘She’s got them… I think. But she has to wear all the Royal collection out in public, doesn’t she?’ Draco said. 

‘He’s French? Right?’ Tracey asked.

Draco shook his head. ‘No, English. The family moved there to escape the war but it didn’t work. His parents were killed when they refused to join the Death Eaters… so he came back to England just in time to start school I think…’

‘He was Head Boy, right?’ Hermione asked.

Draco rolled his eyes. ‘Yes, he was Head Boy.’ 

It had begun to get much colder now in Scotland as November progressed. Hermione’s days began to rather blur together. She would wake up, breakfast with friends, write to Daphne, and go to classes. 

Then over lunch she would help Harry prepare for the first task by teaching (or at least trying to teach him) some powerful defensive and offensive spells. Then after dinner they would continue their lesson together and then Hermione would return to her common room just before curfew and stay up until about two o’clock in the morning doing her homework.

‘How did he do it?’ Cedric leaned over and asked Hermione as her eyes drooped in their Defence Against the Dark Arts class. 

Moody was giving a practical demonstration of why the curses on their curriculum were useless. “Pathetic” was the word he had actually used. 

‘He didn’t.’ She told him firmly back. She gave her head a little shake to try and wake herself up a little, she’d taken to drinking her morning cup of tea with an extra sugar in an attempt to substitute the measly four or five hours of sleep she was managing to grab.

‘Oh, sure.’ Cedric rolled his eyes as he leaned back from her.

Hermione really didn’t like it when people rolled their eyes at her. It was amusing when Draco did it, but anyone else just straight up pissed her off.

Hermione leaned into Cedric’s side, rather heavily due to her tiredness. ‘Cedric. He’s a fourth year. He couldn’t have gotten his name in even if he wanted to. Hell, it took me a few hours to figure out how his name could have even put his name out as well as yours.’

‘And how is that?’ Cedric asked, he seemed to notice how tired she was as she swayed, he linked his arm through hers. They were at the back of the crowd watching the practical, so nobody saw this.

‘Well obviously a powerful Confundus Charm was used… make the cup think he was the sole entrant for a fourth school.’ She finished this statement to yawn loudly.

Cedric gave her an impressed look. ‘That’s what the teachers said… Why are you so tired?’

She shook her head. ‘I’ve only been getting like… four hours of sleep a night since Harry’s name came out of the cup.’ 

‘Why? Oh… you’ve been helping him prepare?’ The answer dawned on Cedric as he spoke. ‘I thought we couldn’t ask for help?’

‘You can’t ask your teachers for help. And I’m not exactly coaching him to the finishing line, we’re mostly doing defensive spells. I’ve only taught him one or two things that could knock someone over. He’s not even fifteen yet Cedric.’

Cedric held his palms up in mock surrender, letting go of their linked arms. ‘Nah, it’s fine. He doesn’t know what the rest of us do.’ 

Hermione nodded. ‘Harry doesn’t want to win this thing. We all just want to keep him alive.’ 

Cedric nodded. ‘He really didn’t enter himself, did he?’ 

Hermione shook her head. ‘Snape told me he thinks someone’s trying to kill him… again.’ 

‘Well, if we’re all together I’ll try and keep him safe as best as I can.’ Cedric said.

Hermione looked up at him with a big smile. ‘Thanks Cedric.’ _You can always count on a Hufflepuff._ ‘Say… what’s going on with you and Cho?’

Cedric blushed and nudged her side. ‘Shh. Someone will hear you.’

Hermione grinned. ‘Oh, so there _is_ something going on then. I thought so. Are you properly courting then?’ 

Cedric nodded; he was quite red faced now. ‘I gave her a pin at the last party. She’s not wearing it in public yet, we’re just enjoying it being just us at the minute now… the second we go public then everyone’s going to stick their nose in.’ 

Hermione nodded. ‘I won’t tell anyone.’ She held her pinkie out and he took it. _The Pinkie promise, a solemn oath._

‘Granger! Diggory! Is my class boring you?’ 

Cedric and Hermione stepped away from each other. ‘Sorry sir.’ They both muttered.

* * *

Hermione had managed to gain an hour to herself not at one am. Harry had wanted a break this lunchtime and Hermione could only agree, the boy had left for a walk of the grounds with Ginny.

Hermione had gone straight to the library to work on her Runes essay.

Krum had come by to see her and check that they were still on for their date on Saturday, they were. But he’d been effectively chased from the library by his fan club. Hermione had started grinding her teeth in frustration at the nose the gaggle of young girls were making as they all watched Krum. He had noticed she was getting distracted from her work, and left her to it with her thanks.

She was currently rummaging the shelves of the Runes section looking for a few lines of text she could reference on the secret languages and codes used by the ancient ones. 

_“Ancient Codes that Transcend”_ called out to her. She’d flicked through the tome for a few minutes. It had some really great information on ancient wizarding codes that had made their way into the muggle world. Such as the Pigpen code, which was more known to Muggles as the Masonic code. 

But there was nothing on the codes she wanted. She sighed as she returned the book and moved to carry on her research. This essay was going to take all bloody day.

* * *

After lunch, during which Hermione had appeared for a bite of Draco’s toast before returning to the library. 

Everyone knew now not to interrupt Hermione’s brain when she was in her “essay writing zone”. Draco said he’d see her later and watched as she left. He wasn’t the only one, he noticed Krum sat down the table with his friends also watching her. 

‘We should get going mate.’ Blaise told him as he stood. 

Their after-lunch class was Divination, which was everyone’s least favourite subject.

Madam Sybil began by reading out sections of their homework. They were still predicting their futures based on the stars and planets.

‘Mr Longbottom is very brave.’ Madam Sybil said as she held his homework aloft. ‘He’s going to have his heart broken because Mars is in the seventh sun.’ 

Neville met Draco’s and Blaise’s eyes at the table next to him, the boys all shared a grin. They had spent that very lunch inventing these predictions. 

‘And Mr Potter.’ She said moving to the boy sat next to Neville. ‘He’s going to be betrayed by a friend because the North-star is faint.’ 

It seemed the entire class had begun to invent their predictions as the four boys had. Madam Sybil seemed delighted that many people had begun to accept their terrible futures.

The lesson was its usual waste of time. 

‘Mr Malfoy, would you pack away the star charts please?’ The teacher called as the class began to hastily exit the classroom. 

Blaise looked back to Draco. ‘Want me to wait for you?’ 

Draco shook his head. ‘I’ll just see you in potions.’ He told the boy.

Draco made quick work of hastily packing away the star charts, which was more scrunching them up and shoving them into the cupboard. No doubt the annoyance of endlessly having to predict his own misfortunes added to the brutal treatment of the maps.

Madam Sybil was stood by the doors, leaving Draco no choice but to walk closely by him on his way out. _Don’t predict anything, don’t predict anything._ He begged as he walked by her.

His prayers went unanswered. 

Madam Sybil seemed to be frozen. 

As Draco walked by her, she lunged for him.

She took an incredibly tight grip of his wrist, tight enough to bruise. Her nails dug painfully into his arm.

But Draco didn’t complain, he couldn’t. He was far too captivated by the terrified look in her eyes.

When she spoke, her voice sounded far away and foggy yet urgent and desperate all at once. ‘Go down! Please remember this. The way out is below, she will think it done, but you must know. The way out is below.’

Then she dropped his wrist and frowned at him. ‘Are you finished packing away the maps? Yes! Hurry along to your next lesson then dear.’ 

Draco rubbed at his wrist as he made his way down the staircase. It wasn’t the first time Madam Sybil had said this to him. She’d said it only a few months ago, in his third-year exam. 

Draco would never forget the fear and desperation in her voice. Never. Especially with what happened to Madam Sybil only a few weeks after this.

* * *

Saturday finally came. She had donned leggings and a long grey jumper that she matched with grey ankle boots and one of Millie’s black jackets. She met Krum at the agreed upon time.

He had his letter in his hand. He spent the walk down into the village telling her about how homesick he felt. Apparently, he was quite the house-mouse at home. 

Krum absolutely loved the picturesque village of thatched cottages and shops. Hermione had given him the same grand tour that Fred and George had once given her.

‘Ve haf nothing like this!’ Krum had beamed like an excited child as they stood on the high street. 

They began at Dervish and Bangs, Krum was very interested in some of their detection systems. Like the Sneakoscopes, he had wondered aloud if he’d be able to use magical objects like these in the three trials. 

‘I doubt it.’ Hermione told him.

Krum nodded and sighed. ‘They are not to make it easy for us.’ 

Hermione smiled. ‘It wouldn’t be much of a contest if you were allowed a detection system.’ 

They made their way back onto the street. A bitter wind had come down from the North that day, even Krum was shivering in his thick cloak. 

‘Ver to next?’ Krum asked her happily.

‘Dogweed and Deathcap?’ Hermione pointed to the next store. ‘They sell some rare potion ingredients.’ 

Krum nodded. ‘Perhaps there vill be something useful!’ 

They entered the shop to examine to many ingredients on offer. 

‘So that’s Vervain, it’s a common poison used on Vampire’s… it’s a diluted form though that they sell. It’s illegal to sell its pure form. Only really nervy people mix the diluted form into their drinks.’

Hermione pointed out the plant.

Krum nodded. ‘Yes! I remember ven I vas in Romania it vas common to do shots containing Vervain.’ 

Hermione wasn’t surprised. ‘Yes well, Romania has the highest Vampire population in the world. It won’t kill them but if you consume Vervain and a Vampire tries to drink from you, it’ll burn their throats and leave them weak enough that you can get away.’

‘That one’s Athelas, it’s used in healing dark curse wounds. Say if you got stabbed with a cursed blade.’ Hermione pointed at the weed-like plant on the next shelf. 

‘Perhaps it would be good to haf some on hand…’ Krum wondered. He picked up a vial of the plant to purchase. Hermione didn’t blame him, who knew what they might face in the trials ahead.

‘Those are Mandrake leaves.’ She pointed out the next interesting item. ‘Their leaves can be used to treat those who have been Petrified.’ 

‘Vern’t you Petrified?’ He asked. 

Hermione swallowed. ‘Er, yeah. In my second year. Not fun. Wouldn’t recommend it.’ 

‘I made you uncomfortable? Sorry.’ Krum said quickly. ‘And Vat is this ingredient?’ He said pointing to a red-brown moss.

‘That ones Firemoss. It’s a really powerful painkiller. You activate it by rubbing it in your hands and it puts out a smoke to inhale. But it’s really addictive. You need a Healers note to buy it.’ She told him. ‘You’re better using the _Sine dolore_ spell.’ 

‘Sine dolore?’ Krum asked. 

Hermione nodded. ‘It’s the most powerful numbing spell going.’ 

Krum repeated the spell a few times. Krum hadn’t directly asked her for any tips facing the challenges, but she felt a little off knowing he could use any knowledge she gave him to an advantage over Cedric or Harry.

‘Shall we move on?’ She said quickly.

Krum bought him plant quickly and they left the store. He placed the little paper bag containing his purchase into his deep cape pockets.

She pointed out the Ho’s Head as they walked by it. ‘It’s a bit dingy in there.’ She gave as reason for not going in.

‘Ver are we eating?’ He asked.

‘I thought we could go to the Three Broomsticks.’ She said, pointing it out to him. ‘Let’s finish our little tour of the shops first though… I’m not very hungry yet.’

‘That one is the music shop?’ Krum asked, pointing at the next store.

Hermione nodded. ‘Yeah, I have a music box from there! Do you want to go in?’

Krum did want to go in, and they left the store ten minutes later with Krum tucking a self-playing flute into his pocket. Apparently, radios did not work on the Durmstrang ship.

‘Tomes and Scrolls is brilliant! Let’s go in!’ There was no way that Hermione would ever walk by a bookshop, though she still had a large pile of books she was yet to get to.

Krum had seemed very interested in a book on dangerous magical creatures. “XXXXX Creatures.” 

‘Hagrid would consider that a pet care guide.’ Hermione mused as she saw Krum flick through the pages.

_“Lethifold, Wampus Cat, Nundu, Horned Serpant, Leviathan, Chimera, Quintaped, and Dragons. This comprehensive guide tells you everything you need to know about these dangerous creatures!”_ Read the blurb.

‘Sounds interesting. Do you think you’ll have to face any creatures in the trials?’ Hermione asked, wondering why he was so interested in this particular book. 

Krum took the book up to pay for it. ‘You never know.’ He shrugged. ‘Best preparing for everything.’ 

Hermione could only agree. She would have to make sure she went through some dangerous creature defences with Harry. Though she seriously doubted the schools would set anything like a Leviathan on the champions, mainly because they only live in the deepest parts of the ocean.

‘Vat book are you buying dear?’ Krum asked. 

Hermione wondered if he was calling her dear because her name was too much of a challenge. It didn’t matter, she found she quite enjoyed the pet name.

Hermione had picked out a book she thought might benefit her Ancient Histories studies. _“The History of Temple City – The Assorted writings of the first Five High Oracles”_. She held the book up to Krum. 

He took it from her and put it down with his to pay.

‘Oh no! Really, I can buy it myself, you don’t have to…’ She protested.

Krum gave her an amused look. ‘Dear, I am a Professional Quidditch player. I haf a healthy bank account.’ He said.

Hermione still reached over him to pick up her book. ‘And both of my parents are private practice Orthodontists, I also have a healthy bank account.’

‘Vat is Orthodontist?’ Krum asked, ignoring the poor girl at the till asking if they were buying the books together or not.

‘We’re paying separately.’ She told the girl. ‘They’re like expert healers for Muggle teeth, and really I’d rather pay my own way.’ 

‘But I vant to pay for you.’ He insisted. 

Hermione sighed. ‘I’ll let you buy me a drink when we eat.’ 

Krum rolled his eyes at her compromise as he paid for his own book. Then she had stepped forwards and paid for her own. ‘At least let me carry it for you?’ He asked.

Hermione took his offered arm and gave up on complaining as he took her book and placed it into the paper carrier bag with his own book. 

Hermione had pointed out Gladrags Wizardwear and they had gone in to have a look at the talking socks and ties. 

Krum fingered a silk pink dress. ‘You vould suit this.’ 

Hermione frowned at the dress. ‘I guess. It’s a bit short though.’ 

It was, it would end at her thighs. ‘Meh. Let’s go.’ She said as Krum had leaned forwards to look at the price tag.

‘Vat is that building?’ Krum asked once they were back outside. 

‘It’s the hair salon.’ She told him as they walked by. ‘They have a spa too. I usually go with Daphne… Oh, the post office! You still need to send your letter.’ 

Krum pulled the letter from his pocket as they walked through the doors of the Hogsmeade post office.

Krum’s eyes widened as he took in the sheer volume of owls of so many different breeds.

His eyes, naturally, came to land on the Eagle with a black ribbon tied around its claw. The King’s bird, as it was locally known by. ‘It is very impressed.’

‘Impressive.’ Hermione corrected without much thought.

‘Impressive.’ Krum repeated. 

Krum went up to the counter. ‘Hello. I vish to send a letter to Bulgaria.’ 

The man behind the counter gave him what looked to be a very rehearsed customer-safe smile. ‘Of course, sir. We have a lovely selection of owls over here that can help with that. That comes to fifteen Sickles and ten Knuts, please.’

Krum handed over the money and the man led him to a far case of birds that specialised in fast and long-distance flying. Canada Geese. 

‘Your letter should arrive in Bulgaria tomorrow. I hope that is agreeable, sir?’ The man it seemed wasn’t a Quidditch fan, at any rate he didn’t recognise the Seeker for Bulgaria.

‘Yes, this vill be fine. Thank you.’ Krum attached the owl to the bird’s leg. ‘Five Magiya Road, Balkan Mountains... please.’ Krum said to the bird. Hermione couldn’t resist her smile as Krum used manners on a post office bird.

The bird flew out of a large hole in the ceiling, Krum watched it go. The letter was to his mother, he missed her terribly.

‘Are you worried about the first task?’ Hermione asked as they walked out of the shop and continued up the high street. 

Krum shrugged. ‘I suppose. Yes, and no.’ He said. ‘I’m confident.’ 

Hermione smiled. ‘That’s good.’ 

Then Krum’s eyes widened in excitement as the next shop loomed into view.

‘Ah yes. Mr sweet tooth, welcome to Honeydukes sweet shop!’ Hermione grinned at the older boy.

‘Can ve go in?’ He asked, practically bouncing on the spot.

‘Of course, we can.’ Hermione smiled.

Krum, who had his arm linked with Hermione, ran along the pavement and practically dragged her inside the shop.

‘This is amazement!’ Krum practically jumped up and down.

‘Durmstrang doesn’t have a nearby village like this?’ She asked, as she walked Krum through her many favourites on display.

Krum shook his eyes as he took in the trays of different flavoured sugar quills. 

Hermione bought her usual, some Jelly Slugs and a Liquorice Wand. Krum bought one of the massive ten Galleon selection boxes. It required the largest carrier bag Honeydukes had on offer to transport it through the village.

‘That should set you up for the rest of the month!’ Hermione said as they walked for the Three Broomsticks, the wonderful smell of fried food and the pleasant aroma of a roaring oak wood fire.

‘It von’t last me the veek!’ Krum laughed.

They took a table off in the corner of the room behind a large plant pot to avoid his fan group currently filling the pub.

‘What can I get you?’ A large-breasted waitress asked Krum, not even looking at Hermione.

Krum didn’t notice. He was looking at his menu. ‘I vill try the Sunday roast please.’ He said. ‘When in Rome.’ He said to Hermione.

‘I’ll have the Sunday roast too please.’ Hermione said to the waitress.

The woman wrote a little “X2” next to Krum’s order on her order form.

‘Anything to drink?’ The woman leaned forwards as she asked Krum this.

Hermione wondered how Krum didn’t notice this, he was eyeing up the drinks menu.

‘Vat vould you recommend dear?’ He asked Hermione.

The waitress straightened up at this.

‘I like the Bubble-gum-Daiquiri.’ Hermione told him. She’d never been so happy that there didn’t seem to be an age limit for alcohol in the wizarding world.

‘Ve Vill haf two of those then.’ Krum said. 

‘I’ll be right back with that.’ The waitress said, she’d clearly lost interest the moment Krum had called her “dear”.

Dinner wasn’t awkward or stuffy, Hermione found herself laughing constantly at Krum’s stories of home and growing up as a Quidditch star. No doubt aided by the three large cocktails they had both knocked back without really savouring the sweet taste.

Eventually, the giggles of his fan club and the fact that several people were now interrupting their meal and conversation to ask for autographs, they paid their bill and fled the restaurant. 

‘Is that the sport shop?’ Krum asked, as they walked hand in hand back up the high street.

Hermione noticed the Firebolt in the window and nodded. ‘Would you like to go in?’

Krum had good-naturedly signed all of the Firebolts that they had in stock, even though he’d only wanted a look at the rare multi-coloured Snitch’s they had on offer. As they left the store a few minutes later, with Krum tucking his new silver Snitch into his pocket, Hermione noticed the shopkeeper adding another zero onto each Firebolt price tag.

Krum had also enjoyed Zonko’s joke shop. Apparently, there were much stricter punishments at Durmstrang for innocent pranks - so Hermione, who was now quite the expert due to exposure to the Weasley twins, gave him the grand tour of the shop.

‘And vat do these do?’ Krum asked her.

‘They’re Dungbombs – they make an awful smell.’ She told him.

‘Haf you ever used one?’ Krum asked, clearly amused at her expertise.

Hermione shrugged. ‘I used to lob them with Fred and George until we got detention for it.’ 

Krum laughed. ‘And your targets?’

‘Er… anyone really. We used to hide in this secret passageway behind a tapestry and get anyone who happened to walk by… George got Dumbledore in the face once by accident…’ 

Krum’s eyes widened. ‘And he vasn’t expelled for this?’ 

Hermione shook her head. ‘No. He didn’t even get a detention. I gave Dumbledore a Dungbomb and he chased George up the corridor and lobbed one right back at him.’

She might as well have told him a Leviathan could speak the Tongue of the Gods; he was amazed. ‘Karkaroff vould expel anyone that tried this.’ 

‘He sounds awfully strict.’ Hermione said. They were leaving the high street now, heading back up to the school. The weather was definitely turning, Hermione suspected it was going to start chucking it down any minute now.

‘Did you haf a nice day?’ Krum asked her, once they were back at the school gates.

She smiled and gained a light blush to her cheeks. ‘I did, yes. Did you?’

Krum batted away a nearby beetle before grinning at her. ‘I did. Can I see you again, dear?’

‘I think that would be okay… Yes, I would like that.’ Hermione said.

‘Thank you for taking me.’ Krum smiled, then eyed his ship on the lake. ‘I must be getting back. May I escort you back to the castle?’ 

‘I’ll be fine getting back; you go back if you need to.’ She said warmly.

Krum smiled at her gratefully, then he took her hand and kissed it again. ‘I vill see you tomorrow for breakfast?’ 

Hermione smiled and nodded.

‘Until tomorrow then, my dear.’

* * *

‘I can’t believe you’re dating Victor Krum.’ Draco huffed as they walked down the tunnel of Hufflepuff’s secret tunnels.

‘It was one date. It’s not like we’re eloping next week.’ Hermione rolled her eyes; she was carrying a basket of flowers and fruit from the kitchen. 

‘He’s too old for you.’ Draco said as he opened the wooden trapdoor they had installed. 

He handed Hermione Excalibur to hold while he climbed down the ancient wooden ladder.

Hermione glared at him as he went down. ‘It’s three years. That’s nothing.’ 

She dropped the sword and basket into the darkness once Draco had reached the bottom and then climbed down the stairs herself. As was the norm, Draco took her waist and lifted her down so she wouldn’t have to risk the final few rungs that were rotting away.

‘Maybe not when you’re older! But really, what does an eighteen-year-old Quidditch star want with a fifteen-year-old girl. It’s weird.’ Draco sheathed his sword again and handed the basket back to her.

‘It is not! There’s nothing going on! He hasn’t tried anything at all.’ Hermione grumbled as she set the flowers and fruit out on the alter.

‘Oh please. You really expect me to believe he wasn’t trying to feel you up behind the pub?’ Draco growled as he pulled his sword out to cut into his own hand and then hers. They let the blood drip over their offerings.

‘It doesn’t matter what you believe, my Lord. Because it’s none of your business.’ Hermione said firmly. ‘You’re the one that keeps saying we can’t be together, so I’m moving on with my life!’ 

Draco stepped back from the alter as if she had slapped him. 

Hermione sighed. ‘Dragon, honestly… I need to live my life. You can’t expect me to act like a nun while you’re off necking Pansy every other day.’ 

‘I don’t.’ Draco said quickly and then sighed in acceptance. ‘Fine. Be with him if that’s what you want. I do not believe he is worthy of you, but then nobody is… Just let me know if he tries anything you don’t like and I’ll have him thrown in Azkaban for life, deal?’ He extended his pinkie finger.

Hermione smiled and took it in her own. ‘Deal.’

Then, they both turned to the alter. This was going to be an unusual ritual for then, instead of speaking in Latin, they would be speaking in English. Hermione had come across an ancient tome in the secret library that discussed how there wasn’t actually any difference in what language you spoke to the Gods in.

Hermione’s final act was to light some sweet smelling incense, Atune’s favourite offering. 

‘Oh, mother Atune.’ Hermione said. ’We call on you to hear our prayer.’

The Ancient Temple responded at once. The offerings on the altar burst into a brilliant fire.

‘We mourn for our friend Astoria.’ Draco said.

The stone of Draco’s sword began to glow brightly.

‘She was taken from this life and now resides in the Gods’ realm.’ Hermione said.

The marks on the wrists began to tingle as the flames on the altar grew higher until they were licking the ceiling.

‘We ask that you look after her, and that she lives with you in peace.’ Draco said, voice full of emotion. 

The heat of the room became very intense, the small stone temple now resembled a sauna.

‘For there’s no sickness, toil, or danger.’ Hermione said, repeating the line from the King’s lament in this formal mourning prayer.

The white eyes of the statue and murals glowed incredibly bright to the point it hurt to look at them. The Goddess was among then now. They both felt the now familiar but no less unnerving sensation that someone was watching them.

‘Holy Triad, welcome her home.’ Draco finished the prayer and wiped a tear from his cheek. Hermione reached over and took his hand. 

Their Gods marks felt pleasantly warm now. The flames grew higher to spread fully across the ceiling of the room. Then, it was over. 

The eyes returned to stone and old, faded paint. The flames sank back down to the altar before vanishing, along with their offerings. The cuts on both of their hands had been healed. 

Draco took a deep breath and composed himself. ‘Thanks for doing this with me.’ He said.

‘Do you feel better for doing it?’ She asked, while picking up her empty basket from the floor.

Draco nodded. ‘Yeah… it’s like, I couldn’t do anything for her when she was alive but I can help her here.’ 

Hermione gave him a gentle smile. ‘Come on… we should be getting back.’ 

Draco nodded and lifted her up the first few steps and followed shortly after. 

‘Do you think Harry will be alright with the challenge next week?’ Draco asked.

Hermione nodded. ‘I’ve stuffed his head full of defensive spells and even some curses. He should make it – he doesn’t have to win; he just has to not die.’

Draco nodded. ‘My uncle found out his name was in and he’s furious. He wanted to come down to Hogwarts and stop the entire thing but he can’t get around the contract the cup is.’ 

Hermione was shaking her head. ‘This whole tournament is crazy.’ She said as they stepped out of the concealed entrance to the Hufflepuff tunnels. ‘Whoever suggested it is the biggest moron alive… or a secret Death Eater.’ 

‘Queen Blythe.’ Draco gave the password and they stepped back into the common room.

It was quite late now so the room was empty, except for one person who did not belong.

‘Harry? What are you doing down here?’ Draco asked, double checking his pocket watch if only to confirm the absurd time of his friends visit.

‘Blaise let me in.’ Harry said as he hurried over to Hermione. ‘Hagrid’s just shown me the first task.’

Hermione frowned. ‘Well, that’s cheating.’ 

‘Everyone knows! Madam Maxime and Karkaroff know, I think Cedric is the only one who doesn’t know what we’re up against…’

‘Go on then, what is it?’ Hermione prayed she had been giving him relevant preparations.

Harry looked desperate and terrified as he looked to Hermione.

‘Dragons.’ 

* * *

* * *

  
Sorry for the long no-update, it’s been unusually hot in England this week, about 30oc in the North-West near I live. (86 Fahrenheit). I’ve been enjoying the sun. Unfortunately, I’m typically English, and got sunburnt almost immediately.

  
I’m attaching a link to a good website that has links to many wonderful charities and organisations you can donate to given the current situation in America.   
https://www.thecut.com/2020/05/george-floyd-protests-how-to-help-where-to-donate.html

  
Love   
E x

××××××  
Note 9th June - I'm a bit behind on the next update. I've been a bit ill. I'm on the mend but I'm giving myself a few days off. xxx


	72. The First Task

_Bulgarian Quidditch star Victor Krum seen on date in Hogsmeade with Lady Hermione Granger, OQB. _

‘Oh, for the love of Merlin.’ Hermione tossed the paper away from her in frustration.

Blaise picked the discarded Daily Prophet and began to read aloud, clearly, he was very amused by the article.

_‘The Lady Granger took Krum on a tour of the Wizarding village before they cosied up near the fire in the Three Broomsticks where they shared a traditional Sunday Dinner (despite it being Saturday) and had cocktails._

_Both parties are said to have enjoyed the date. What this reporter wants to know is are they planning on going out again? Does the wizarding world have a new power couple?_

_The Duke of Abbington, best friend of the Lady Granger, declined to comment on the matter.’_

‘I did not decline to comment! She never asked me for one!’ Draco protested, he seemed as annoyed by the article as Hermione was.

‘She probably knew you’d tell her to bugger off if she did ask.’ Ginny said, the Gryffindor’s had arrived for breakfast. ‘Morning everyone.’ She said as she slid into Daphne’s vacant spot next to Hermione. ‘I hear you’ve been getting hot and heavy with Krum?’ 

Hermione rolled her eyes. ‘Oh please, we barely held hands. It was all very innocent. I am curious to know how she knew what we were eating though…’

Harry slid into the spot next to Ginny while Neville went to sit in his now reserved spot beside his other best friend, Blaise. 

‘Maybe she has you bugged.’ Harry said as he let out a dramatic yawn.

Hermione and Harry had matching bags under their eyes, every day since they had found out about the dragons, they had been up all hours of the night researching ways to get around one.

Across the Hall, Cedric was also looking tired. Harry and Hermione, in the spirit of fairness, had told him about the Dragons too.

Hermione knew that Madam Maxime had seen the Dragons according to Harry, so Fleur knew… and Krum had wanted that book on dangerous creatures, Hermione realised that book held a chapter on Dragons.

All four champions knew what they were up against now… though Harry was at a decided disadvantage.

Hermione was teaching him a summoning spell so that he could tackle the beast from the air, his more comfortable ground. 

Hermione had absolutely no idea what the other champions were planning to do to get past the Dragon. 

She supposed Harry could try and distract the Dragon, but there was a lot that could go wrong with that plan… the Dragon might not take the bait and then her dear friend would become a yummy lunch… there was also the issue that Harry was only fourteen and transfiguring spells were way beyond him.

Trying to stun the Dragon was right out, that would take multiple wizards. Research had shown that the weak spot on a Dragon was the eyes, but targeting those could just serve to make the Dragon angry… it could blindly fire and kill Harry, or it could stamp on him… no. Going for the eyes was right out.

‘Er… Hermione… did you finish this article?’ Ginny asked, she’d taken the paper from Blaise.

Hermione nodded and huffed. ‘Oh, I finished it alright.’

‘What does she say?’ Draco asked, reaching for the paper.

_‘Lady Granger is known to be an ambitious girl. She has already used her connections with the royal family to secure the Order of Queen Blythe and most recently to be elevated to Lady of the Realm… _

_Have her ambitions now led her to a Quidditch Star? This rather pretty Muggle-born girl seems to have no limit to her ambitious nature…’_

‘At least she thinks I’m pretty.’ Hermione quipped sarcastically. 

‘She’ll be ordered to issue an apology for this article.’ Draco told Hermione. ‘I don’t know what the Prophet thinks it’s doing publishing this crap.’

‘You can’t censure the press Dragon.’ Hemione told him.

‘We can expect them to report the truth!’ He snapped back.

‘Rita Skeeter is human rubbish, we know this. It doesn’t matter that much it’s a dumb article.’ Hermione sighed and reached for the pitcher of orange juice.

‘I’m sorry, have you all seen what she’s written about Sirius?’ Harry asked, he’d taken the paper now and was reading the second-page news.

‘Oh, Gods… what does she have to say… let me guess he actually is a mass murderer after all despite all the evidence?’ Ginny asked, leaning into Harry’s side to read the article.

‘Ahem... _The trial of Sirius Black, who served twelve years in Azkaban for mass murder – delayed the arrival of the other two schools competing in the Triwizard tournament by nearly a month. The original champion ceremony was planned to take place on Halloween… This reporter wants to know if one man is more important than the important international ties this event forges. No doubt the other countries involved were insulted by the late arrival.’ _

‘What a load of bullocks.’ Neville said, he’d finally looked up from his large pile of toast. 

Neville had turned into something of a human rubbish bin himself, Hermione had no idea where he was putting all the food he was devouring… if she ate as he did, they’d be rolling her around the castle.

‘I like how she completely neglects to say that he was innocent of those murders.’ Harry grumbled.

Ginny gave the sour boy next to her a pat on the shoulder. ‘It’s fine. He’s been found innocent… what does it matter what some dumb reporter writes?’

‘The spread of misinformation is important!’ Harry snapped. Then he sighed. ‘Sorry.’ 

Harry was still seething over the rubbish Skeeter article that had appeared a few days ago. Harry had come to some teasing from that article. According to Skeeter, he still cried at night over his parents and had a crush on Hermione.

Hermione thought she might have seen Harry take Ginny’s hand under the table briefly for a moment. She didn’t say anything.

‘The Palace has a person for dealing with the press… I don’t doubt my uncle will set her on Skeeter.’ Draco told the group.

‘Binta Imari?’ Blaise asked. 

A shiver passed around the table.

Binta Imari was formidable, a household name around the world. Hailing from Kenya, Binta had been the Royal Family Press Secretary for nearly forty years. She had served two kings and had been the voice many had listened to during the war for news from their king.

‘Poor Rita Skeeter.’ Neville said as he shovelled more food into his mouth. 

Then, Hermione and Draco shivered again as Professor Moody came thundering past them to the teacher’s table. 

‘I don’t understand.’ Draco said, looking helplessly after the teacher and instinctively gripping the wrist Moody had broken. The rest of their friends had dissolved into their own conversations now. 

‘Me either. You’re sure Moody would never harm you?’ She asked, trying to be delicate.

‘He wouldn’t. I’ve known him all my life… he just wouldn’t…’ Draco said. ‘…But he would use transformation as a punishment… I don’t know what to think anymore…’

Hermione could only watch helplessly as Draco despaired. ‘He wouldn’t hurt me… but he did… and our marks hurt when he’s near… He’s not acting like himself but he is at the same time.’

Draco hit his head down on the table and left it there. 

‘Maybe… maybe all those curses he’s been hit by over the years have finally had an impact like everyone says.’ Hermione said as gently as she could as she rubbed his back. 

Draco turned his head on the table so he was looking up at her. ‘He’s not insane.’ 

‘He’s something Draco… he’s not right…’ Hermione said quietly to him. ‘I’m sorry.’ 

‘Granger? Sorry to interrupt. But it’s time.’ Harry said.

Hermione sighed, then moved her hand under the table to squeeze Draco’s hand for a moment. ‘Let’s go then.’ She said to Harry and stood up.

It was the day before the first task now. Preparations had become rather hectic. 

They bumped into Fleur Delacour on their way out, Hermione had to pull the doe eyes Harry away before he could start drooling.

‘She is part Veela, did I tell you?’ Harry asked as they walked away from the French girl.

Hermione shook her head.

‘When they brought in Ollivander to try out the wands, she said her wand core was a Veela hair that had come from her Grandma.’ 

‘No wonder all the boys are falling over themselves to speak to her. She should turn her little Veela charm off.’ Hermione seethed. 

‘She can control it?’ Harry asked.

Hermione nodded, then paused and shrugged. ‘I don’t know actually… proper Veela can. Hmm… I’d have to read up on that one.’ 

Harry sighed. ‘Back to the library… AGAIN.’ He grumbled as they walked through the thick doors. 

Harry was struggling. That was a fair assumption. Harry and Hermione were great friends, but she was no replacement for Neville or Ginny, and he was no replacement for Draco or Daphne… 

He still hadn’t mastered summoning charms… and now it was the day before the task… well, he needed to get past this block he had developed by tonight or he was going to be facing down a Dragon with no plan. Hermione had suggested learning more theory would help, it usually worked for her.

Victor Krum was in the library an awful lot too. Hermione, who was usually camped out at the library, had seen Fleur and Cedric coming and going in the later hours of the day, but Krum came in the day.

This frustrated Harry too, because Krum would always come over to chat Hermione up. Now, Harry thought Krum was a wonderful bloke... He is a Quidditch star, and in Harry’s eyes that meant you were a good person. But… he was going to throw this massive book Hermione had him making notes from if he didn’t sod off in a minute.

Finally, Krum was chased from the library by his fan club. The giggling girls would usually try and spy on him from behind bookshelves and eventually Krum would leave in frustration, and the girls would give chase. 

‘They only like him because he’s famous.’ Hermione rolled her eyes at one third-year girl who had painted little Bulgarian flags on her cheeks. ‘They wouldn’t like him if he couldn’t do that Wonky-Faint thingy.’ 

Harry rolled his eyes, the very move that had allowed Krum to catch the Golden Snitch at the Quidditch World cup and Hermione was calling it a “wonky-faint”. 

‘Wronski Feint.’ Harry told her through gritted teeth. ‘Then why do you like him?’ 

Hermione hadn’t been expecting that question. She froze for a minute over _Beasts of Romania_ until she sighed and put the book down on the table. ‘He’s nice… I suppose.’

Harry gave her a dry look. ‘He’s nice?’ He mimicked. ‘That’s it?’ 

‘He’s _really_ nice. I don’t know… why do you like Ginny?’ She said defensively.

‘I do not – pfft.’ Harry avoided the question for a moment by pretending to read from the book until he gave up and dropped his quill. ‘Is it that obvious?’

‘A blind man could see it, dear.’ She told him with a teasing air and a reassuring pat on the shoulder. ‘Don’t worry. She’s mad about you too… I’m surprised you two aren’t dating actually… what was with that hand-holding under the table I saw before?’ 

Harry looked rather shocked at this. ‘But that was just – friendly?’

Hermione shook her head. ‘No dear. But we can worry about our teenage angsty relationships _after_ we save you from being eaten by a massive Dragon.’ 

Harry nodded. ‘Yes. Dragon. Right.’ He picked his quill back up and continued in his note-taking.

They went on reading and note-taking for some time until Hermione sighed.

‘Haz.. you know someone very likely put your name in this cup to hurt you right?’ 

Harry looked up from his notebook. ‘Cheery thought, thanks.’

Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the boy’s dry wit. ‘I just mean. What if this person comes at you? Do you want me to teach you some proper duelling spells? I’m still meeting with Flitwick for private classes – he’s taught me some pretty advanced stuff.’

Harry thought on this for a minute. ‘After this task… yes please. Let’s get past the Dragon first and then we can worry about fighting off a nutjob.’

Hermione wondered what the other three champions were doing to prepare. Cedric seemed to have things well in hand, he’d been very grateful for the heads up over the Dragon naturally, and he’d gotten the rest of Hufflepuff house to come around to the idea that Harry had not entered himself.

Fleur seemed exactly the same, walking around haughty and unruffled, with a stream of admirers flanking her.

Krum seemed well prepared, or he had a plan at least. He’d told Hermione not to worry about him and focus on getting Harry through alive anyway. He’d pretty much been seen reading every book on Dragons that the Hogwarts library had to offer.

Time is an odd thing. When you are dreading something, you’d give anything for time to slow down, yet it has an annoying habit of speeding up instead. Perhaps she could steal Draco’s time-turner and give it to Harry? No… there were probably rules in the Triwizard Tournament handbook of how to kill your students that prohibited messing about with time.

Hermione past Harry another book on the Accio spell. ‘Anything odd about Professor Moody?’

‘Besides the fact he’s put the Imperius Curse on the entire school and turned Draco into the wonderful bouncing ferret?’ Harry asked as he scribbled down notes. ‘You keep asking everyone about him. Why?’

‘I get a really bad feeling about him is all.’ Hermione said. ‘Any new news?’

‘He can see through my cloak.’ Harry told her. ‘I went into Hogsmeade with Ginny and Neville the other day and I had my cloak on… trying to avoid Skeeter… but Moody could see me.’ 

‘Hmmm. That is important to know… we’ll have to start learning disillusion charms.’ 

‘I’m fourteen, I can’t do that.’ Harry told her. ‘You’re fifteen, it’s different!’ He protested at her dry look.

‘I’m ten months older than you. You can do everything I can.’ She told him firmly and with the feeling that they were talking about the first task now. ‘You’re going to be fine Haz.’ She told him.

‘I’m going to be eaten by a Dragon.’ He slumped and threw his head down onto the table and let out a long groan.

Hermione couldn’t help smile. ‘You’re not going to be eaten by a Dragon… _If_ you nail this spell... Get your head off the desk and we’ll do some more practice.’ 

‘Maybe I could just run away…’ Harry mused. 

‘Actually, you can’t. You’re tied to a binding magical contract… let’s not get into what happens if you break it.’ Hermione told him as she reached for the next book.

Harry did raise his head from the table at that. ‘What happens? Like – what happens if I break a binding magical contract?’

‘It’s in the name Harry… _Binding_ Magical Contract?’ Hermione saw he still wasn’t getting it. ‘It’ll bind your magic if you fail to follow through.’

‘Bind my magic?’ Harry frowned.

‘You’ll basically turn into a squib…’ Hermione explained.

‘But I don’t want to be a Squib.’ Harry moaned as he put his head in his hands. 

‘You don’t have to win – or even do well. You just need to live. We have a good plan.’ Hermione turned back to her book.

Then Hermione groaned as a group of girls, no doubt looking for Krum, fell into the library in a giggling fit. 

‘Come on, let’s go practice somewhere… before I murder them.’ Hermione huffed as she packed away her heavy books. 

Harry could practically see the steam coming out of Hermione’s ears as one of the fan-girls, who had a Bulgaria scarf tied around her waist, walked right into their table and knocked over Harry’s inkpot and spilt its contents all over his notes.

‘Clear off!’ Came a low growl from the shelves.

The young girls scattered.

Hermione and Harry turned around and saw Mad-Eye Moody emerging from behind one of the bookshelves.

‘Potter. Granger.’ The deformed Professor greeted them. ‘How are the summoning charms coming along?’ 

Hermione frowned openly at the man. ‘How did you know we were trying that?’ 

‘You’re not exactly sticking to the no talking rule in the library Granger. It sounds like a good plan. I _was_ going to offer my help, but I see you’re in good hands with Granger.’ Moody said. ‘Good luck tomorrow Potter.’ 

With this he lumbered off, the thud of his wooden leg fading into the distance.

‘At least someone thinks you can do it!’ Hermione told Harry.

‘That brings my total up to one then.’ Harry quipped. ‘Come on, I want to get some actual practice in.’ 

* * *

And so, they practised. They skipped meals and headed for a free classroom… or rather, Hermione kicked Professor Snape out of his private brewing room so they could practice without fear of interruption. 

Snape had been shockingly good about being kicked out of his own quarters, he’d grumbled something about wanting to grade papers in the staff room anyway and left with only a minimal glare at Potter.

‘You’ve got him wrapped around your little finger.’ Harry said in amazement once Snape had shut the door behind him.

‘I really don’t.’ Hermione told him. ‘He’ll have me scrubbing cauldrons for this.’ 

‘Then why didn’t we go into another classroom?’ Harry asked as he set his bag down on Snape’s desk.

‘Because there is zero chance of any snotty first years coming in here.’ She told him. ‘I thought it best if we weren’t disturbed… Right. Let’s see what you’ve got.’

Harry tried with all his might to make various objects fly across the room towards him. Hermione had chosen a good room, there was no shortage of Potion ingredients he could summon from the cupboard.

He was still having problems. The various plants Hermione had him summoning kept losing heart halfway across the room and drifted down the floor.

‘Concentrate, Harry, concentrate.’ Hermione told him as she picked up the latest ingredient to grace the stone floor.

‘What d’you think I’m trying to do?’ Harry barked angrily. ‘A great big dragon keeps popping up in my head for some reason.’

Hermione let out a sigh and demonstrated the spell again. ‘Try again.’ She told him.

‘Draco told me you had an interesting Divination lesson.’ She told him as the sky went dark.

Harry picked his most recent effort up off the floor, the blue flowers had nearly made it to him this time. ‘Oh, yeah. Madam Sybil said that the position of Mars and Saturn meant that anyone born in July was in danger of sudden, violent deaths.’

Hermione nodded, just as Draco had recounted for her. Though Draco had been laughing as he told her. Harry had turned around and snapped: “Well, that’s good just as long as it’s not drawn-out. I don’t want to suffer”.

‘You need to get a better grip on your temper.’ Hermione told him, withholding a smile.

‘You’re one to talk Granger. Didn’t you hex that Slytherin Prefect for calling you a Mud- you know what?’ Harry reminded her.

‘Blackwood was fine… they filed his horns down in the end. And he won’t be calling anyone else a Mudblood again.’ Hermione told him. 

‘I heard Snape was livid.’ Harry said.

Livid was an understatement. Poor Blackwood had been sat having his horns filed down when Snape had billowed into the Hospital Wing and stripped him of his rank of Prefect… Not the best way to start a school year. His badge had gone to Montague. 

They kept practising till gone one am. Only in the last hour had Harry really got the hang of the Summoning Charm.

‘That’s better Harry, loads better.’ Hermione praised him, looking just as exhausted as Harry, also looking very pleased. 

‘Well, now I know what to do next time I can’t manage a spell. Threaten me with a dragon.’ Harry yawned.

Harry raised his wand once more. ‘Accio wolfsbane.’ 

The purple-blue flower flew across the room and into his hand.

‘Just as long as it works tomorrow.’ Harry said as he returned his practice flower to its jar. ‘The Firebolt’s father away and heavier than a flower.’

Hermione frowned at him. ‘That doesn’t matter… didn’t you take in any of that theory work I had you looking at?’ She sighed. ‘Summon it now.’

‘What?’

‘Your broom. Summon it now.’ She told him.

Harry held out his wand. ‘Accio Firebolt!’ 

Hermione walked and opened the door; Snape really would kill her if they punched a hole through his door. 

It took a moment, but eventually they heard the whoosh of a high-speed object moments before it was pulled into the room. Harry only just managed to throw his hand out and catch the broom before it slammed into his face. 

He stared at the broom in his hand in shock for a moment, as if he couldn’t believe the marvel of his own magic. 

‘Feel better?’ Hermione asked.

Harry looked up from his broom. ‘Yep. Thanks.’ 

Hermione turned from him to return the jar of Wolfsbane flowers to their shelf.

‘Make sure you wash your hands before you touch Neville. That stuff’s poisonous to him now.’ Hermione told him as she stepped out of the cupboard. ‘Wolfsbane leaves traces on the skin, you’ll have to have a good scrub.’ 

Harry’s eyes widened and he looked down at his hand not clutching his broomstick. ‘Gods yeah, right. I forgot. I’ll do that now... Thanks so much for all your help Granger. Really, you’re a good friend.’

Hermione waved him off. ‘Don’t worry about it. Come on, you need to get some sleep for tomorrow. You’ll need it.’

* * *

Harry had been so focused on learning the Summoning Charm, he had to give it to her, Hermione was a fantastic teacher… but he’d been so focused that his blind panic had left him. It returned, full force, the following morning.

Over at the Slytherin table, Hermione’s hands wouldn’t stop shaking. The atmosphere in the school was one of great tension and excitement.

Back at the Gryffindor table, Harry felt oddly separate from everyone around him. Everyone, even the Hufflepuff’s, wouldn’t stop wishing him luck and then looking at him with a mixture of pity and concern.

McGonagall had hurried Harry out of the Great Hall at the start of lunch, he’d only been able to stomach a few mouthfuls of toast anyway. The rest of the school would make their way down after they’d eaten. 

He’d shared a lingering glance with Ginny and then received a thumbs up from Hermione as he left in a daze. 

Ginny got up from the Gryffindor table with Neville and walked quickly to the Slytherin table and sat down in Daphne’s vacant place. ‘Tell me he’s not going to die please.’ She whispered to Hermione.

‘He’s not going to die.’ Hermione told her as calmly as she could manage. ‘Harry told you we’d been handling Wolfsbane right?’ Hermione asked Neville.

Neville nodded and raised an absent finger to feel a large partially healed over cut on his cheek, before dropping his hand again. ‘Yeah. He scrubbed about ten layers of skin off his hands before he would come anywhere near me.’

‘I thought Wolfsbane was only bad after you’d transformed?’ Blaise asked Neville.

Neville shook his head. ‘No. It’s always deadly. There goes my career in potions.’ He joked weakly. 

‘But it’s in the Wolfsbane potion?’ Blaise asked again, this time directing the question to Hermione.

‘The other ingredients and the way it’s brewed change the plant. Kind of. It’s one of the most complicated potions going. The point is the effectively silence the Wolf and leave the man awake… and I don’t think we use enough Wolfsbane to kill anyway, only one flower goes in.’ 

Ginny necked the last of Neville’s orange juice. ‘Shall we go down. I want a good seat… but I also really don’t want a good seat.’ 

Hermione linked arms with Ginny for the walk down. ‘Don’t worry, we’ll sit front row and spend the entire task watching from behind our fingers.’ 

* * *

McGonagall walked Harry down the front steps of the castle, she seemed more nervous than he was. She placed a hand on his shoulder. 

‘Now, don’t panic.’ She told him. ‘Just keep a cool head. We’ve got people on hand if you get into any real danger. Just try your best and nobody will think badly of you… Are you alright?’

‘Yes.’ Harry heard himself tell her. ‘Yes, I’m fine. Hermione helped me prepare.’ 

McGonagall seemed to sag in relief. ‘You’re going to be fine then.’

She was leading him towards the place where the dragons were, around the edge of the forest where Hagrid had taken him. But this time as he approached the clump of trees behind which the enclosure was clearly visible. 

A large tent had been erected and McGonagall led Harry straight to it and right to the entrance. 

‘You’re to go in here with the other champions.’ Professor McGonagall’s voice was rather shaky. ‘Mr Bagman will see you in there, he’s going to tell you all the procedure… Good luck Potter.’ 

‘Thanks.’ Harry said in a flat voice. He’d heard the stories of Draco and Hermione interacting with the Gods, he began to pray silently that one might come down from the heavens and save him.

Harry ducked inside the tent. 

Fleur Delacour was sitting in the corner on a low stool, she didn’t look as composed as usual. Victor Krum was stood away from everyone else, he seemed to have retreated into himself. Cedric Diggory was pacing up and down.

All three champions greeted Harry. He wondered if it was Cedric or Victor that had brought Fleur around to the idea, he hadn’t entered himself. She seemed to have joined the worry-brigade. 

Harry tried to smile back at the three older champions, but his facial muscles seemed to have forgotten how to work.

‘Harry! Good-O!’ It was Bagman. Clearly, he couldn’t read the room because he clapped Harry on the shoulder happily. ‘Come in! Make yourself at home!’

Bagman looked incredibly foolish. He was wearing his old Wasps uniform that couldn’t contain his belly, and was rather red in the face from years of heavy drinking.

‘Well, now we’re all here – it’s time to fill you in!’ Bagman addressed the room cheerfully. Harry thought he might throw up. 

‘In a moment, I’m going to be offering each of you this bag.’ He held up a sack of purple silk and shook it at them. ‘From this, you will each select a small model of the thing you are about to face!’ 

From a look at the other three champions, Harry didn’t think he would be the only one who would be throwing up. He hoped some of them would be able to get some sick on Bagman and his ridiculous outfit.

‘There are different – er – varieties, you see!’ Bagman continued. ‘Your task is to collect the golden egg! Without it, you cannot hope to proceed to the next task…’

Cedric began to pace again. Fleur and Krum didn’t react at all, this apparently wasn’t news to them. Or perhaps they, like Harry, thought they might be sick if they moved or opened their mouths. 

Harry felt rather annoyed by their nerves, if he was being honest. He was more composed than any of them and they were the ones that had volunteered! 

Hundreds of pairs of feet could be heard passing the tent just as Bagman opened the bag. 

‘Ladies first!’ He turned to fleur with the bag.

She put a shaking hand inside the bag and drew out a tiny, perfect model of a dragon — a Welsh Green. It had the number two around its neck. And Harry knew, by the fact that Fleur showed no sign of surprise, but rather a determined resignation, that he had been right: Madame Maxime had told her what was coming.

The same held true for Krum. He pulled out the scarlet Chinese Fireball. It had a number three around its neck. He didn’t even blink, just sat back down and stared at the ground.

Cedric put his hand into the bag, and out came the blueish-gray Swedish Short-Snout, the number one tied around its neck.

A deep sense of dread filled Harry as he knew what was left in the bag for him. He began to silently agree with what Hermione had first said as he’d described the four dragons he’d seen: “Surely you should all face the same breed to standardise it!”.

Harry put his hand into the silk bag and pulled out the Hungarian Horntail, and the number four. It stretched its wings as he looked down at it, and bared its minuscule fangs. Even in miniature, his dragon looked more threatening than the others.

Perhaps Bagman had rigged it? Maybe _he_ was the one out to kill him. It was a cunning rouse if it were true – be that ridiculous that nobody suspects you… He’d run the theory by Hermione later… if he didn’t get his head bashed in by that dragon.

‘The number on your dragon refers to the order in which you are to compete in, see? I’m going to leave you in a moment… I’m commentating. Mr Diggory, you’ll go first… but first there is something you should know-’

Outside the tent – there came a great roaring cheer.

Bagman didn’t seem surprised at this. ‘You’re all performing for Royalty! The King and Princess are attending! As are your families! So put your best foot forwards! I wish you all good luck!’

* * *

Hermione and her friends made their way into the stands. They did indeed manage front row seats. To their right, they had a clear view of the judge’s station and directly below them was the rocky enclosure. 

The stands around them filled quickly, soon everyone was packed into the rows of seats. 

There was polite applause as the three Headmasters and two ministry judges took their seats. 

Down in the ring – a group in official-looking robes were setting up. Hermione thought she recognised the familiar Weasley red-hair on one of them. Charlie Weasley was carrying a golden egg towards what looked to be a nest of real dragon eggs.

Then to the shock of most of the crowd… seven armoured wizards led out a dragon. 

A Swedish Short-Snout, an attractive silvery-blue dragon. 

Hermione began raking her brain for facts on the beautiful dragon. Its skin used to create gloves and shields, incredibly hot blue fire… though it did have fewer human killings to its name than most dragons, that could be due to its remote habitats though. They didn’t attack unless provoked. Hermione imagined dragging a nesting dragon across the world would be rather provoking.

The armed wizards tethered the dragon into a large hook that had been bolted deep into the rocky ground, then they fled before they could be burned. It seemed the first challenge was set up and ready to go.

Dumbledore stood to address the crowd and silence fell as he raised his hand to call for silence. ‘Their Majesties, King Armand and Princess Matilda!’

The two royals, who were not expected at all, emerged onto the judge’s panel. 

A great roaring cheer shot through the crowd; Hermione was among the cheering. Somehow, she felt much safer for Harry knowing the King was here.

Hermione turned to Draco. ‘Did you know they were coming?’ She asked Draco as they cheered along with everyone else.

He shook his head. ‘I thought they were both in Tanzania!’ They did look quite tanned now that Hermione got a good look at them. 

‘Why Tanzania?’ She asked, everyone was still cheering loudly.

‘Oh, they had a meeting with their Minister for Magic I presume.’ Draco told her. ‘Africa has their own version of the Triwizard Tournament, it’s every five years though and you can only enter it once you’ve finished school and you have to have reached certain grades to enter.’

‘Sounds dangerous.’ Hermione said as the cheers finally began to die down. Armand and Matilda were being led by Dumbledore to two chairs set away from the judge’s booth. 

‘Hmm. I read an article about it before I started Hogwarts, the last time it was held? It makes our tasks look like a walk in the park. They’re all the best of the best though, their champions… I don’t think anyone’s ever died…’

‘We should have the same entry rules.’ She looked down at the blue dragon in the ring as she spoke. ‘To expect children to fight off a dragon is insane.’ 

Dumbledore was speaking again but Hermione couldn’t hear. Next though, four people were stepping into the judge’s box. A representative of the champions families. Krum’s mother, Fleur’s mother, Cedric’s father, and Sirius Black.

There was a great gasp around the circle at the sight of the man. But Hermione and her friends all continued the cheer at the sight of him. 

‘The surprise! He told Harry he would surprise him!’ Neville said loudly as he clapped.

Hermione couldn’t wait to see Harry’s face when he walked out to see his Godfather, he hadn’t seen him all summer!

Then Cedric was emerging into the enclosure. He didn’t look around at everyone watching him, nor did he look to the judges or notice his father. His eyes were fixed on the blue dragon.

He was pointing his wand at a large rock on the ground. Then the younger years gasped as the rock turned into a large shaggy dog. 

‘Oh no.’ Hermione muttered.

‘What?’ Draco leant into her side to whisper. 

‘This is a bad idea.’ Hermione said.

The crowd didn’t help, they were screaming with excitement as Cedric crept around the dragon. She had to give it to her desk-buddy, it worked for him… until it didn’t. 

‘Taking risks this one!’ Bagman roared, his amplified voice echoing over the arena.

The dragon broke off its chase for the dog once Cedric had gotten too close to her nest for comfort. It began to charge Cedric down – he had to leap out of the path of her blue fire as the crowd screamed. Across the arena, Hermione spotted Cho Chang hide her face in her hands.

‘Clever move – pity it didn’t work!’ Bagman laughed. 

Cedric remained hidden behind his large rock until the dragon picked up the chase for the dog once again. He emerged clutching his arm – it looked to be painfully burnt… as did his face. 

But he got the golden egg. He hoisted it triumphantly into the air as the official dragon-wranglers stunned the poor mother dragon in the enclosure.

Hermione jumped to her feet to cheer for her friends, though she did greatly disapprove of the animal cruelty, she’d be taking this up with the King the next time she got him alone. 

‘Very good indeed!’ Bagman said as the dragon was being taken away. ‘And now the marks from the judges!’ 

The ring was set up with a different set of eggs and again Charlie Weasley delicately smuggled the golden egg amongst the real ones.

‘One down, three to go!’ Bagman yelled as the whistle blew to summon the next champion. 

Another dragon was brought out, a Common Welsh Green. Sleek, and smaller than the last dragon. Hermione knew it to be a relatively subdued breed, which really wasn’t fair on the other champions.

The dragon let out a melodious roar and issued a narrow jet of fire at one of the wizards bolting her chain into the ground.

Fleur emerged to great cheers from the male populations of all three schools. ‘Miss Delacour!’ Bagman introduced her.

The pretty girl didn’t look as regal as she usually did, she was trembling from head to toe. But she had a firm grasp on her wand. Hermione felt a gush of warmth for the French girl, she looked terrified, but she was facing down the enemy at and rate.

Fleur pointed her wand straight at the dragon’s face and muttered a charm Hermione didn’t hear.

‘Oh, I’m not sure that was wise!’ Bagman called. He must have heard the spell.

It didn’t matter, a moment later the effect became apparent. She’d tried to put the dragon to sleep. It worked… to an extent. It certainly became drowsy… but then it snored. 

‘Oh… nearly! Careful now!’

A great jet of flame shot out of its nose, right at Fleur. 

She screamed as the flames licked at her. Her outfit was set aflame. 

Then Fleur seemed to remember she was a witch and pointed her wand at the flames and doused them with a jet of water. 

‘… good lord, I thought she’d had it then!’

Hermione wished Bagman would shut up. He wasn’t doing any form of useful commentary. 

Fleur, now extinguished, hid behind a rock for a few minutes while she fired the sleep spell at the dragon repeatedly until she could be sure of no more surprise bursts.

Then she ran forwards and scooped up her golden egg. The crowd cheered loudly for her success as the judges held up their scores.

The pitch was set up again after Fleur was escorted away, no doubt to get checked over by Madam Pomfrey. Cedric had scored higher marks than her – no doubt because he hadn’t literally been set on fire. 

A red dragon was brought into the ring and attached to the same bolted down peg as the others. It had an odd fringe of golden spikes around its face and was shooting mushroom-shaped fire clouds into the sky to vent its frustration.

‘And here comes Mr Krum!’ Bagman roared.

Hermione was amongst the fan-girls cheering for Krum this time. Krum, unlike the others, did look around the ring. Hermione saw him make eye contact with his mother and the genuine rush of joy on his face at the sight of her warmed Hermione’s heart. Then he spotted the royal box and gave them a quick bow. 

He seemed to be taking a no-nonsense approach to his dragon. He walked calmly right up to the beast and pointed his thick wand right at its face.

‘Very daring!’ Bagman roared. 

The spell shot out of the end of Krum’s wand and hit the dragon straight in the eye. It emitted a horrible, roaring shriek while the crowd drew its collective breath.

The dragon roared in agony and trampled backwards, right into its own nest of eggs. 

Hermione gasped in horror. ‘Oh no! It’s squished her babies!’ She would definitely be speaking firmly to the king.

‘That’s some nerve he’s showing – and – yes! He’s got the egg!’ Bagman bellowed.

Krum had darted forwards with incredible speed once the dragon happened to stagger away from the nest and scooped up his golden egg, though he cast a sorrowful look down and the now crushed eggs.

Nobody else seemed bothered about the broken eggs, applause shattered the wintery air like breaking glass. 

Hermione gripped Draco’s arm in trepidation, it was Harry’s turn now.

The enclosure was set up for the next dragon. The great, thrashing Hungarian Horntail was brought into the ring and its chain was placed into the same bolt in the ground as the other three.

Harry clearly couldn’t see the dragon as he emerged into the ring. He, like Krum, was looking up into the crowd. He didn’t look to the judges’ table though, so he didn’t see the Royals or Sirius. 

Instead, he seemed to focus on Ginny. He let out a breath he seemed to have been holding and stepped further into the ring, breaking his eyes away from the comforting sight of the youngest Weasley.

Finally, as he stepped further into the enclosure, his eyes settled on the great dragon. She was crouched low over her nest of eggs. Her wings were half-furled, her piercing yellow eyes made Hermione shudder. She didn’t have a great track record with yellow-eyed beasts.

This was easily the most intimidating of the four dragons. A monstrously large, scaly, black lizard, thrashing her spiked tail about and leaving devastation in her wake.

Hermione joined in the cheers for Harry, he looked to be concentrating a great deal.

He raised his wand. Hermione saw his mouth mouthing the words “Accio Firebolt” though she couldn’t hear him over the roar of the crowd. 

‘Kitten, you’re going to cut off the blood flow to my arm if you grip it any tighter, and I am rather fond of that arm.’

Hermione realised she was indeed gripping Draco’s arm rather tightly, she let go and mumbled an apology. Draco flexed his fingers in relief as the blood thundered into his fingertips. 

Hermione and the crowd, and undoubtedly Harry, heard the broom before they saw it. It was speeding through the air behind him, coming at him around the edge of the woods. It slammed into his waiting hand just as it had the night before.

Bagman’s amplified voice was shouting something, but none of the crowd was paying any attention to him anymore. They were too busy cheering for Harry as he kicked off the ground on his broom.

Harry seemed more fearless once he was up on his broom, he was back in his element. Hermione imagined he felt as comfortable in the sky as she did in a library.

He circled the enclosure, clearly trying to get a good eye on his target. Hermione wondered if he was imagining the golden egg to be a golden Snitch. 

The rest of the eggs were rather dull, like cement, Harry spotted the golden one with ease. The only issue was that it was nestled against the dragon’s front paws.

Then Harry dived sharply. The crowd went wild. 

The Horntail’s head followed Harry easily, and Harry pulled out of the way just in time to avoid a jet of bright flame.

‘Great Scott! He can fly!’ Yelled Bagman. ‘Are you watching this, Mr Krum?’ He added in a teasing voice.

Harry soared in a high circle. The Horntail had her evil-eye fixed upon him, her large head was revolving around to follow him. If Harry kept up his circling, the dragon would get rather dizzy… but it might lash out and try and crash him down with a jet of fire.

Harry plummeted just as the Horntail opened its mouth, but this time he was less lucky evading. He missed the flames, sure enough – but he was less lucky with the other end of the beast. The tail came up to meet him, he swerved to the far left but the spikes grazed his shoulder. 

Hermione hid her head in Draco’s shoulder. ‘He’s not dead, is he?’ 

‘No, he’s fine – look!’ He prodded her off her shelter and forced her to watch. Harry was indeed fine; his shoulder was a little banged up but he was in no worse state than Cedric had been.

The Horntail didn’t seem to want to take off, she was far too protective of his nest. Though she kept unfurling her wings as if she was on the verge of giving chase.

Harry seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Hermione. He needed to get the dragon in the air… he began to fly, first this way, then the other. Not getting close enough to get caught in her fire and certainly not close enough to be caught again by that bloody tail.

The Horntail’s head rose with him, her neck was now stretched to its fullest extent. She was swaying as she followed him, like a snake before its charmer. 

Harry rose a few more feet, and she let out a roar of exasperation. Harry seemed to be hissing something at the dragon, Hermione wondered in amusement if Harry Potter was taunting a massive dragon.

Whatever he was doing, it worked. Harry dived, flattening himself on his broomstick. Hermione and several others screamed as they were sure he was going far too fast to pull up in time. The dragon had stood on her hind legs moments before to try and reach Harry and this had left her nest exposed. 

Harry pulled out of his dive at the last possible moment and Hermione could only hide her face in Draco’s shoulder once again as she saw Harry had taken both hands off his broom. Draco had taken her up flying countless times now – but she was still very firm – no stunts or reckless flying. 

‘Look up! He’s got it!’ Draco was cheering. 

Hermione looked up to see Harry was indeed just fine, the large golden egg was clutched under his uninjured arm and he was soaring over the stands.

The noise of the crowd was deafening. Harry had not only finished the task – but he had finished well.

‘Look at that!’ Bagman was yelling in excitement. ‘Will you look at that! Our youngest champion is the fastest to get his egg!’

Harry paid on attention to Bagman, he was looking at the dragon keepers rushing forwards to subdue the Horntail. 

Harry landed his broom besides Professor McGonagall, he didn’t know if it was the adrenaline of facing down a dragon, but he grabbed her in a momentary hug before realising what he had done and leaping away from his head of house.

‘That was excellent, Potter!’ McGonagall cried, not all bothered or ruffled that Harry had half tackled her.

It was a good thing he hadn’t landed next to Ginny – he’d have gotten himself into rather a lot of trouble.

He noticed that her hand shook as she felt at the wound on his shoulder. ‘You’ll need to see Madam Pomfrey before the judges give out your score.’ She pointed to her left. ‘Over there – off you go.’

Harry walked out of the enclosure – ears ringing from the roar of the crowd, and saw Madam Pomfrey standing at the mouth of a second tent.

‘Dragons!’ She didn’t try to hide her disgust. She pulled Harry inside and instantly began prodding at Harry’s shoulder with her wand. At once Harry could feel the peculiar pulling sensation that meant his skin was fusing together.

She finished off the wound with some purple liquid that smelt like cough medicine but stung something fierce. 

‘I want you to sit for a minute then you can get your score. Drink this.’ She pushed a cup into his hands and hurried back to continue treating Cedric’s burns. 

Harry gave the cup an inquisitive sniff, it was a sweet potion. He downed it, it tasted oddly like bubble-gum. But all the pain faded away and he felt much stronger.

Harry didn’t want to sit and wait for his result though; he was pumped full of adrenaline… and now there was no pain to damped his fantastic mood. He got to his feet, wanting to see what was going on outside but before he could get outside, a group of his friends snuck in.

Hermione, Draco, Neville, and Ginny each wrapped him in a tight hug for a moment and showered him in compliments. Hermione had fingernail marks on her face where she had been clutching it in fear. 

‘You were the best.’ Draco told him as they walked from the tent. ‘No competition.’ 

‘Sirius is here!’ Ginny told him happily. ‘He’s on the family stand for you.’ 

With this news, Harry pretty much ran out into the enclosure. 

There he was, looking much neater than Harry had ever seen him. He was in a crisp black shirt under a grey jumper and black cloak. His hair was clean and neat and he was freshly shaved, he looked younger than Harry had ever seen him too.

Harry could only raise a hand a wave at his Godfather, who raised his own hand to wave back as he beamed down at him. Then Sirius pointed at the judges stand, apparently aware that Harry wasn’t paying attention to the judges speaking.

Harry turned from his Godfather, there would be time for a happy reunion in a few minutes once he had his score. 

‘It’s marked out of ten.’ Neville whispered to him.

The first judge – Maxime held her wand aloft and shot a long silver ribbon out of it that began to form a number. 

She’d given him an eight. 

‘Bloody good show!’ Draco nudged him in the side giddily.

‘Yes, just _spiffing_ darling!’ Hermione couldn’t help herself mocking Draco in the moment. His inner posh boy would come out when he forgot himself sometimes.

Draco playfully elbowed her side – if that had been any of his other friends, stern actions would have followed. 

Mr Crouch came next. He shot a nine into the air.

‘Yes!’ Ginny was jumping for excitement.

Dumbledore too put up a nine. 

That was the score that mattered the most to Harry. Approval from Dumbledore went a long way for him. 

Harry glanced to the side and his mood was further elevated as he saw the King and Princess give him a private approving nod. The King then held up his own fingers on his lap so that only Harry coulsd see, _ten_. If only his score counted.

Ludo Bagman gave him a ten.

‘But I got hurt?’ Harry frowned.

‘Don’t complain!’ Neville yelled in excitement. 

Karkaroff raised his wand. Four. 

‘What?’ Ginny bellowed furiously. ‘You gave Krum a ten you biased scumbag!’ 

Ginny’s disapproval seemed to be shared by the rest of the audience, who loudly booed the score from the Bulgarian Headmaster.

But Harry didn’t care. It wouldn’t have mattered if all the judges had given him a zero, he’d made it through relatively unharmed. And Ginny’s anger over the score snub was adding to his great mood – her indignation was worth a thousand points to him. 

He was pumped full of adrenaline now, he kind of wished he could be alone with Ginny now. For a moment, he wished everyone else would go away. He wanted to make his move, no more toeing around each other like he saw Hermione and Draco doing.

‘You’re tied for first place!’ Fred and George Weasley appeared with their brother Charlie on tow. Ron was stood quietly behind them.

‘That was really impressive, Harry.’ Ron mumbled.

‘Thanks.’ Harry said back. 

If Ron wanted to offer an olive branch – he would accept it. Not that they would ever be great friends, but having his leg bitten off last year seemed to have changed the boy. Apart from one snarky comment to Draco, he’d been rather well behaved this year.

Ron nodded to the group and then walked off with the departing crowd.

Charlie left the group soon after they began to walk back up to the school. ‘I told mum I’d write to her as soon as possible. But they need to you hang around Harry, Bagman wants to talk to the champions in the tent about the next challenge.’

Fred and George left with Charlie… Ginny, Hermione, and Draco remained outside the tent to wait for Harry as he quickly ducked in.

‘How are you all?’ Came a chocolate voice. The foursome had been trying to peer inside the champions’ tent and at the sound of this new voice, they all leapt into the air.

‘Sirius!’ Draco said joyfully. He rushed forwards to shake Sirius’ hand, then hugged the man. ‘I had no idea you were coming!’ 

Sirius smiled at the group. ‘I thought I’d surprise Harry. I only have a few minutes though. I have an interview tonight I need to prepare for.’ 

‘An interview?’ Hermione asked. 

Sirius gave her a friendly kiss to the cheek. When you fight off a Werewolf together, you become good friends. ‘A friend of mine in the Auror department got me one… If I want to get custody of Harry, I need to prove I’m capable of responsibility and all that.’

Neville also stepped forwards to shake Sirius’ hand.

‘Don’t you have the Black fortune?’ Ginny asked. 

Ginny and Sirius hadn’t interacted much, she’d been cursed by Pettigrew and not come to the clearing where the fight had occurred and she had still been unconscious while he’d made his great escape. 

Sirius raised an awkward hand to scratch at the back of his head. ‘That… I kind of donated most of it to causes I knew would piss my old mum off.’

Hermione and Draco grinned at this.

‘I’m still set for life – but I need to prove to the ministry that I am a responsible adult and I’ve not been addled by twelve years in a cell.’

Hermione smiled and gave Sirius another hug. ‘I’m sure you’ll smash it. You’ll be an Auror soon enough!’

Sirius gained a far-off look. ‘James and I always said we’d sign up after the war ended. I think this is a good way to honour his memory…’

‘Sirius?’ Harry had emerged from the tent with the other champions. The others all filed off to say hello to their respective parents. Harry ran through the small crowd and threw himself into Sirius’ waiting arms.

‘You did so well! I’m so proud of you!’ Sirius said as he clapped Harry on the back.

The foursome backed off for a few minutes to give Harry and Sirius some space. They saw Harry earn a great smile of pure excitement and joy – no doubt Sirius had told him of his imminent interview. 

They didn’t have long – Sirius had to leave. They hugged goodbye and promised to write soon then Harry was walking over to them, he was wiping at his eyes a moment before he reached them.

Then he took Ginny’s hand. ‘I’ll see you guys later?’ 

He gave Hermione a pointed look and she knew where she wasn’t wanted. Draco wasn’t as _with it_ as she was. Before he could stupidly ask why he wanted them to leave Hermione took his arm and pulled him away. Neville followed after them.

‘You were so great!’ Ginny told him as he nodded and began pulling her towards the lake. They often took walks together when they wanted to escape for a few minutes – so she didn’t think much of it.

‘What did they want you back in the tent for?’

Harry couldn’t really hear her properly; his mind was racing. He needed to act before he lost his nerve. 

‘Erm. The next task is in February... there’s a clue in the egg… I’ll open it tomorrow; I want a break.'

Then Harry opened his mouth again to say what would probably be a mess of words when Rita Skeeter chose her moment perfectly, she ran right over to Harry and Ginny.

‘Congratulations, Harry!’ Her Quick-Quotes Quill was out. ‘I wonder if you could give me a quick word-’

‘I’ll give you a quick word.’ Ginny interrupted the reporter. ‘Good-bye.’ 

Then she pulled Harry away and up the lake path that bordered the forest, their usual walk. 

‘Horrible woman.’ Ginny was ranting as she pulled him along. Harry could only grin at her. Why had he been nervous?

He stopped walking once they were far out of sight. ‘Gin?’ 

‘Hmm?’ 

‘I really like you.’ He said calmly.

Her eyes widened in shock. ‘Where’s this – what – why… I didn’t think.’ He appeared to have broken her.

He stepped up close to her and looked down into her eyes and she went silent.

He raised a hand to brush a stray strand of fiery hair out of her face. He left his hand on her cheek and brushed his thumb over her cheekbone.

This contact seemed to snap Ginny out of her shock. She reached up with a smile, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled him down to her level. Their lips met somewhat clumsily, but it was perfect all the same.

* * *

_Harry – _

Everyone had been breakfasting at the Slytherin table. Ginny and Harry were sat incredibly close together, but they hadn’t announced anything so Hermione didn’t publicly ask. 

Ginny had winked at her as she’d sat down at the table and Hermione knew she’d get all the gossip later.

They were all having a grand old time until a letter had arrived for Harry.

_You mentioned yesterday who I suspect could have put your name into the Goblet of Fire. _

_I have a few theories on that score – but my prime suspect is Karkaroff. _

_He was a Death Eater, back in the day. He was in Azkaban with me, but he was released for dobbing in a few high-ranking Death Eaters. He’s not very popular in there – I can tell you that._

_From what I hear – he’s been teaching Dark Arts to every student he can get his hands on. So, even if he seems to be a nice guy, beware the Durmstrang champion – he’ll know some seriously dark magic._

_You also mentioned Hermione was suspicious of Moody. I’ve been keeping an eye on the Prophet since summer. Reading between the lines – it sounds like Moody was attacked the night before he started Hogwarts. _

_I think someone tried to stop him from getting to Hogwarts. I think someone knew their job would be a lot more difficult with him around. Mad-Eye’s heard intruders a bit too often. But that doesn’t mean he can’t still spot the real thing. _

_The Death Eaters seem to be a bit more active than usual lately. They showed themselves at the Quidditch World Cup, and then — did you hear about that Ministry of Magic witch who’s gone missing? She disappeared in Albania, and that’s definitely where Voldemort was rumoured to be last._

_Moody might just be a bit jumpy – or it could be something worse and all those curses are finally catching up with him. _

_I just know that Moody is serious business. If he’s not one hundred per-cent right, please be careful around him. I trust Granger, if she says there’s something not right – trust her. _

_I’ll make some discreet enquires in MY NEW JOB! I got the post! Extra good news – the King interceded on my behalf; I’m going to be doing the advanced training route. I’ll be a fully-fledged Auror within a year. _

_It does mean that I won’t have a day off all year – but I’ve just spent twelve years sat in a cell. Every day being full sounds good to me… and it means you’ll be able to come and live with me sooner rather than later._

_The Black house is in a bit of a state at the minute – I’m staying in a London flat with Remus for now… I thought it could be a summer project for us and we could do the house up together? Let me know what you think. _

_If you want, we can sell it off and buy a house in Godric’s Hollow where your parents are buried? I’ll live anywhere really._

_Speaking of your parents, I’ll take you to their grave over summer if you want?_

_Sirius_

Harry looked like he was getting emotional at the news Sirius was so keen to have him live with him – and he’d even offered to sell his ancestral home so he could try and be closer to his parents. 

Or perhaps his eyes were getting red at the idea of going to his parent’s grave with their oldest friend.

Hermione received a desperate glance from Ginny. Ginny was no good when boys got upset, she’d just start crying herself. Hermione decided a change in topic was in order.

‘Hey, did you find the next clue? What do we need to start preparing for?’ Hermione asked.

Harry snorted. ‘That! Fat lot of good that was. Thought my ears would start bleeding. I opened it when I was still in bed and nearly fell out of it from shock. It was just some creature screaming.’ 

‘You’re not going to have to fight a Banshee, are you?’ Zabini asked in clear concern.

‘No – it wasn’t a banshee.’ Ginny said absently picking at her toast.

‘Hmm. I’ll get researching and get back to you. You should start looking into creatures with unusual voices in the library.’ Hermione told him.

‘Where will you look?’ Harry asked her.

‘Another resource.’ She told him.

‘Want to walk down to the dungeon with me, Gin?’ She asked.

Ginny had a Sunday detention with Snape for mouthing off in class. 

The two girls left the Great Hall arm in arm.

‘So…’ Hermione couldn’t fight the smile on her face.

‘So…’ Ginny said back. 

Then the girls began excited squealing and jumping up and down. 

‘Tell me everything!’ Hermione said.

‘So, we went for this really nice walk around the lake and all of a sudden he’s telling me he likes me and we kiss.’

‘You kissed?’ Hermione asked excitedly. ‘Then what happened?!’

‘We walked around the lake for ages just talking… and then we were still talking but it was time for bed so I went up to his room – don’t judge me!’

Hermione held her hands up in mock surrender. How could she judge Ginny, she – despite many times saying she wouldn’t – regularly slept in Draco’s bed.

‘And we were just talking – but then I must have fallen asleep… I woke up this morning and he was spooning me and it was amazing! And we were all giggly and he said we should open his egg. So, we did – and it was awful!’ Ginny laughed. ‘It woke everyone up! I had to hide under his bed until everyone left!’ 

Then Hermione asked if they were a proper couple now.

Ginny nodded. ‘Yeah – I think so… We said we’d talk more today but it’s what we both want. Don't tell anyone!’

‘Aw! I’m so happy for you!’ Hermione gushed and pulled the younger girl into a hug. 

They had reached the dungeons now.

‘So… what’s going on with you and Draco?’ Ginny asked.

Hermione snorted. ‘Nothing. He has a girlfriend, and I’m kind of seeing Krum. Now, off you go to your detention.’ 

Ginny rolled her eyes and walked off towards the potion’s classroom.

Once the coast was clear, Hermione ducked down into Hufflepuff’s secret tunnels and made a beeline to the library.

_Menagerie of Mayhem, Dangers of the Sand Wolves, Your Familiar and You._ Hermione examined the titles of the book in the “creature” section. 

Finally, she came to rest on a very old tome. _Rare and dangerous beasts – Helga Hufflepuff._

That looked promising. She began flicking through the book – looking for any keywords of strange-sounding, screams, or golden eggs – perhaps that itself was the clue?

This book seemed to be filled with the most dangerous creatures to ever walk the earth, all creatures mentioned were at least a XXXXX rating. 

Even the demons that the Dusman hunted were mentioned. Hermione hoped she’d never need to face anything in this book. She was about to give up with the tome and put it back on the shelf when her eyes scanned over a final passage.

Then she froze. 

_The Wolfblood._

‘Neville?’

* * *

* * *

  
Hey guys.

So I’ve completely finished the planning for this story (by that I mean putting it down on paper). It’s going to run until they’re 23 (there will be a little time jump when they finish Hogwarts) and have an epilogue when they’re approaching 40. So, we’re in it for the long haul.

Also, someone pointed out to me that I’ve been putting a M in Zabini. THANK YOU for pointing this out to me, I didn’t even realise I was doing it. FORGIVE ME MY FOOLISH ERRORS! 

Finally, sorry for the rather late update. I’ve been battling a slight fever – the issue was that it massively kicked my asthma off and I was that breathless I couldn’t sleep. All better now, mostly.

Love you all,

E x


	73. Imari Vs Skeeter

The first thing Hermione had done was to go and get Draco. She’d taken him down into the secret library and shown him the book.

_The Wolfblood – a cousin to the Werewolf – is considerably more dangerous than its kin._

_They have considerably enhanced senses while in human form and seem well adjusted for the first few years. _

_But as time passes, and they turn into the Werewolf each month, they lose some humanity each time. They become more like the wolf – more savage – as time goes by… this continues until the man is gone – leaving only a rabid beast needing to be put down._

_I was called to deal with a Wolfblood before we founded the school – a good man who had been infected as a child, who always took care to lock himself away during the full moon – was changed. _

_According to the man’s wife, he began to be angrier and angrier, and their enhanced skills: speed and strength mainly, will grow with their anger._

_The man killed twelve muggles. It took the lives of five Auror’s to bring him down._

_It is my formal recommendation that any Wolfblood be put down due to the extreme danger to society they represent. _

‘Well, shit.’ Draco gasped, he read and reread the page several times. ‘Neville won’t get like this, will he? He’s fine now!’ 

‘It said it takes years…’ Hermione felt shaken to the core. Lovely Neville… she couldn’t imagine him as a beast.

Draco was running his finger over the picture on the accompanying page. It was of the man Hufflepuff had described. He had grown fangs and claws, and was dripping in the blood of his victims.

‘We should tell him.’ Draco said, pushing the book away from himself.

‘Should we?’ Hermione asked.

Draco turned and frowned at her. ‘I’m sorry. Neville could lose his mind and be a full-time wolf-man, and you don’t want to tell him?’ 

Hermione bit her lip. ‘I don’t know… I don’t want to scare him over nothing… all this book says is one instance. That’s not enough for me.’ 

Draco took a moment to think about his answer. ‘Fine… this says it takes years to happen I suppose… after exams? That gives us eight months to research the hell out of this.’

Hermione nodded. ‘That sounds good to me… let’s get to work.’

* * *

December arrived in a haze for Hermione and Draco. They both had heavy course loads, were researching the egg for Harry, and now had the added worry that one of their best friends would lose his mind. 

They rose early, and went to bed late. It was getting to the point that they were going to use Draco’s time-turner to give them even more research time when they’d decided enough was enough and come up with a schedule. 

Monday-Wednesday was for their own school work, Thursday and Friday were for helping Harry, and the entire long days of the weekend would be dedicated to researching the Wolfblood condition.

Draco had also reached out, formally as a Royal Duke, to ask the only Werewolf expert they knew of… they were now waiting to hear back from Damocles Belby any day now. Surely the inventor of the Wolfsbane potion could give them some insight.

It was Draco who’d had the idea to write to Mr Belby. Hermione had been fairly shocked she hadn’t thought of it if she was being honest with herself. She supposed it was one of the reasons she and Draco complemented each other so well, they could bounce ideas off each other wonderfully and come up with brilliant plans.

Hermione must have read nearly every dangerous creature book in both libraries’ now – and she hadn’t learnt anything new. So far, Hufflepuff’s warning of one lone event was all they could find.

Millie was sat at the breakfast table sketching in her design portfolio when the morning owls arrived. She quickly stowed away her fashion books – there had been an unfortunate incident a few weeks ago with her aged family owl, Willow, knocking an entire pot of tea over her sketchpad and ruining all of her designs. 

‘Oh, sweet Merlin.’ Draco said as he viewed the front page. Hermione was about to ask him what was wrong when she saw the massive smile on his face. Finally, some good news.

He passed the paper to Hermione, thrust it in her face really.

‘Oh my.’ Hermione said, her face also gaining a shocked yet ultimately thrilled grin.

On the front page, filling the entire spread apart from one line of text. In full royal regalia was the crown Princess of Europe… and attached to her lips in a dark corner was her faithful guard Tom. 

_A Royal Romance?_ Led the title.

‘Are they formally together in the public then?’ Hermione asked, passing the paper back to him.

Draco shook his head. ‘Not as far as I know… suppose an announcement will come any day now though… secrets out now ain’t it?’ He said with a jolly laugh. 

The second page of the society section was taken up with another picture of the couple, probably moments after their supposedly private kiss. They were gazing tenderly at each other, to the point that Hermione felt unsettled to be viewing such an intimate moment. 

‘Why don’t they just get married? They’re obviously mad for each other.’ Hermione said as she leaned into Draco’s shoulder to view the picture.

Draco shrugged and sighed. ‘Only the Gods know what’s going on there. Neither of them is the sharing type. For all I know they could have eloped years ago and not told anyone.’

Hermione imagined for a moment that they had indeed eloped. ‘Imagine if they did, the Prophet would go crazy.’

They both shared a chuckle at the idea – the public would be furious to be denied a royal wedding. Especially the royal wedding of their beloved princess.

Draco flicked through the paper, there were several pictures of the couple in their little sheltered corner.

‘She loves sticking her nose into my life, but I don’t even know what her favourite colour is.’ He huffed.

Hermione frowned at that… Matilda was always very nice… but now that she thought about it, she didn’t give much away. Hermione supposed that growing up in the spotlight as the King’s only heir would make someone protective of their private life. 

There was a very famous picture of Matilda, a Prophet photographer had stuck a camera right in her tear-stained face while she lay in a bed in hospital, she had just discovered her mother’s death. Then there were pictures of that reporter being arrested by a team of royal guards with a bloody nose.

Draco tossed the paper down in favour of a muffin. ‘Any breakthrough in Potter’s clue yet?’ 

Hermione shook her head. ‘He just keeps saying it’s some gargled screech… I’ll have to have a listen and see if I can make anything out.’

‘You haven’t actually heard it?’ Draco asked. ‘But it’s been weeks.’ 

Hermione shrugged. ‘Not been much point until now… he said it’s a screech so I looked into that but it’s turned up no leads. I’ll have a listen now and see if I recognise it at all.’ Hermione yawned.

‘Honestly, I’m so tired.’

‘At least we have the Christmas party-ball thing here to look forward to.’ Draco reminded her. ‘And with winter setting in properly now there could be a lightning storm for me.’

‘Hmm. Yeah, you’ve had to wait much longer than I did for a proper lightning storm. It’s a shame we can’t apparate, we could just pop over to the nearest storm instead of waiting for one to hit.’

‘What’s your first class?’ Draco asked. 

Hermione groaned. ‘Alchemy. I still have no idea what’s going on there.’ 

Draco added an extra sugar into her tea as she yawned again, the bags under her eyes were rather prominent now. ‘Yeah, no way in hell I’m picking that option… although I might take on Ancient History, you like that one, right?’

Hermione nodded. ‘Yeah, it’s great. Just a shame we can’t have a less dreary teacher.’

* * *

Diggory had taken a week-long break from classes due to the burns sustained in the first task. 

He had come back to class to the general rejoicing of his peers, especially his desk buddy. 

_At least your pretty-boy face is fully recovered._ Hermione had teasingly written on their shared parchment. Cedric had just been complaining about the mind scar on his forearm, even though Pomfrey had assured it would completely fade in time.

_Very funny_. Cedric had replied, Hermione could practically feel the sarcasm radiating from him. _How’s Potter holding up?_

_He’s fine I suppose. Helps a lot that everyone agrees now he didn’t put his own name into the Goblet of Fire._ Hermione wrote back.

_Has he made any progress with his egg?_ Cedric wrote. This was the first time they had discussed the trials apart from when she and Harry had told him about the Dragons.

_No… have you?_ She wrote back, she knew he would tell her if he had.

_Unfortunately not. Not too worried though, we’ve still got a few months to figure it out. I don’t think Krum or Fleur have figured it out either. _

Hermione wasn’t sure about that score. Neither of the foreign champions were giving anything away. 

Krum and Hermione were spending lots of time together now – he would sit and do his schoolwork while she did her own or her research… or they would go for long walks around the lake together, those were her favourite moments. 

They never seemed to struggle for conversation – it never needed to turn to the tasks that lay ahead. Although he had complimented her flying strategy Harry had used. 

_I haven’t heard if they have. I don’t think Victor would tell me if he had though, we don’t talk about the trials._ Hermione wrote. _How’s Cho?_

Cedric blushed as he read Cho’s name, Hermione thought it was rather cute how besotted he was with the Ravenclaw. 

_She’s fine. She’s been trying to help me figure out that bloody egg too. If I figure it out, I’ll let you know straight away – whoever put Harry’s name into that goblet is definitely trying to do him in._

‘Granger! Diggory!’ Binns barked. ‘I hope we’re not boring you?’ 

Hermione quickly hid their notes in her own notebook. ‘Sorry Sir.’ She said quickly. 

‘So it was at Temple City that Armand I bestowed the first-ever title of nobility to a non-royal.’ Binns droned on.

They were saved from the monotony by a handout, passed out by Rodger Davies. 

_Ranking Wizarding Nobility_. Read the title. Hermione quickly flashed down the parchment.

_The ranking of our nobility is as followed:_

  1. _The King_
  2. _The Queen (Note: Armand II changed the succession laws to allow a female Queen Regnant)_
  3. _Crown Prince/ Princess – Direct heir of the Monarch._
  4. _Prince/ Princess – non-direct heir of the Monarch._
  5. _Royal Dukes/ Duchesses - Children of the Monarch_
  6. _Dukes/ Duchesses – Non-immediate members of the Royal Family (Note: this form of Dukedom was often bestowed on illegitimate sons who did not qualify for full royal titles.)_
  7. _Marquess/ Marchioness – the highest non-royal title available. At this ranking, titles will revert back to the Crown upon the death of the holder. A monetary arrangement is often reached with surviving family._
  8. _Earl/ Countess – (Note: In Europe, the Earl is known as a Count)_
  9. _Viscount/ Viscountess – This title was introduced by King Audric in 1085 to award his generals._
  10. _Baron/ Baroness – A lower form of rank that gives a smaller estate – the title of Baroness was usually given to favoured mistresses of the King, or those that had borne a child._
  11. _Baronet/Baronetess – The title of Baronetess was usually given to lesser mistresses if they exited service._
  12. _Lord/ Lady – this title does not give an estate – but does afford certain powers in the realm. Lords and Ladies often are called to council the King or have a seat on his council._
  13. _Sir/ Dame – the lowest title that is in name only – no lands, money, or power is afforded._
  14. _Maiden – This title is only given to Priestesses who have commuted the highest level of ritual to the Gods. (Note: only four High Priestesses have completed this unknown ritual – three of them went on to become High Oracle. The trial is apparently involving “a trial of mind and flesh”.)  
_

Hermione put the sheet down, she couldn’t be bothered reading the history of the first titles given out at the moment, she’d allowed her mind to wander.

She had absolutely no intention of ever using her afforded powers of the realm. Though, a seat on the council and the ear of the King didn’t sound bad – she could take the opportunity to effect positive change. 

Then her eyes lingered on the title of Baroness… she and Draco hadn’t kissed since their small slip down in the Ancient Temple but she would be lying if she said she wouldn’t think on it often.

_If_ she did become Draco’s mistress – and that was a big if – she wondered if he’d secure her a larger title. He would have no problem convincing his uncle or his cousin, if she was Queen by then, to give her a title… The idea made her feel suddenly sick. Baroness Granger and her country home where she lived with her illegitimate children to be visited by the Duke on weekends while his wife was off being a darling of society. 

She pushed the handout away from her.

She didn’t have an issue having children outside of marriage, but she knew “illegitimate” children were thought less of in the wizarding world. 

Hermione began to doodle on her worksheet to put off listening to Binns. It was only when Cedric stood up next to her that she realised the Ghostly Professor had dismissed the class early. 

‘I might go get an early start at this essay then. We’ve got half an hour until dinner.’ Cedric said as he pulled his bag onto his shoulder.

‘What essay?’ Hermione asked, she hadn’t paid attention to the last half of Binns lecture in the slightest.

Cedric gave her an amused sort of look; it was incredibly rare for Hermione Granger to not pay attention in class to the extent she missed a homework assignment. 

‘The essay on the role of Temple City in the early coronation of Kings?’ Cedric said.

‘Oh… that’s actually quite interesting.’ Hermione mused at the possibilities and began drafting an outline in her head.

‘Hmm.’ Cedric hummed in agreement. ‘Want to come to the library with me then?’ 

Hermione thought for a minute as the class walked out. ‘No thanks… All my friends are in Care of Magical Creatures, I’ll wander down and see them.’ 

‘Won’t Hagrid mind that?’ Cedric asked with a raised brow.

Hermione waved him off. ‘Nah, he’ll be cool with it.’ 

Hermione walked down the main staircase with her small class, they were all heading in different directions. Some were going to dump their bags in dorms before dinner, some were going to the library like Cedric, and some were just going to go straight to the Great Hall and wait for dinner. 

‘See you all tomorrow.’ Hermione waved farewell as she headed outside, she would see them all for Alchemy in the morning. 

She pulled her cloak tighter around her as she stepped out into the cold. The start of December had brought a biting wind and sleet to Hogwarts. The castle was always chilly in winter – the thick blankets had already been broken out down in the Slytherin common rooms and the fire was lit at all times now. 

Hermione walked quickly through the school grounds. On the lake, the Durmstrang ship was pitching in the high winds and its dark sails were billowing violently in the already dark skies. That was the issue here in winter – you got up for classes when it was still dark and by the time your last class had ended, it was dark again. Hermione actually felt grateful for the freezing dungeon bedroom when she thought of wintering onboard a wooden ship. 

As she neared Hagrid’s hut, she saw the Beaubatons carriage getting a thorough beating by the wind, it looked to be in danger of tipping. But, if he pampered natures of the French students was anything to go by, Hermione was willing to bet her tiara that inside of that wooden carriage would be stately rooms fit for a King.

Hermione was coming down in order to see the “famous” Skrewts of Hagrid’s, or perhaps “infamous” would be a better word for the beasts.

There were only ten left now, apparently, they just couldn’t stop killing one another. Shame.

As Hermione made her final approach, she followed the screams of burnt students to find the paddock, she got a good look at the creatures that had been terrorising her friends. They were all approaching six feet in length, had thick grey armour, and had visible stingers and suckers. Hermione could see Thestrals, and Skrewts were easily the most repulsive thing Hermione had ever seen.

Her friends seemed to be in the process of wrestling the beasts into crates. She overheard Hagrid saying, ‘I’m not sure if they hibernate or not,’ as she stepped into the chaos.

Hermione was privately very glad she had not taken Care of Magical Creatures. It was a valuable subject, and Hermione loved Hagrid to bits, but he didn’t exactly follow the curriculum.

‘What are you doing down here?’ Draco asked as he spotted her. This was timed rather poorly; he’d taken his eyes off the beast he’d been handling and it burned his arm.

‘Fucker!’ Draco barked as he clutched his arm and hissed in pain. Half of Hagrid’s lessons seemed to end in a trip to the Hospital Wing for her friends.

‘Hello Hermione!’ Hagrid waved cheerfully once he’d spotted her. He seemed in good spirits, as if he wasn’t aware of the misery of his favourite students. ‘Don’ panic, now, don’ panic!’ Hagrid began to call as people began to run for their lives.

Skrewts, it transpired, did not hibernate, and did not appreciate being forced into pillow-lined boxes and nailed in. The beasts began a rampage around the pumpkin patch while the class took shelter in Hagrid’s hut. Hermione made quick work of numbing any burn injuries and sending approximately half the class up the Madam Pomfrey for treatment.

Crabbe, Goyle, Harry, Hermione, and a burnt but stubborn Draco were the only students brave enough, or perhaps it was loyalty to Hagrid, who returned outside to help round up the frenzied creatures.  
Crabbe and Goyle had been backed into the wall of Hagrid’s hut by the beast, while Hermione and Harry made to grab it from behind. Draco was stood ready to pounce with the rope.

‘Well, well, well… doesn’t this look fun.’ 

Hermione and Draco both groaned at the sound of the familiar and highly unwelcome voice. Rita Skeeter was leaning on Hagrid’s garden face, looking in at the mayhem, she had a sparkle to her eyes that Hermione did not like at all.

She was wearing a thick magenta cloak with a furry purple collar today, and her crocodile-skin handbag was over her arm.

Hagrid ignored the woman for a moment as he launched himself on top of the Skrewt. Once it was “safely” returned to the cage with the other nine monsters, he turned to the reporter. ‘Who’re you?’ He asked.

‘Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet reporter… society pages.’ She beamed at him, letting her golden teeth flash.

‘I’m pretty sure I read that Dumbledore said you weren’t allowed inside the school anymore.’ Hermione said coldly as she crossed her arms. She was still livid about the “ambitious girl” article Skeeter had published about her. She’d had to endure a solid week of hate mail over it.

Rita pretended not to hear her. ‘What are these… unique creatures called?’ She asked.

‘Blast-Ended Skrewts.’ Hagrid grunted.

‘’I’ve never heard of them before.’ Rita said, pulling out her Quick Quotes Quill. ‘Where do they hail from?’

Hagrid gained an instant red flush that crept out of his wild black beard and up his cheeks. Where had Hagrid got these creatures from? Hermione had a sinking suspicion it wasn’t through what the ministry would call the “proper” channels.

Draco, who could clearly read Hermione’s mind at this point, leapt into action. ‘I think they’re really interesting.’ He told the reporter. ‘Aren’t they, Lady Granger?’

Clearly Draco had jumped into what Hermione privately referred to as “fake Royal mode.” It was the only time he ever seriously called her Lady Granger.

‘Oh yes, Your Grace.’ She replied, with just as much charm as one could when stood in a muddy field and having just wrestled nine explosive beasts in said mud. 

Hermione elbowed Harry in the side. ‘Oh yes, very interesting indeed.’ 

Rita seemed delighted at the group before her. Two sons of recently convicted Death Eaters, one boy who lived, one Lady, one Royal Duke, and one mental Professor. She looked like it was Christmas morning and her birthday rolled into one.

‘So, you all take this class?’ She asked, the Quill behind her went to work.

‘I don’t.’ Hermione said while the others nodded.

‘Why not?’ Rita asked, her eyes glinting with the possible scoop ahead.

‘It was decided I didn’t have time for it in my class schedule… I did ask about taking it though.’ She added quickly for Hagrid’s benefit.

‘You skipped two years, correct?’ Rita asked.

Hermione nodded. 

Rita seemed to realise she wasn’t going to get much out of Hermione so she turned on her next victims, Crabbe and Goyle.

‘Have you spoken to your fathers since their trials?’ She asked.

‘Well that’s got a lot to do with Care of Magical Creatures, doesn’t it?’ Crabbe rolled his eyes at the woman. 

‘I have nothing to say to you.’ Goyle added. ‘Castle?’ He asked Crabbe, who nodded. The two boys then effectively fled the scene.

‘So, Your Grace? Harry? You both like Care of Magical Creatures? Would you say it is one of your favourite subjects?’ Rita continued as if Crabbe and Goyle had never been present.

‘Yes.’ They both answered at the same time automatically, it earned them both a large beam from their teacher.

‘Lovely.’ Rita said. Her Quill was writing furiously. ‘Been teaching long?’ She asked Hagrid.

‘My second year.’ Hagrid told her.

Rita’s eyes openly travelled across the three remaining students outside. Hermione knew the damage she was seeing: a burnt Duke, the boy who lived had singed robes, and Hermione had earned a cut to her face courtesy of her wrangling efforts. The half of the class not presently at the Hospital Wing all had their noses pressed against the glass in Hagrid’s hut, clearly looking to see if the coast was clear.

‘Lovely… I don’t suppose you’d like to give an interview, would you? Share some of your experience of magical creatures? The Prophet does a zoological column every Wednesday, as I’m sure you know. We could feature these — er — Bang-Ended Scoots.’ Rita asked.

‘Blast-Ended Skrewts.’ Hagrid said eagerly. “…Yeah, why not?’

Harry and Draco shared an incredibly concerned look. But there was no way of communicating to Hagrid that it would be a terrible idea without Skeeter knowing, and then she’d go and write an article on how Hogwarts was keeping secrets or some rubbish.

The remaining trio had to watch in concerned silence as Hagrid made plans to meet with Skeeter at the Three Broomsticks for a drink and an interview later in the week.

It was only when they were quite literally saved by the bell ringing, signalling the end of the school day, that Rita Skeeter left in a merry fashion.

‘She’ll twist everything he says.’ Harry groaned under his breath as they walked back up to the castle for dinner.

‘Just as long as he didn’t import those Skrewts illegally or anything.’ Hermione said desperately. They looked at one another - it was exactly the sort of thing Hagrid might do. Nobody could forget the dragon incident of first year.

‘Hagrid’s been in loads of trouble before, and Dumbledore’s never sacked him, has he?’ Draco pointed out, which was a fair point.

This seemed to cheer Harry up. ‘Yeah, you’re right…worst that can happen is Hagrid’ll have to get rid of the skrewts. Sorry . . . did I say worst? I meant best.’

Hermione and Draco could only agree with this, Hermione had only met the creatures for half an hour, and if she ever saw them again in her life it would be too soon.

Conversation turned to Divination as they walked into the Great Hall for dinner, they were among the last to arrive.

Apparently, Madam Sybil had been predicting Harry’s tragic demise again. ‘It’d be a bit more impressive if she hadn’t done it about eighty times before.’ Harry grumbled as he sat down next to Ginny at the Slytherin table.

Hermione was really thankful sometimes that there had been a complete breakdown in the idea of never straying from ones house.

‘If you dropped dead every time she said it, you’d be a medical miracle.’ Draco nodded along as he sat in his usual spot.

‘She’s said it about you enough too.’ Harry said to Draco as he reached for a sausage and a bun.

Hermione withheld her worried glances by focusing on loading her own sausage butty with some fried onion and mayonnaise. Sure, Madam Sybil had been right a few times, but she couldn’t be right every time… right? 

Draco had a drop of Seers’ blood and he’d once told her it could make a person a little loopy if you tried to force visions all the time… but she couldn’t tell if he was just saying that to make her feel better.

‘Apparently she’s dying herself soon.’ Ginny reminded the group. ‘She keeps telling my class we’ll have a new teacher in the New Year.’

Draco snorted at this. _‘I’ll pass beyond the shadows… how? I do not know, just that it will be violent._’ He said in a poor imitation of the Prophetess. 

It still earned him some good laughs.

‘Tell you what, if she keeps saying she sees a broken heart in my teapot, she will die a violent death.’ Ginny grumbled.

‘She obviously knows you and Harry are together, she can’t exactly go around predicting he’s going to die every five minutes without saying his girlfriend will have a broken heart, can she?’ Hermine whispered to Ginny.

‘Hmm.’ Ginny hummed her agreement as her mouth was full. She chewed quickly and swallowed so she could add, ‘still bloody annoying… if someone does snap and kill her, I’ll completely understand.’ 

* * *

‘Kitten, wake up.’ Draco shook her awake several days later. She’d fallen asleep on the couches in front of the fireplace in the common room while working on her Ancient History essay.

‘Urgh.’ Hermione rubbed the sleep from her eye and stretched. ‘What time is it?’ 

‘Eight. You missed dinner.’ He said. ‘I thought you might be with Krum but then he asked where you were.’ 

Hermione dropped a hand to her grumbling stomach. 

‘Do you want me to come to the kitchens with you so you can have some tea?’ He asked.

She shook her head. ‘Nah, I’ll just pop up for a quick slice of toast. I’ll be right back.’ 

She ruffled his perfectly styled white hair as she walked by him, she saw him flattening it back down as she stepped out into the corridor.

She walked by Fred and George on the staircase, they were trying to sell some of their pranking edibles to first years. 

She arrived at the picture of the giant bowl of fruit near the Hufflepuff dormitories. It was fairly odd to see this door shut – usually when she was here the elves had set up a little stall in the doorway to give all the drunk students their greasy food needs post-Hufflepuff party. 

She stretched out her forefinger and tickled the pear until it began to squirm. Hermione seized the now prominent door handle, pulled the door open, and went inside. 

She had one brief glimpse of an enormous, high-ceilinged room, large as the Great Hall above it, with mounds of glittering brass pots and pans heaped around the stone walls, and a great brick fireplace at the other end, when something small hurtled toward her from the middle of the room.

‘Hermione Granger! Ma’am! Lady Granger!’ The object squealed. Next second all the wind had been knocked out of her as the squealing elf hit her hard in the midriff, hugging her so tightly she thought her ribs would break.

‘Dobby?’ She asked, genuinely shocked to see him but pleased non the less. She hugged him back with equal fervour. ‘Why aren’t you at the Abbey?’

Dobby stepped back so he could look up at Hermione. He was beaming up at Hermione, his enormous, green, tennis-ball-shaped eyes brimming with tears of happiness. Clearly, he hadn’t forgotten Hermione had been the champion of House-elf rights – she’d accomplished more in one conversation with the King then several so-called “experts” had done in years.

‘The workers is doing the serious refurbishments to the house now, Miss… Master Draco says it is not safe for Dobby to be being there while they is there.’ Dobby told her.

Hermione felt a swell of adoration for Draco in her chest.

‘So I is “moonlighting”, as master calls it, at Hogwarts.’ Dobby told her with a wide grin. 

He looked almost exactly as Hermione remembered him; it had been a few months now since she’d had the pleasure of Dobby’s peculiar company… The pencil-shaped nose, the bat-like ears, the long fingers and feet… right down to his little butlers’ suit. The only difference was he was wearing a tiny apron made from a tea towel bearing the Hogwarts crest over his suit.

‘Master said he would speak to Dumbledore for me to get a temporary job here!’ Dobby finished telling her. ‘He met with him over lunch to talk about my employment here.’

Hermione had no idea; she hadn’t noticed Draco slipping off for a meeting with the Headmaster. Although she supposed he could have just sent him a note: _“Hey Dumbles, my elf is going to come work in the kitchens for a few weeks since my massive Abbey is having the floors ripped out. Love Draco.”_ Though she imagined it would have been a tiny more formal than that.

‘But then master is telling Dobby to find Winky and brings her here too.’ Dobby snapped Hermione out of her thoughts with this.

‘Winky? She’s here? Because of Draco?’ Hermione gasped. Why hadn’t Draco told her this?!

‘Oh yes Miss!’ Dobby then seized Hermione’s hand and pulled her deeper into the kitchen and along the four long wooden tables that filled the space.

At the very minimum, there were a hundred little elves bustling around the kitchen. Some seemed to be cooking, she wondered if it was the Elves tea since the students’ dinner had finished nearly half an hour ago. Some were sat at the tables waiting patiently, filling the time by sewing and mending what looked to be people’s school robes.

All the elves wore the same tea towel as Dobby as an apron. There were days when that apron is all they would have worn but since Hermione had convinced the King to pay them, many of them were now wearing the aprons over dresses or jumpers. 

Hermione smiled; House-Elves had really come on a long way since the end of enslavement. There was now such a demand for elf sized clothing that the clothing stores in Regis Terra, Hogsmeade, and Diagon Alley all now stocked tiny clothes for them.

Dobby stopped in front of the brick fireplace and pointed. 

‘Winky, Miss!’ He announced.

Winky was sitting on a stool by the fire, her tiny shoulders were slumped.

Like the other elves, she was clothed now.

She was wearing a neat little skirt and blouse with a matching blue hat, which had holes in it for her large ears. However, while every one of Dobby’s collection of garments was so clean and proudly cared for that it looked brand new, Winky was plainly not taking care of her clothes at all. There were soup stains all down her blouse and a burn in her skirt. 

‘Hello, Winky.’ Hermione said gently.

Winky’s lip trembled and then she burst into tears, which spilt furiously out her big brown eyes and down her front, just as they had the last time Hermione had seen her at the Quidditch cup.

‘Oh dear.’ Hermione said. ‘Please don’t cry Winky…’ 

This only made Winky cry harder.

Dobby ignored the hysterical elf and turned back to Hermione. ‘Would Misses be liking a cup of tea?’ 

‘Yes please. I slept through tea so…’

At once about five elves swarmed her and pushed her to sit down at the long table. Hermione decided she would eat while Winky composed herself.

She was instantly given a selection of food – she opted for chicken Kiev and chunky chips. She had a cup of lemonade with some cherry syrup, and said she would join Dobby for a cuppa once she had eaten.

‘Mmhh.’ She said as she relished the garlic buttery taste. ‘This is excellent! Thank you!’

The elves all looked delighted; they bowed very low and retreated. 

‘How long have you been here then, Dobby?’ Hermione asked as she dunked a piping hot chip in Mayonnaise.

‘Less than a week, Ma’am.’ Dobby told her.

‘You can call me Hermione, you know.’ She said, dunking another chip in far too much Mayonnaise. 

‘Oh no Ma’am. The Duke would not like that.’ Dobby shuddered at the very idea. ‘I wanted to stay and help at the Abbey so the men would not be doing anything wrong, but one of the big men stood on me-’

‘One of them what?!’ Hermione gasped.

‘It was being an accident, miss! The man was carrying a plank of wood and didn’t see Dobby!’ Dobby said quickly. ‘But master said he would feel better if I was closer to him at Hogwarts, so here I is.’

Hermione smiled, then frowned. ‘Why wouldn’t Draco like it if you called me Hermione?’ She followed this by taking a long drink.

‘The future mistress should be shown respect.’ Dobby said casually.

Hermione spat her drink out and spent the next two minutes with Dobby whacking her back as she coughed. 

‘Did Draco tell you that?!’ She gasped once she could breathe again.

‘No miss. But Dobby is seeing things, Miss.’ Dobby said.

Hermione sighed, knowing Dobby meant the numerous mornings Dobby had found Hermione in his master’s bed. Vutris knows what he thought they were doing!

‘Dobby, I am not your future mistress. You can call me Hermione.’ She told him gently.

Dobby’s great big eyes began to water. ‘But Miss is so nice? Miss is the champion of the elves! She would make a fine mistress!’ 

Privately, Hermione very much agreed with this statement. Outwardly, she shrugged.

Hermione looked around the room for a source of topic change. ‘Have there always been so many elves working here?’ She asked. The kitchens felt more cramped than usual.

‘Most wizards doesn’t want a house-elf who wants paying, miss.’ Dobby told her. ‘When the law is changing, many lost their work…’

Hermione gasped.

‘Many have travelled the country for a year or two before they is settling at Hogwarts. Mr Dumbledore is a good man, he is paying the elves and giving time off!’ Dobby told her happily.

Hermione reeled for a moment at the fact she had gotten many beings sacked from long term positions, before reminding herself that if people had sacked them for not wanting to pay them minimum wage and give them two days off a week, they were better off here.

‘You said Draco told you to bring Winky here? When was that?’ She asked as her plate was cleared. ‘It was delicious, thank you.’

‘Will Miss be wanting any dessert?’ The little cleaning elf asked politely.

‘No thank you, I couldn’t fit anything else in!’ She beamed at the little creature.

‘Well, after the Quidditch games over summer… Master told Dobby to recruit Winky to work in the Abbey.’ Dobby admitted.

Hermione’s mouth fell open. It was a bloody good thing Draco wasn’t in the room, or there would be several blushing elves… Then she remembered she was kind of dating Victor Krum, and her mind fell into an ashamed silence.

‘But Winky was not having it! She did not want another master! So… we was forced to let her go.’ Dobby carried on with this shocking development.

‘But when Master tells Dobby he is coming here… he says that maybe enough time has passed for Winky to start working again. So Dobby finds her and brings her here!’ 

At this, Winky flung herself forward off her stool and lay face-down on the flagged stone floor, beating her tiny fists upon it and positively screaming with misery. Hermione hastily dropped down to her knees beside her and tried to comfort her, but nothing she said made the slightest difference.

Dobby carried on as if he couldn’t hear the wailing elf. ‘And Dumbledore is even giving Dobby an extra five Galleons’ a week on top of the wage he earns from Master for helping around the castle!’ 

‘That’s great news Dobby.’ Hermione looked up from the elf. ‘And how much is Professor Dumbledore paying you, Winky?’ Hermione asked kindly. She was mainly trying to distract Winky, but it didn’t work. 

She continued to wail and mumbled some nonsense about “living in disgrace” and how she was “ashamed” of being set free.

‘Ashamed?’ Hermione repeated blankly. ‘No Winky, come on! It’s Mr. Crouch who should be ashamed, not you! You didn’t do anything wrong! And he was really horrible to you!’ 

But at these words, Winky clapped her hands over the holes in her hat, flattening her ears so that she couldn’t hear a word, and screeched, ‘You is not insulting my master, miss! You is not insulting Mr. Crouch! Mr. Crouch is a good wizard, miss! Mr. Crouch is right to sack bad Winky!’

Dobby acted as if his elf friend wasn’t getting slightly manic. ‘Winky is having trouble adjusting to her new life, miss.’ 

_I’ll say_. Hermione grumbled to herself.

‘My poor Mr. Crouch, what is he doing without Winky? He is needing me, he is needing my help! I is looking after the Crouches all my life… Oh the shame, the shame!’ She buried her face in her skirt again and bawled. The surrounding elves were casting her disapproving looks.

‘Mr Crouch is fine Winky. I saw him the other week.’ Hermione had to work really hard to resist rolling her eyes at the general idea of the pompous man.

Winky gasped. ‘You saw my master? He is here at Hogwarts?’

Hermione nodded. ‘He and Ludo Bagman are judges for the Triwizard Tournament.’ 

To Hermione’s great surprise, Winky seethed at the latter wizard. ‘Mr Bagman is a bad wizard!’

Hermione’s mind instantly leapt to Harry’s theory that perhaps he was the one who had put Harry’s name in… and rigged it so he got the most dangerous dragon.

‘How is he bad, Winky?’ Hermione asked, she tried not to sound too serious so she didn’t frighten the elf.

‘My master is telling Winky some things! But Winky is not saying… Winky keeps her master’s secrets…’ 

Hermione sighed as Winky dissolved into tears again. There was no use for it, she wouldn’t be spilling the beans any time soon.

Hermione would definitely be relaying this information to Harry though, he needed to know to be careful… she should also probably tell Snape. 

Hermione did share a lovely pot of tea with Dobby, Earl Grey with no milk and one sugar, while Dobby chatted happily about his free life under Draco and the plans for the Abbey. Hermione found she quite enjoyed hearing what a good master Draco was for his staff, though she did wish the term “master” could be dropped from the house-elves vocabulary… _baby steps_, she reminded herself.

Suitably stuffed to the point she was rather tired, a food-coma as the boys would call it, Hermione made to leave.

Many of the surrounding elves pressed in on her, offering cakes and snacks to take to the dungeons… but she said everyone would be in bed by now and she didn’t want to keep the hard-working staff from their dinner any longer. 

Dobby had waved her away from the doorway until she disappeared around the corner. 

She felt very calm as she made her way into the Slytherin common room – everyone was indeed in bed now. She’d been in the kitchen longer than she thought with dear Dobby.

All the girls were already asleep as she crept into their dormitory. She made quick work of changing out of her clothes and into some silk Slytherin-green pyjamas Daphne had bought for her. But she didn’t get into bed. No. She took a tartan throw and wrapped it around her shoulders to keep warm, then turned and left the girls corridor.

‘Granger?’ He asked as she pushed apart his bed curtains to sit at the end of his bed. She’d woken him up.

He pushed himself up onto his elbows and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. ‘Where did you get to? You were gone for ages.’ 

‘I was in the kitchens… I saw Winky.’ She said.

Realisation dawned on Draco’s face. ‘Oh… how was she?’

Hermione launched herself at him and buried her head in his neck, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

‘Thank you.’ Hermione said into his neck.

Draco was quick to wrap his arms around her back in return. He rested his cheek on her head.

‘I didn’t do it for you.’ He said.

This only made Hermione hold him tighter. 

‘It was just the right thing to do… and okay partly because I saw how upset you were, I guess.’ 

They remained embraced for a few more seconds before Hermione let go and returned to the end of his bed.

‘Has she stopped crying yet?’ Draco asked as he pulled the sheets up around him. It was at this moment Hermione realised Draco didn’t have a top on, despite the wintery chill in the air.

‘I – er… She’ll cheer up.’ Hermione said, though she couldn’t make herself sound totally convinced. ‘Once the shock’s worn off… she’ll get used to Hogwarts… Oh! We need to keep an eye on Bagman, she said he was a bad wizard.’

‘I wonder what Crouch must have said about him?’ Draco seemed deep in thought at this… though Hermione suspected it wasn’t anything quite so complicated.

‘Probably that he’s not a very good Head of Department… and let’s be real, he isn’t.’ Hermione muttered.

Draco couldn’t argue with that one. ‘I suppose not… but I’d rather work for him that boring old Crouch… at least you can have a laugh with Bagman.’ 

‘Don’t let Percy hear you say that.’ Hermione said with a grin. Percy seemed to be obsessed with his boss, Ginny and the twins got a letter from his every week. Say the letter was one hundred words long, at least forty of them would be “Mr Crouch”.

Draco still hadn’t forgotten Percy regularly accosting him in an attempt to schmooze royalty. ‘Percy wouldn’t want to work for or with anyone with a sense of humour, would he?’

Hermione laughed with him and then yawned loudly.

‘Will you stay?’ Draco asked hopefully as he patted the empty side of the bed that was unofficially hers.

_Yes please, and I never want to leave again. In fact, lets just run away together... I really want to kiss you right now._ ‘I can’t…’

She couldn’t. It wouldn’t be fair to Victor who she had entered some kind of relationship with, though they hadn’t discussed anything like that… it wouldn’t be fair on Pansy either – she had been rather tame this year.

Draco sighed and nodded. ‘I wish things were different.’ 

‘Me too.’ Hermione sighed. ‘You’ll find a way out of that contract; I believe in you… or just delay things until you turn seventeen.’ 

Draco couldn’t look her in the eye. ‘Yeah. I’ll try.’

Hermione frowned at him as he looked determinedly away from her. ‘What’s happened?’

‘Nothing.’ He said quickly.

‘Bull. What’s happened?’ 

Draco seemed to be getting antsy and destressed, his breathing became more laboured. ‘Nothing okay? You should go back to your room now.’ 

Draco had never kicked Hermione out of his bed, or room, ever. ‘Dragon… what’s happened?’ She asked calmly, though she didn’t feel calm at all.

Draco scrunched his eyes shut and sighed, then he turned on his side and faceplanted the pillow on the other side of his bed. This bared his scarred back to Hermione. 

He hadn’t gained any new marks in a long while now, not since Armand had found out – but it still made for an upsetting sight. Sometimes when Hermione couldn’t sleep, her mind would wander to Lucius Malfoy. What if Armand had never been born, what kind of monster would Draco be stuck with hurting him?

Draco groaned into his pillow and then flipped onto his side to look at Hermione. ‘I promise there’s nothing to worry about… can we please leave it there?’

Hermione took in his clear desperation. ‘Alright… I’m going to go back to my room.’

‘Goodnight.’ Draco muttered as she climbed out from the shelter of his bed curtains.

* * *

Most of the small Ancient History class had fallen asleep. Binns was managing to make spontaneous temple building dull somehow. 

Hermione and Cedric had settled into their usual note-passing while they noted down names and dates so they could teach themselves the course later.

_What did he say about secrets?_ Cedric wrote. 

Cedric’s handwriting was much neater than Hermione’s. Hers was a frantic scribble while his, even when rushing, was an elegant script. Hermione wondered if he’d been trained in proper handwriting, Draco and the other Purebloods all seemed to write in a form of calligraphy.

_The first prophecy made by the first High Oracle was “The Secret lies with the King.”_ Hermione scribbled this down along with the appropriate names and dates.

_Not exactly a profound prophecy is it? The old Kings kept about a million secrets._

Hermione could practically feel Cedric’s eye roll next to her. Madam Sybil hadn’t exactly given this school a healthy respect for oracles. 

Hermione was about to write an agreeing reply when Cedric snatched the paper away and excitedly began to scribble.

_We’re planning another Hufflepuff party! I completely forgot to tell you!_

Hermione grinned. Finally, a chance to get away from the stresses this year had brought out.

_Sounds amazing. I’m in dire need of a party… do you have a date set yet?_

_Not yet. It’ll probably be near Christmas. We’re going to say the other schools can come. _

Hermione smiled at this. The Hufflepuffs’ would, of course, welcome both the other schools into their private dorms. 

_Are they going to be staying for the… after midnight activities?_

Hermione then elbowed Cedric in the ribs as he snorted at her question.

_They will be welcome to stay for the “after midnight activities” if they want to. I’m pretty sure that all the schools have some kind of system like this for their older students._ Cedric told her.

This was the first time Hermione had heard this… but she supposed it would make sense that the other schools would have a similar arrangement. 

_I don’t think they carry on quite to the extent that we do though…_ Cedric finally added. _I’ve already had about twenty Hufflepuff lads asking me if Fleur is going to be there._

Hermione rolled her eyes. _Bloody Veela._

Cedric chuckled next to her. _She’s quite nice actually. I was talking to her the other day…. But yeah, Hufflepuff party near Christmas, will you spread the word to the serpents?_

_Yeah, I’ll spread the word._

* * *

The news that in a week or two they would have the opportunity to get ridiculously drunk and frolic as they should be doing at their age – though at their age they were all ridiculous lightweights – served to cheer everyone up. 

As the bitter cold of December set in fully as the month progressed, the excited buzz of the upcoming party spread to the visiting schools. Many of the guests said they would just go to see if the rumours were true – but according to Fred and George, a fair amount of people often said they would just go the first time to “check things out” and ten minutes later they were being ridden like a horse.

‘Vill you be going?’ Victor asked her over breakfast. He tried to sound casual and failed miserably.

‘Only for a bit. We’re not old enough to stay past midnight.’ Hermione said as she gestured at her friends.

‘I see.’ Krum said, Hermione thought he seemed a little put out by this information and had to concentrate on her cereal for a minute until her blush went down. ‘Did you vant to go together?’ 

Hermione nodded. ‘Yeah, we can do if you want…’ 

‘And after we could-’

‘Hermione, want to come to the Owlery with us?’ Ginny saved the day. 

Ginny was excellent at saving people from potentially awkward situations. 

Hermione nodded eagerly. ‘Do you want to come?’ She asked Krum.

Krum was bid bagel. ‘I’m still eating.’ He managed to get out. ‘I vill see you later?’

Hermione left the Great Hall with Ginny, Draco, and Harry. Neville and Blaise would usually be hanging out with them in the day, but they hadn’t shown up for breakfast.

‘They’ve probably gone on a longer jogging route.’ Hermione told a fretting Harry. The two boys had taken up jogging the lake path every morning now so that Neville could burn off his pent-up Wolfblood energy. 

Hermione had nipped down into her dormitory to grab a letter she’d finished last night to her parents; her dad had apparently been having some troubles with his new Land Rover and his last letter to her had been filled with car jargon. 

The Owlery was rather cold and drafty, putting it lightly, in winter. None of the windows in the circular stone tower had any glass in them. Apparently there had been glass when the school first opened, but some of the less gifted owls kept smacking into them, they were removed a few weeks after the school opened.

Hermione had sent Freddie the raven off with her small letter and then conversation turned to the pressing matter of the year, the tournament.

‘I reckon you could win this thing, Haz. I’m serious.’ Draco told him. Neither boys had any mail to send, they were just along for the journey, they both leaned on the railing as they chatted.

Harry knew Draco was only saying this to try and fill him with hope and confidence, but he appreciated the sentiment all the same. 

Hermione, however, disapproved of this. She joined them leaning against the railing and folded her arms. ‘Harry’s got a long way to go before he finishes this tournament.’ She told the boys seriously.

‘If dragons was the first task, I hate to think what’s coming next.’ 

‘Right little ray of sunshine today, aren’t you?’ Harry remarked.

Ginny snorted from her spot wrestling with Ron’s owl, he seemed to have gifted the owl to his sister in an act of atonement. ‘You and Madam Sybil should get together sometime.’ 

Pigwidgeon didn’t seem to want to take off, so Ginny threw him out of the window. ‘How can such a hyper owl be so lazy.’ She grumbled. 

‘He won’t like you for that.’ Harry said in amusement. 

‘Nah it’s fine. We used to play a game over summer where I tossed him off the roof of the new house and he’d pull up at the last second. He loves it.’ Ginny told him.

‘Speaking of the task.’ Hermione said, ignoring the critiques of her negative disposition. ‘Will you open the egg for me?’

Harry sighed. ‘Yeah. We’re not getting anywhere with it now, are we? … Come on then. It’s up in my trunk.’

Hermione and Draco didn’t go up into the Gryffindor common room very often, it made sense for the fewer numbers of the lions to descend to the dungeons to hang out. 

The overwhelmingly red Gryffindor common room always felt a little small to Hermione, though she supposed this was made up for by the panoramic views of the grounds… though Hermione much preferred her underwater views of the lake. 

The fact that there were only two bathrooms in the tower also made her feel rather icky. Sharing a bathroom with the girls in her own dorm got a bit cramped and argumentative sometimes, never mind sharing with any identified girls of Slytherin.

The group made quick progress up the winding stairs of the boys’ rooms until they came to the small circular room where Harry lived.

‘I’ll have a look on my map and see where Nev and Blaise are while we’re here.’ Harry said, then he pulled open his trunk and retrieved the egg and handed it to Hermione momentarily while he opened his Marauders Map.

‘I solemnly swear I am up to no good.’

Harry scanned the grounds quickly. ‘Yeah, new jogging route. Looks like they’ve done the lap of the lake and now they’re doing some kind of forest perimeter.’ 

‘Neville must be feeling extra antsy.’ Ginny suggested, that was no easy route the two boys were on.

Hermione and Draco shared a nervous glance at one another at that possibility, though they knew that he couldn’t possibly be turning “savage Wolfblood” just yet. 

Harry didn’t notice their exchange; he took the egg back from Hermione. Ginny, who had heard the egg before, put her fingers in her ears.

Harry dug his fingernails into the groove that ran all the way around the large egg and prised it open. The egg was hollow and completely empty, Hermione had been hoping to see some further carvings on the inside that Harry wouldn’t have noticed the last time he’d opened it.

She didn’t have much time to concentrate on this disappointment though. She was busy clutching her hands over her ears as the most horrible noise, a loud and screechy wailing, just as Harry had described filled the room.

‘Ahh! Shut it!’ Draco bellowed over the noise.

‘I think it’s someone being tortured.’ Draco said. ‘Oh, sweet Vutris! You’re going to have to fight the Cruciatus Curse!’ 

Hermione rolled her eyes and stepped forwards to take the egg from Harry to examine it. ‘Don’t be silly, that’s super illegal. And it’s not like the Imperious, you can’t fight it off.

‘I think it sounds a lot like Percy singing… maybe you have to attack him while he’s in the shower… now that would be more difficult than a dragon, certainly more traumatising.’ Ginny said, with the clear effort of cheering Harry up.

It worked, and Harry was smiling again.

Hermione took a long while inspecting the egg, and even endured listening to the screech a few more times. 

They remained there that long that Neville returned from his extra-long run, had a shower, and returned fully dressed with damp hair. 

Hermione could see why lots of girls thought he’d become something of a heartthrob. The puppy fat had melted off and daily exercise had led to toning and even the beginning of muscles. His hair, which he had neglected to cut for a few weeks, was now brushing at the nape of his neck and getting in his eyes, and it had taken a slight curl to it now. In all, he wouldn’t look out of place in a Muggle boy-band.

Harry took the egg back after a few minutes to put it back in his trunk, and the now fivesome made their way down into the red common room to discuss things further. 

Fred and George Weasley were in there, sat in front of the roaring fire. 

‘Want a jam tart, Hermione?’ Fred asked with a cheeky grin.

Hermione looked doubtful at the plate he was offering her. ‘It’s all right, we haven’t done anything to them… yet. It’s the custard creams you’ve got to watch.’

Neville, who had just bitten into a custard cream, choked and spit it out with a look of horror. 

George laughed. ‘Just a little joke Nev… I don’t think our stuff would work on you anyway.’

Neville took a bite out of his remaining biscuit and grinned. ‘Finally, a positive to my curse.’ He said dramatically. 

Draco snorted. ‘I mean – super senses and abilities is a pretty good perk.’ 

‘Yeah, then one a month all my bones get to break. So much fun.’ Neville said sarcastically.

‘Oh yeah.’ Draco gritted his teeth awkwardly. ‘Sorry,’ 

This conversation was brought to a sudden end as Neville did turn into a large canary.

‘Oh, sorry Nev… I guess it does work on you.’ Fred grinned. 

Within a minute, however, Neville had moulted, and once his feathers had fallen off, he reappeared looking entirely normal. He even joined in laughing, Hermione suspected he enjoyed feeling normal again.

‘Canary Creams!’ Fred announced to the excited and interested crowd in the common room. ‘George and I invented them – seven Sickles each, a proper bargain!’ He said.

‘And don’t worry. This little nerd here-’ George patted Hermione on the shoulder, ‘-checked all our work and potions… and you decreed them to be what Granger?’

Hermione sighed, she didn’t know she would be a human advert for Fred and George’s products, but she didn’t mind much she was just happy to help them succeed. ‘They’re totally safe. No long-term consequences.’ 

After this, Fred and George’s orders boomed. They’d had a small crowd after the Neville demonstration, but with the resident genius giving the product her seal of approval nearly everyone in the common room swarmed the twins.

The group took Fred and George’s now vacant seats in front of the fire to discuss the egg clue. The screech did sound somewhat familiar to Hermione, but she couldn’t place the creature or where she had heard it. It was a shame they couldn’t ask teachers; Hagrid would probably know. Moody or Snape would definitely know.

‘I’m sorry, is there something in the fire?’ Hermione asked. There was some kind of wriggling creature apparently having a nap on the burning logs. 

‘Hmm?’ Ginny looked into the flames. ‘Oh, that’s just Alfred.’ 

‘Alfred?’ Hermione asked, she moved forwards out of her seat so that she was kneeling in front of the flames to get a better look.

It was Harry’s miniature Hungarian Horntail, the one he’d pulled out of the sack. Hermione wasn’t even aware he still had it. 

‘Ginny named him.’ Harry said in explanation. 

The little dragon opened his eyes for a moment, seemingly sensing Hermione coming a little too close. Then it yawned, curled up again on its log, and shut its eyes again. 

‘I think the little dragons are related to Lava Dogs.’ Harry said. ‘He really likes sitting in the fireplace.’ 

‘What’s he been eating?’ Draco asked, moving to examine the tiny sleeping dragon. 

At the intrusion of two strangers though, the little dragon seemed put out. It quickly darted out of the fireplace and across the floor towards Ginny. The little dragon climbed up Ginny’s leg until he came to sit on her lap, where she stroked his nose until his eyes shut again.

‘I’ve been giving him little strips of chicken and we have a bowl of water set up for him.’ Ginny said. ‘Harry gave him to me.’ She then added in explanation for the dragon’s apparent fondness for her.

Harry leaned over to stroke a finger down the dragon’s body and it purred happily. ‘Hagrid had a point, I guess. They’re all right, really, dragons…’

Hermione and Draco both smiled at this. Ginny looked fondly down at the should be violent beast napping on her lap, while Harry sat on the arm of the chair next to her was smiling fondly down at her.

They still hadn’t formally announced if they were together or not, but they didn’t really need to at this point. 

* * *

The Slytherin group arrived down in the Great Hall for breakfast a few days later slightly later than usual. 

The room was full of excited chatter, the daily owls had already arrived. The Daily Prophet was rather dramatic that day as it turned out.

The front page of the Prophet was a statement from the King and royal press agent. 

_Binta Imari took the stand last night to deliver the following statement from the King – who was unable to deliver the address himself due to the current volcanic situation in Papua New Guinea. _

_“Like many of you, I am deeply concerned that an underage wizard was entered into this tournament. I want to assure the public that every protection will be given to ensure Harry Potter’s safety._

_After contacting several Ministry lawyers from around the world, the general finding has been that it is not possible to get around the magical binding contract that the Goblet of Fire possesses. In other words, Potter must compete._

_We will learn from this awful error. We are fully investigating how the cup could be confounded into accepting an underage name. To take matters further, once the investigation is complete, we will be handing the cup over to expert curse-breakers to go under magical retraining. This is to ensure nothing like this can ever happen again._

_I have spoken directly with Mr Potter to apologise for this oversight. After watching him compete in the first task though, I am confident in Mr Potter’s ability to see this tournament out.”_

‘I didn’t know my uncle spoke to you?’ Draco asked Harry as the Gryffindors’ came over to join them. 

Harry, who had clearly read the article already, had a massive smile on his face. ‘What? Oh, yeah, he pulled me aside in the champions’ tent after the task… when we all got pulled back in? But that doesn’t matter, have you seen what Imari has written?’

Hermione flipped to page two looking for further writings from the royal press agent. She quickly scanned the long article; her mouth fell open in wonderful shock as she read each line. 

_The difference between sensationalist journalism – the dangers it possesses._

_This is a type of editorial tactic used in mass media. It has come to my attention that certain reporters for this publication have been putting out biased impressions of events rather than neutrality, which may cause a manipulation to the truth of a story._

_Please don’t just believe everything you may read, especially in the society section, of this publication. _

_One reporter I am taking specific issue with is Rita Skeeter, who has been caught publishing blatant lies to the public. _

‘Holy shit.’ Draco said as he leaned on Hermione’s shoulder to read the article. ‘Binta is really out for blood.’

‘You’re not at the best bit yet. She wrote to me after Skeeter put that article out about me to see how much was true.’ Harry told them.

_For example, Skeeter has issued the following statements:_

_“Ministry blunders [...] lax security” Is a quote from Skeeter’s summer article on the Quidditch World Cup disaster. These statements were put out by Skeeter despite the fact she knew that security was the highest it had been for years at any Quidditch World cup ever. _

_“’I suppose I get my strength from my parents. I know they'd be very proud of me if they could see me now....Yes, sometimes at night I still cry about them, I'm not ashamed to admit it....I know nothing will hurt me during the tournament, because they're watching over me....’ Harry has at last found love at Hogwarts. His close friend, Colin Creevey, says that Harry is rarely seen out of the company of one Hermione Granger, a stunningly pretty Muggle-born girl who, like Harry, is one of the top students in the school.”_

_This is an article by Skeeter following the wand weighing ceremony for the four champions. She was sent to factually report on the ceremony and didn’t make a single comment on it in her article. _

_Furthermore, I have reached out to Mr Potter in order to assess the validity of this report and have been told that none of it is true at all. Skeeter bundled Potter off to a broom cupboard, as she knew she shouldn’t be reporting on him, and used a Quick Quotes Quill which are notoriously unreliable and never used by serious reporters._

_Furthermore, Skeeter has reported on events that have occurred on Hogwarts grounds, despite the fact the Headmaster has banned her from entering. _

_The clear difference in reporting is seen in reporters such as: A. Smudgley, E. Limus, and A. Fenetre. They have all demonstrated neutral and factual reporting in the past. With A. Smudgley reporting on Sirius Black’s trial this summer._

‘Er, why did the Prophet publish this?’ Ginny asked. ‘She’s slamming them…’

‘They didn’t have a choice.’ Draco said. ‘My uncle will have ordered it… he’s not a great fan of Skeeter either.’ 

‘You guys are still missing the best bit!’ Harry smiled, then pointed to the bottom of the paper, where there was a small statement from the editor of the Daily Prophet.

_We will seek to improve our reporting by adding additional fact-checking measures for all of our reporters. Rita Skeeter has been issued with a formal warning._

‘A formal warning?’ Ginny asked.

‘She’ll get sacked if she does anything else wrong.’ Hermione explained.

‘Brilliant!’ Ginny said with a great smile.

* * *

The Gryffindors’ and Slytherins’ were all told to remain in the Great Hall after dinner that night. The Hufflepuffs’ and Ravenclaws’ were told to gather in the school’s largest classroom, that was now used for Flitwick’s duelling club.

McGonagall and Snape stood at the teachers’ table to address the room.

‘The Yule Ball is approaching — a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialize with our foreign guests.’ Snape told the room.

‘Now, the ball will be open only to fourth years and above — although you may invite a younger student if you wish.’ McGonagall added.

Lavender Brown let out a shrill giggle. Parvati Patil nudged her hard in the ribs, her face working furiously as she too fought not to giggle. They both looked around at Harry. Unfortunately for them, Harry chose this moment to take Ginny’s hand and they turned back to face their professor’s with open disappointment.

‘Dress robes will be worn.’ Snape told them all. ‘This is your event instead of the Royal Ball this year. Anyone under fourth year who does not get an invite will be attending a young-wizards party at one of the King’s estates.’

This did cause an excited chatter amongst the younger years, any opportunity to visit a Royal Residence was always met with great interest. 

‘They’re going to Wards Abbey in Scotland.’ Draco leaned over and told her. ‘I was wondering why my uncle had suddenly ordered a dozen house-elves to get the place ready for a party.’

‘The ball will start at eight o’clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall.’ McGonagall told them. ‘The Yule Ball is, of course, a chance for us all to - er - let our hair down’

Lavender giggled harder than ever, with her hand pressed hard against her mouth to stifle the sound. Hermione and Draco sniggered with her. They could see what was funny this time: Professor McGonagall, with her hair in a tight bun, looked as though she had never let her hair down in any sense.

‘But that does NOT mean-’ Snape barked, ‘-that we will be relaxing the standards of behaviour we expect from Hogwarts students. I will be most seriously displeased if a Gryffindor or Slytherin student embarrasses the school in any way.’ 

That did shut up the excited chatter something fierce. Snape had his mean face on.

‘Now, off you go.’ McGonagall told them. ‘Off to bed… Potter, a word?’ 

Everyone began to file from the long room. ‘I’ll come down and meet you all in a minute.’ Harry told his friends; everyone was going to gather in the Slytherin common room to hang out for a bit before bed.

Harry did indeed come down to the Slytherin common room not ten minutes behind his friends, he looked rather pale.

‘What did she want?’ Draco asked as he shuffled the deck of cards for a game of exploding snap with Blaise.

Harry tossed himself down into an armchair. ‘As a champion, I have to open the dance with my partner.’ He tossed his head back and groaned at the idea. ‘I don’t dance!’

‘I’ve seen you dance.’ Hermione said.

‘No. He’s right. He’s awful.’ Draco said. ‘I’ll give you a freshers course if you want?’

Harry looked at Draco as if he had just solved world hunger. ‘Yes please.’

Hermione snorted. ‘Oh, he can fight a dragon no problem, but dancing in front of the school and you look like you’re about to faint.’

The Gryffindors’ stayed in the Slytherin common room for another hour or so, by the time they left Harry had already asked Ginny if she would go with him. She would.

* * *

‘Granger?’ A little second year stuck her head into Hermione’s dormitory.

She had been reading in bed. ‘Yeah?’ 

‘Draco Malfoy is asking for you.’ She said, then disappeared off to her own bedroom further down the hall. 

Hermione sighed and swung her legs out of the thick warm blanket and onto the cold stone. She shivered and pulled on her fluffiest slippers and tossed a dressing gown on over her silky pyjamas.

Draco was pacing in the common room, a letter clutched in his hand. 

‘It’s from Mr Belby.’ He said.

Hermione rushed forwards to seize the letter that Draco had already read.

_Your Grace,_

_It was a very unexpected privilege to hear from you…_

Hermione skipped over the gushing.

_On the question of Wolfblood’s you posed. I suppose that if they are taking the Wolfsbane potion, meaning that they never fully become the beast, would slow if not completely stop the process of turning “savage”. _

Hermione skimmed over the rest; it was a lot more arse-kissing for the Duke.

‘He’s safe?’ Hermione asked.

Draco nodded and smiled. ‘He’s safe.’

* * *

* * *

  
  
I think this is up there with my longest chapters. It’s longer than my dissertation was.

Very filler - but lots of important things we will be coming back to have come up. Also, shits going down next chapter.

Love E x 


	74. The Golden Knife and the Prophet

‘She didn’ seem very interested in magical creatures, tell yeh the truth.’ Hagrid told them.

Hermione, Ginny, Draco, Harry, Luna, Neville, and Blaise had all gone down to Hagrid’s hut the lunchtime after his interview with Skeeter. It was the final week of term now. 

Hagrid had served them a selection of rock cakes that they were politely eating.

‘She jus’ wanted me ter talk about you, Harry.’ Hagrid continued in a low voice. 

‘There’s a shock.’ Ginny grumbled.

‘What did you say?’ Harry asked lightly as he choked down a mouthful of cake. He was still riding the high from Skeeter being issued a formal and very public warning.

‘Will, I told her we’d been friends since I went ter fetch yeh from the Dursleys… that no teacher had ever had to seriously tell you off in four years… that you don’t play up in lessons… she seemed very interested in yer behaviour.’

‘Bet she liked that.’ Blaise muttered to Neville.

‘Yeh’d think she wanted me to say yeh were horrible, Harry.’ 

‘She can only print quotes now… No more embellishments.’ Luna reminded the room. ‘She’ll have to be a lot more upfront in her interviews now.’ 

‘Sounds like she’s already fishing for the responses she wants.’ Neville nodded.

‘Still not fantastic reporting. But I suppose it’s better than before.’ Draco said.

Harry set his plate down, he’d written an acceptable amount of his rock cake to not be rude. ‘She can’t keep writing about what a tragic little hero I am… it’ll get boring.’

Hermione nodded along; Skeeter always turned on a subject eventually. ‘She’ll want a new angle.’ 

Draco set down his own plate of rock cake, he’d made a good effort of it but his pampered princely diet meant he wasn’t as able to force down unpleasant food. ‘You were supposed to say Harry’s a mad delinquent.’ He told Hagrid.

‘But he’s not!’ Hagrid seemed genuinely shocked. 

‘People suck Hagrid.’ Neville told the man, who seemed to be in disbelief of Skeeters true motive. ‘Not everyone is as good as you.’

‘She should’ve interviewed Snape.’ Harry said. ‘He’d give her the goods on me any day.’ 

‘Snape’s not that bad anymore.’ Blaise pointed out. 

Hagrid ignored this. ‘Yeh might’ve bent a few rules in yeh time, Harry. But yeh all right really, aren’t yeh?’

‘Thanks, Hagrid.’ Harry grinned.

‘Are you going to the Yule ball Hagrid?’ Luna asked.

‘Thought I might look in on it, yeah.’ Hagrid said gruffly. ‘Should be a good do, I reckon… You’ll be opening the dancin’ won’t yeh, Harry? Who’re you taking?’

‘Gin.’ Harry said lightly.

Ginny, who was sat next to him, beamed. 

‘Are you two happy opening the dance in front of the school?’ Hagrid asked.

‘Draco’s been helping us brush up on our dancing.’ Harry told him.

‘Ah, yeh should be fine then! If a Duke’s teaching yeh the waltz, you’ll be the best ones there.’ Then he looked at Hermione. ‘And You’ll be goin’ with Krum I reckon?’

Hermione nodded.

After Hagrid’s, everyone had to make haste to get back to their lessons on time.

Hermione had found Cedric on the stairs and they’d made their way to Alchemy together, she had been the first to leave the group.

Then Ginny had left for Charms with Luna, the two girls walked away from the boys in good spirits. The two girls were the loners of their year – the weird girl and the girl possessed by Voldemort – but at least they had each other.

Harry and Draco led the boys on their dim march up to Divination. Blaise and Neville were trailing behind them, clearly, they really couldn’t be bothered with Madam Sybil today as they were rather dragging their feet.

Thankfully though, it was the final lesson of term, and even the teachers couldn’t be bothered.

‘Next term you’ll be reading the stars in greater depth.’ Madam Sybil told the group. ‘This lesson we’re going to be brushing up on your crystal ball reading. I don’t want you getting out of practice of something that might save your life one day.’ 

The whole class, minus Lavender and Parvati, collectively rolled their eyes as they all went to collect their equipment. 

‘What do you see?’ Harry asked Draco, they’d thought they’d escaped the crystal balls at the end of last year.

‘A load of fog.’ Draco muttered, though he wasn’t really trying to look in the ball, he never enjoyed the things he saw. ‘Do you see anything?’

‘A load of fog.’ Harry repeated in extreme boredom.

But then Madam Sybil wandered over to them, and they both had to pretend to be seeing things – or at least pretend that they were trying.

‘Do you see anything emerging, my dears?’ She spoke as if she were addressing both of them, but she was looking at Draco.

‘I see the colour red.’ Draco said, he _hated_ seeing things in the crystal ball. He always ended up thoroughly creeped out.

Blaise and Neville seemed to be playing toss with their crystal ball in the corner of the room where they had sat today.

‘Anything else?’ Madam Sybil asked him, Lavender and Parvati were practically leaning out of their chairs to listen to him.

‘Water… it’s red water.’ Draco said, then he leaned back in his chair and looked away from the ball.

‘Try and peer through the veil dear, focus.’ Madam Sybil said.

‘I’m done for the day, I think.’ Draco said. 

Madam Sybil sighed and moved to look at Harry. ‘And do you see anything dear?’

Harry looked into the fog; it didn’t shift at all. ‘No.’

But Madam Sybil didn’t respond to Harry’s dismissal. She was staring rigidly into their crystal ball. She remained still for a minute and then with a gasp of snapping back to reality, she took a step back.

She caught her breath and turned to Harry with a sad expression. ‘They'll be okay. I've seen it. The King will look after your family.'

'I don't have a family.' Harry said.

'Don't you?' She asked with a wizened smile.

Then she turned to Draco. ‘I want you to keep that.’ She said, pointing at the crystal ball. 

Draco frowned. ‘I don’t think you’re allowed to give away school equipment.’

Madam Sybil sighed, then nodded. ‘You’re right… One moment please.’

Then she walked through into the cupboard, she returned a moment later with a small square box. It was ornate – completely black wood with a golden trim and lock. It looked quite old. 

She set the box down in front of Draco, produced a key from her pocket, and opened it. The entire class was watching this exchange now with keen interest.

Nestled inside the box, on a thick cushion of red fabric which lined the entire box, was a small crystal ball about the size as a Remembrall.

‘This was passed down to me on my elevation to Prophetess.’ She said. Then she shut and locked the box and handed the key out to Draco. ‘It is mine to do with as I will.’ 

‘Why are you giving me this?’ Draco asked as he reached forwards to run a finger over the smooth wood.

‘As I said - I don’t want you getting out of practice of something that might save your life one day.’ She said, then she took his hand off the box and pressed the key into it.

‘You’re all dismissed. Farewell.’ She said, then walked down from the platform to sit in her armchair. 

After what was – by far – their weirdest lesson, the boys all made their way down the castle stairs to Potions. Draco, now carrying the black box in his bag, had taken one look backwards at Madam Sybil as he left. She was leaning back comfortably in her armchair, and gazing softly into the flames of the roaring fire.

* * *

‘Again.’ Draco ordered.

‘Oh, come on!’ Harry complained. ‘We got it right that time!’ 

‘Actually, both of your lifts were a second too late.’ Draco told him.

Victor and Hermione had joined Harry and Ginny for some dance lessons seeing as they would be opening the ball too.

Hermione was going to have bruises on her waist from the tight grip Krum had on her during the many lifts they’d been doing this hour. 

‘Again.’ He said. ‘Unless you all want to look like a bunch of idiots.’ 

He started the music up again and the two couples began stepping through the music again. 

‘I doubt Fleur and Cedric are being put through this.’ Ginny grumbled as they went through the steps again.

‘Fleur and Cedric were both taught this stuff as children, they could do this waltz in their sleep.’ Draco told her. ‘If you think they aren’t practising this with their partners, your deluding yourself… No! You’re two steps behind Harry! Start again!’

Hermione was sure she wasn’t the only one in that room wishing she could punch Draco in the face. 

‘Haf you a dress yet?’ Victor asked Hermione as they moved through the steps again. Victor had learned this dance as a child, but he was a little out of practice. 

Hermione nodded. She’d wished Daphne had been there to help pick out a dress – but Narcissa had made all the arrangements. She usually got Hermione’s ball gowns as a kind of combined birthday/Christmas present. The dress had been ordered, and was currently being made.

‘Could you tell me the colour of the dress, so I may er – match?’ He asked.

Hermione smiled. ‘It’s silver.’ 

Krum nodded. ‘Then I shall get something silver.’ 

Hermione and Krum shared a private smile as they twirled around the Slytherin common room – as Draco looked on from his place by the record player. He was taking Pansy to the ball.

‘That’s enough for today… we’ll do one last run tomorrow.’ Draco said. ‘You’re getting much better.’ He told Harry and Ginny. 

Ginny, as a pureblood, should have joined the girls of her age in all the lessons of manners and polite habits highly valued in the upper society of the realm. She should have learned how to curtsey and dance the waltz – but the Weasley’s couldn’t afford it. As a result, Ginny was just as clumsy as Harry when it came to stepping on their partners’ toes.

‘Are you only dismissing us because you’re hungry?’ Hermione asked Draco with a grin as she pulled her shawl on to fight off the castle’s chill.

‘Yes. It’s well past tea time. Come on.’ He said. 

‘I vill meet you at the table – I am going to meet vith Karkaroff.’ Krum said, then he kissed Hermione’s cheek in farewell once they were in the entrance hall. 

‘See you later.’ She said as he walked off.

‘How are things between you?’ Draco asked as they made their way down the Slytherin table. He was trying to be friendly and supportive Hermione supposed.

‘Well enough… Thanks.’ She said as she awkwardly rubbed at her arm. ‘How’s Pansy?’

Draco sighed. ‘She’s really calmed down this year. I think her parents have calmed down a bit pressuring her.’

‘That’s good.’ Hermione said.

They sat and stared at each other sadly for a moment – then they turned and involved themselves in other conversations. 

Draco started discussing the upcoming Quidditch league with Theo and Tracey. Hermione turned to Neville; he was sat in Daphne’s table reading the Herbology book Moody had gifted him.

Or so it seemed.

‘Is that a leaflet?’ Hermione asked in a whisper, leaning to look at the small booklet Neville was reading secretly.

Neville, knowing himself to be caught, hushed Hermione and then showed her the leaflet.

Hermione scanned the small print quickly. ‘Castelobruxo?’ She asked quietly. Though they needed have bothered whispering. Draco and Tracey had begun to bicker loudly on some obscure Quidditch trivia and the rest of the table was loudly giving their opinion and picking a side on the “important” matter.

‘It’s a school in Brazil…’ Neville told her. ‘They have an amazing focus on Herbology.’ 

Hermione didn’t see where he was going with this. Was he thinking of transferring? The boy did love his plants…

‘They do this “term abroad” thing each year… they don’t have many places on offer but…’

Hermione finally got where he was going with this. ‘You should apply! You’d love it so much! And I bet it would look amazing on your CV.’ 

But Neville shrugged, then stuffed the leaflet back in his Herbology book and slammed it shut. ‘No point.’

He then started, with a rather violent determination, ripping his jacket potato to bits. 

‘Why not?’ Hermione asked. ‘You’re the top in your year for Herbology. You come from a reputable school. Why wouldn’t they take you?’

Then Neville gave her a dry look. ‘Who in their right minds would want a Werewolf running about their school?’

‘There’s this amazing creation Nev – perhaps you’ve heard of it – it’s called the Wolfsbane potion? I’m sure they’re capable of brewing it for you there… I think you should apply.’

Neville ignored her and continued demolishing his potato.

Hermione turned to the rest of her friends, to discover that the topic of Quidditch had moved on to awkward encounters revolving around Yule Ball dates.

A curly-haired third-year Hufflepuff girl to whom Harry had never spoken in his life asked him to go to the ball with her the day after the ball had been announced. Harry was so taken aback he said no rather bluntly. The girl walked off looking rather hurt, and Harry had to endure everyone’s taunts about her all for the next few days.

‘There goes your girlfriend Harry.’ Ginny had teased as the curly-haired girl had come in for dinner with her friends.

‘Why did I tell you all that happened?’ Harry said with his head in his hands.

Ginny snorted as the Hufflepuff girl waved at her from across the room. ‘Bloody cow. She knew I was going with you when she asked.’ 

Harry raised his head and joined Ginny in frowning at the Hufflepuff. ‘What, did she think I’d throw you over for her?’

‘That’s exactly what she thought.’ Ginny told him.

‘What a cow.’ Harry said, earning him a smile from Ginny, then he turned back to his own potato.

‘That’s nothing.’ Draco interjected.

To Draco’s horror, his status as Royal Duke meant that he was a prime target for all the dateless and rather bold girls in the castle. To his horror, a fifth year Ravenclaw, who looked as though she might knock him out if he refused, had asked him out in front of all his friends.

‘She was quite good-looking.’ Theo said after he’d stopped laughing.

‘She looked like she’d been kicked in the face by an Abraxan.’ Draco said.

‘That’s mean.’ Hermione had chided the boys. ‘I’m sure she’s a lovely girl.’

Hermione, as resident genius and as “Lady Granger”, had become a hot commodity herself. Boys from every year kept coming up to her in the corridor to ask her to the ball, even though she’d never spoken to nighty per-cent of them. 

Fred and George had taken to loudly leaping down on one knee in the corridors to proclaim their undying love and beg her to accompany one of them to the ball. This had helped some of the boys realise they were being ridiculous… then one boy studying for a masters in Herbology had asked her out in front of the twins.

‘But I’m taking her!’ Fred had declared dramatically.

‘Fiend! I’m taking her!’ George had bellowed at his brother.

Hermione didn’t even bother looking up from her book at this point, though she was a little freaked that a nearly-twenty-year-old had asked her out. 

The school only had two masters students this year – an old Gryffindor, Rowan, studying Herbology. Then there was an old Ravenclaw, Arabella, studying Ancient Runes. They had private rooms near the married couple’s corridor and rarely made any public appearances that weren’t in the library.

‘Hermione! What is this?!’ Fred had asked, pretending heartbreak. ‘You have agreed to go with both of us?’

‘You have torn our family apart!’ George cried, dramatically clutching at his heart.

‘But I must have you for my partner!’ Fred had cried, drawing his wand.

Rowan had begun to step backwards from this insane display. Hermione was still trying to concentrate on her book.

‘So, it comes to this then, brother?’ George said pulling out his own wand.

‘Let us duel to the death for the heart of this maiden!’ Fred cried.

‘Guys, you can stop. He’s gone.’ Hermione said, glancing up over his book.

‘Aw!’ Fred complained. ‘I was really getting into that one!’ 

* * *

‘So, you haf not agreed to go with the twins as well?’ Krum asked.

They were sat in the library together, Hermione doing her most recent Runes essay while Krum read a book on transfiguration. Victor had heard about the twins most recent performance.

‘No. I’m going with you. Fred and George are just weird.’ She told him. ‘People I don’t know keep asking me to the ball – Fred and George are having fun scaring them off.’ 

Victor smiled. ‘They sound like good friends.’ 

Hermione looked up from her book to smile at her date. ‘Yeah, they’re good.’

* * *

This last week of term became increasingly boisterous as it progressed. Rumours about the Yule Ball were flying everywhere. Hermione and her friends only listened to half of them.

For instance, the rumour that Dumbledore had bought eight hundred barrels of mulled mead from Madam Rosmerta was bonkers. It seemed to be fact, however, that he had booked the Weird Sisters.

This news resulted in a wild excitement in everyone. The Weird Sisters were often heard on the Wizarding Wireless Network, the WWN, in all four common rooms at night.

Most of the teachers gave up on the final days. Flitwick was allowing everyone to play games in class while he caught up on his marking. Hermione, who sat next to Cedric in this lesson too, spent the lesson losing to him at a game of exploding snap.

Moody had even taken a break from his usual critique of the curriculum and was allowing people to practice their non-verbal duelling with their partners. Hermione had accidentally sliced Cedric’s cheek – he’d quite literally tripped onto her incoming spell when his own shield charm had launched his across the room. Moody had asked Cedric to stay behind for a little chat after that one.

Nothing would deflect Professor Binns though, and Hermione and Cedric had to endure an hour and a half of him droning on about the religious reforms under Armand I. The sum of the entire lesson was thus – “Stop executing non-believers.” – that was it, that was the entire reform… and Binns managed to fill a full lesson with it.

It was a true wonder that he could make the execution of several high-ranking wizards sound dull.

Professors McGonagall kept them working until the very last second of their classes too, though her lessons were at least interesting. 

Snape, of course, would rather drink poison than let anyone play a game in his class. Though, with some mild persuasion from Hermione he had shown them some more “fun” potions. Like indoor storms, that went down very well and Cedric nearly singed his eyebrows off when his cauldron erupted with a fierce bolt of lightning.

Hermione, who had perfectly concocted some indoor snow to spew from her cauldron, had to clutch her side she was laughing so hard at the surprised expression on Cedric’s face.

* * *

‘Can’t it wait until after Christmas? Please?’ Harry begged Hermione over the breakfast table. ‘We’ve got until the end of February… that’s two months to figure it out!’

Hermione had wanted to listen to the egg again, and Harry was unwilling to haul it out of his trunk again.

‘Yeah – but it might take that long to solve the clue!’ Hermione said in frustration. ‘You’ll look like a right tit if everyone else knows what the next task is and you don’t.’ 

‘He’s earned a little break, Hermione.’ Draco told her. ‘It can wait a week or two… how about this, we all take a break from the egg and come back with a fresh mind in the new term?’ 

‘Sounds good to me.’ Harry said happily.

Hermione sighed. ‘I guess so.’ 

‘Cedric’s not solved it either, right?’ Draco asked her.

‘Apparently not.’ She said, though they hadn’t spoken in a few days since classes had ended. 

‘So… Harry isn’t behind anyone at the minute, is he?’ Draco asked.

Hermione sighed again. ‘Fine. We’ll come back to it in the New Year.’ 

Fred and George arrived at the Slytherin table, looking for Ginny. 

‘Gin, can we borrow Pig?’ George asked.

‘He’s delivering a letter to mum at the minute.’ Ginny told them. ‘You can have him when he gets back though? Why do you want him?’

‘Because George wants to ask him to the ball?’ Fred said sarcastically. ‘We want to send a letter you ninny.’

Ginny looked at her brother coolly and turned back to her morning orange juice. ‘Well, you’re not borrowing him now.’ 

‘Who do you two keep writing letters to?’ Hermione asked.

‘Nose out, nerd.’ Fred said and reached out to ruffle her hair. For once she didn’t have it up in her usual lace-braided bun. 

Hermione batted his hands away and smoothed her hair back down. 

‘Have you two got dates for the ball yet?’ Ginny asked. ‘Or have you been too busy scaring off everyone that’s asked Hermione?’

‘Who are you going with, then?’ Fred asked Ginny.

Hermione gestured with her head at Harry sat next to her. 

‘Oh…’ George said. 

‘I’m going with Angelina.’ Fred said casually. 

‘When did you ask her?’ Harry asked.

‘Good point.’ Fred said, then turned to scan the Gryffindor table. ‘Oi! Angelina!’ He called, and walked over to talk to her.

He returned not two minutes later. ‘Sorted.’ He said, then stole a slice of toast from Neville’s plate.

‘We’d better go use a school owl then.’ George said. ‘Come on Freddie.’ 

* * *

The Hogwarts teacher continued to demonstrate their desire to impress the visitors from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. They were showing Hogwarts at its best at Christmas. When the decorations went up, Hermione noticed that they were worthy of Regia, the most stunning that she had yet seen in the school.

Everlasting icicles had been attached to the bannisters of the marble staircases. The usual twelve Christmas trees in the Great Hall were bedecked with everything from luminous holly berries to real golden owls.

Most impressive were the suits of armour, all of them were dressed appropriately for the holidays now with garlands of Holy around their heads like Christmassy crowns, they had all been bewitched to sing carols whenever anyone passed them. It was quite something to hear “To Temple City, at Christmas time” sung by an empty helmet that only knew half the words. It had begun a new game amongst the students – fill in the gap with rude lyrics.

So far Lee Jordan was winning, he’d substituted the word “wand” for “penis” for one oddly forgetful suit of armour.

‘O, I grab my _Penis_ and come to Temple City.   
O, here in Temple City I wave my _Penis_ and make the sparks fly.   
It is time to celebrate at this Yule time, and we all wave our _Penises_ together.’

It would be a tough act to follow.

There was going to be a Hufflepuff party that night, Hermione had spread the word to her house as instructed by Cedric. Krum was quite looking forwards to it as well, he was going to meet Hermione and her friends in the Entrance Hall with some of his friends.

Breakfast was an exciting affair that day… or it was dramatic at least. 

‘Do you think everyone will stay for the magic sex party?’ Blaise asked in his usual blunt manner.

‘I doubt the French will.’ Hermione said. ‘It’ll offend their delicate sensibilities.’ Then she picked up her book and began to read, apparently to the boys – this meant she couldn’t hear them anymore.

Theo snorted. ‘Please. I’ve been to parties in Paris – they’re pretty wild.’

‘The Durmstrangs’ will.’ Neville said. ‘They look pretty excited about it.’

‘I can’t wait till we get to stay next year.’ Theo said.

_I think they’ve forgotten I’m here_. Hermione thought to herself as she read her latest Potions journal. _It’s like observing animals in their natural habitat._ It was no lie that the boys acted much more restrained around the girls than they did with each other.

‘It’s not like some of us need a sex party to get a little action, eh?’ Theo said.

The boys sniggered and Hermione pretended to be further interested in her book. What had her friends been up to?

‘He said they didn’t have sex though.’ Blaise corrected his friend. 

‘Yeah but she sucked his off, sex won’t be far behind.’ Theo said.

Hermione glanced up to see Blaise roll his eyes. ‘Oh please, they’re fourteen. Draco’s not going to have sex with Pansy any time soon.’

Hermione felt like she’d just fallen backwards into a tub of iced water. 

‘Hmm. Well, he’s making do with all of the blow jobs he wants.’ Theo said. ‘I wouldn’t mind one… I’ll have to get myself a girlfriend.’

Hermione had heard enough. She stood up and slammed her book. ‘You’re disgusting.’ She said to Theo, whose eyes widened.

‘I’m only joking.’ Theo said quickly.

But Hermione was already walking away. Target, the common room. 

Draco wasn’t in the common room so she let herself down the boys’ stairs to find him in his dormitory. He was sat reading on her bed.

‘Pansy gave you a blow job.’ She said, her voice sounded strange in her ears – like it was strained.

Draco shut his book and stood up. ‘Where’d you hear that?’

‘Theo.’ She said. ‘Which he followed up by some disgusting comments about getting a girlfriend of his own so he could… never mind. Why didn’t you tell me?’

‘Why would I?’ He asked defensively.

Hermione was suddenly very angry. ‘Do you have any idea how humiliating it was for me to find that out from someone else?!’

Draco was suddenly angry too. ‘I wasn’t aware I had to register every sexual experience I have for you Hermione! We’re not together as you love reminding me.’

‘And who’s fault is that?!’

‘Mine… Of course, it’s mine. My father threatens to kill you and I’m the bad guy for keeping you safe? Go to hell, Hermione.’ He moved for the door but Hermione blocked his way with a hand on his chest.

‘He threatened to kill me? When was that?’

‘When I was made a Duke and tried to get out of the contract. He said if I did, he would kill you.’ He took her hand and Hermione thought for a moment that their fight was over, but then he tossed her hand away from him and moved around her out of the door.

Hermione was still teaming with energy caused from her fury. _How could he not tell me? Why would he do this with Pansy? Did he actually like her?_

Then Hermione realised she was being a massive hypocrite. She genuinely liked Krum – she found solace in him. Draco was finding solace in Pansy… was that such a leap? And they weren’t together… the news that Lucius Malfoy had threatened to actually kill her absolutely terrified her… and Draco had been trying to protect her from that.

Hermione shut her eyes and groaned. She’d let her temper control her. Damn. Why would he tell her that in the first place? Would she tell him if she did anything sexual with Victor? _Hell no. _

She went to Draco’s bedside table, he kept spare school supplies in the drawer. She opened the first notebook she found and pulled out a sheet of paper. 

_I’m really sorry, Dragon. I was just shocked. Hermione xx_

She folded the note up and stuffed it under his blanket where he would find it easily. 

Then, with the direct plan of avoiding absolutely everyone she knew. She went up to Gryffindor’s secret duelling room, she took a notebook with the plan of looking through the few books that lived up there for any information on either Wolfblood’s or the egg clue.

* * *

Daphne sat at the end of her double bed with her legs crossed, rocking back and forth quickly, her eyes wild. 

She was scribbling furiously in her sketch book. She could hear the clang of a knife hitting the floor, it was so loud it hurt. She wanted to cover her ears and scream but she just couldn’t stop drawing.

The blood pounded in her ears as she manically scratched at the paper with her red pencil.

The rocking increased as she dropped the red pencil to grab the black.

Staring dead ahead, into the roaring fireplace in her room, her hand moved frantically over the sheet of parchment.

The lead of the pencil snapped, breaking Daphne from her trance. She stopped rocking back and forth, and looked down at what she had drawn…

With a gasp of horror, she threw the sketch book away from her, onto the floor, while she tossed herself backwards on the bed to increase the distance between her and the horrors she had drawn.

Slowly, she climbed out of the side of her bed and tentatively stepped towards the drawing at the foot of her bed.

She approached from the side, angling her neck to see the drawing properly. 

She knelt down and picked up the drawing, the shock had worn off to be replaced with adrenaline. 

It was the golden knife… the golden knife she couldn’t stop drawing… but now the drawing was complete, she could see the victim. The golden knife and the Prophet...

‘Madam Sybil.’ Daphne gasped in horror.

The golden knife lay in a pool of scarlet blood that seemed to run down the parchment… all besides the body of Madam Sybil, whose lifeless eyes stared out of the drawing and into Daphne’s. 

There was a sudden silence, the clang of the knife could no longer be heard. But the terror gripping Daphne remained. 

The building pulsing feeling within Daphne grew – and grew… She needed it to stop… she needed… 

Daphne let out a blood-curdling scream. The windows in her room shattered from the sound of it – as did her mirror. Her parents came rushing in.

* * *

Hermione left the secret duelling room late in the evening, leaving just enough time to get ready for the Hufflepuff party.

‘All students must return to their dormitories immediately!’ The voice of Flitwick sounded around every corner of the school. The last time this system had been used, a great big Basilisk had been roaming the corridors.

Hermione broke into a quick pace. She’d cut by Snape’s potion store instead of going via the Great Hall, that would be a tiny bit faster and she wouldn’t get caught in any crowds.

‘Granger!’ Came Snape’s voice as she ran down the stairs.

She turned around and saw the urgency in his eyes. ‘Get back to your common room now! Wand out!’ 

Hermione pulled her wand out at once… Sweet Vutris… had Death Eaters gotten into the castle?

‘What’s happened?’ She asked. Two teachers, Flitwick and Sprout, ran past them going all the way to the top of the staircase.

‘Daphne’s… seen… drawn… something.’ Snape seemed at a loss for words. ‘Madam Sybil is in danger… and we can’t find her.’

‘I’ll help you look?’ Hermione offered.

Snape actually looked afraid. ‘No. Get back to the common room now.’

‘But Harry’s map-’ She protested.

‘Common room! Now!’ Came a new voice. It was Dumbledore. He was moving with surprising speed up the stairs. All the teachers were heading to the divination classroom.

Hermione turned and hurried down the rest of the stairs at Dumbledore’s order. She quite literally ran through the corridor to get back to her common room.

The torches on this corridor weren’t lit. Hermione was too panicked to think why that might be, and she blindly ran down the corridor. 

But then her shoes splashed in a puddle. 

Hermione froze, there was nothing that could flood a corridor on this floor… she was in the driest part of the castle, that’s why Snape kept his rarest ingredients in this cupboard.

‘Lumos.’ She whispered.

She pointed her wand down at the puddle she stood in. It was red.

Blood. She was stood in blood. 

She gulped.

She moved her wand along the floor before her and the golden knife came into view. Hermione recognised it immediately. Her best friend had been drawing it all year.

Then she saw the body.

Snape found her a few minutes later. He’d been coming down from the Divination tower - all the teachers were searching a different part of the castle.

He hadn’t seen the body yet, only Hermione cowering by the wall in panicked tears. She just couldn’t catch her breath… She couldn’t think straight…

She’d held Quirrell’s hand as he died and hadn’t been affected… but that wasn’t nearly as violent as this. 

Snape knelt in front of her, the corridor was too dark for him to see what lay on the floor just a few feet away.

‘Granger! Are you hurt?’ He asked in clear concern.

‘On the floor… Madam Sybil…’ She gasped out and pointed on the floor directly behind him.

Snape turned as if in slow motion. 

‘Lumos.’ He said and lit his wand. 

Hermione heard him gasp as he saw the body.

‘Expecto Patronum’ He said quickly. A silver doe burst from his wand – it lit the scene of the murder even more. ‘Outside my potions store. Body found.’ The doe galloped off back up the corridor.

Madam Sybil lay in a pool of her own blood – her empty eyes staring outward. But the grim scream of her final moments was still etched onto her face. There were several bloody wounds on the body, but the throat had been cut ear to ear.

The other teachers arrived quickly after Snape sent his message. 

‘Sweet Vutris.’ Dumbledore gasped. Then he saw Hermione, who had been dragged to her feet by Snape. ‘Did you see who did this?’

Hermione shook her head; she couldn’t take her eyes from the deep gash in Madam Sybil’s neck. 

‘Get her back to her common room with a calming draught.’ Dumbledore told Snape. ‘Professor McGonagall, please send for the Auror’s.’ 

Snape left Hermione’s side to run into his potion’s cupboard for a potion, which Hermione took without argument.

She allowed Snape to guide her through the corridors and down the stairs. 

‘Regia.’ Snape barked the password and opened the door, then dragged Hermione inside. 

‘Malfoy!’ Snape barked. ‘Front and centre!’ 

The common room was packed since everyone had been ordered back there… it was quite a sight, anyone old enough was dressed for a Hufflepuff party that was no doubt cancelled now.

Draco emerged from the crowd quickly and took in the pale state of Hermione. ‘Holy shit, are you okay?’ He rushed up to Hermione. Their previous argument was now completely forgotten.

‘She found a dead body.’ Snape told him. ‘Keep an eye on her.’ 

Then Snape stepped further into the room to address his house. ‘Everyone get changed into your pyjamas. You’re all sleeping in the Great Hall.’ 

Tracey and Millie pulled Hermione to the dormitory. The calming draught kicked in fully once she saw her bed, she just wanted to climb into it and never crawl back out. But she got changed into her warmest flannel pyjamas and bed socks, then tied her hair back in a bobble.

‘What’s happened Hermione?’ Tracey asked.

Then Pansy came in – she looked deathly pale, worse than Hermione. She must have heard the news, she had pulled her cloak tightly around her to fight off the shock from the look of it.

‘Madam Sybil has been killed.’ Hermione told the other two girls.

They waited for Pansy to get changed and then hurried out into the common room again. There was a new addition.

Tonks had returned. Of course she had, she would come the second there was any potential danger to Draco. He was stood next to her and the two seemed in deep conversation. 

‘Is everyone assembled?’ Snape called. 

The Prefects formed a guard around the train of students. Snape led the way. Tonks escorted Draco separately. 

The Slytherin’s appeared to be the last ones to arrive, the Gryffindor’s had saved their friends the purple sleeping bags around them. 

Draco arrived once they were all settled down in beds, it wasn’t by design but the sleeping bag next to Hermione had remained empty for him to take.

Hours later, the teachers were still searching the castle for the killer, the Auror’s had arrived to investigate the crime scene, and the lawn of the school was filled with reporters. 

Theo had pulled her aside once people had begun to fall asleep to apologise for his earlier remarks, he’d just been playing it up for the other boys at the table. Hermione had given him some harsh words on his behaviour and he’d taken them onboard.

Hermione and Draco were the only ones in the hall still awake, or so they thought, they lay facing each other and holding hands. 

‘Bad things happen to those who would hurt a Priestess.’ Draco told her. ‘And she was a bit nuts yeah, but she was a Priestess.’

‘Draco she was right. She predicted her death a year ago and she was right!’

‘I know… that occurred to me too.’ Draco said. ‘Kitten… what if she’s right about everything. She’s said I’m going to die.’

‘I won’t let you.’ Hermione said firmly. ‘I won’t let anyone hurt you.’

* * *

On the other side of the Great Hall, lay two sleeping bags away from all the others. Ron and Pansy lay awake too. 

‘What the hell are we going to do?’ Ron asked her.

Pansy shook her head. ‘I don’t know… I got back to my dorm with blood on my clothes, it’s a miracle none of them noticed!’

Ron nodded. ‘Same for me. My shirt was drenched.’

‘What if people find out?’ Pansy asked.

‘We’ll be thrown in Azkaban.’ Ron told her. ‘What else would they do with us? We’re involved in a murder Pans, we’re screwed.’ 

* * *

* * *

DUN DUN DUUUUNNNNNN!

I feel like I'm absolute rubbish at writing suspense and scary bits. Any tips? But at least I've given you back-to-back updates. 

I hope you're all enjoying the story - it's going to start getting ruder and darker now since they're getting older. 

E x


	75. The Yule Ball

* * *

* * *

A little note - I pulled an all-nighter and finished this at 6am because I couldn't sleep. You may have to forgive a few sleep depraved errors. P.s. No idea what is going on with these line breaks. Ao3 decided about halfway down that it was goint to put them all in at the top instead of where I wanted them, so you'll notice that about halfway through I go for the old-school ... line break.

* * *

For some beyond insane reason none of the students were sent home, the Triwizard Tournament was not postponed, and the Yule Ball wasn’t even cancelled. 

It was, of course, front page news for several days in all worldwide publications. 

_MURDER MOST FOUL AT HOGWARTS! _

_DEATH OF TEMPLE PROPHET AT HOGWARTS SCHOOL!_

_“TERRIBLE THINGS” AWAIT MURDERER OF TEMPLE PROPHET!_

_HIGH ORACLE RELEASES STATEMENT ON THE MURDER OF HER SISTER!_

‘Her sister?’ Ginny gasped as she pointed out the title on _The Vampire Times. _

‘They’re not related.’ Draco told her. ‘It’s just what they call each other. All Priests and Priestesses are brother and sister.’

‘I’m sorry…’ Hermione tossed down _The Northern Times_ in frustration. ‘…There isn’t a single word in any of these saying we should cancel the tournament or the ball.’ 

Hermione had been dosed with countless calming draughts over the last few days – at least until the shock of finding her teachers mangled body had worn of properly. 

Thankfully everyone had been that taken aback at the violent murder in their school to remember that Madam Sybil’s violent predictions seemed to be coming true. Those that did remember – Hermione and Draco – felt an unsettling feeling of foreboding. 

The constant presence of a team of highly trained Auror’s was doing a lot to calm the parent’s nerves, Hermione supposed. It could be the only reason every single parent going hadn’t insisted on collecting their children straight away. Nobody could be stupid enough to attack while there were Auror’s present.

Hermione felt like they were all forgetting there _had_ been an Auror in the school when the attack happened. Professor Moody had rather upped his “constant vigilance” due to the events of the previous days.

Tonks was now a permanent addition in the castle – and would be until the murderer was caught. Moody had wanted to question everyone personally, and he had rather grilled everyone in the extreme asking if they had seen anything odd. Poor Pansy had returned to the common room and burst out crying – Moody must have gone hard on her.

Draco was getting frustrated at having his guard full-time again. 

‘I might as well take_ her_ to the Yule ball.’ Draco complained as he tossed down his own foreign paper. Hermione had talked him into ordering a selection of papers to see what they were putting out about the murder. 

Hermione looked around the Hall, she couldn’t even see Tonks. ‘It’s not that bad.’ 

‘I hate having a babysitter.’ He grumbled.

‘You’d hate being murdered more.’ Hermione dismissed his complaints rather effectively.

_ALL SCHOOLS STILL COMPETING – “WE DO NOT BOW TO THREATS” SAYS ENGLISH MINISTER._ Krum was sat to their left reading _The National Bulgarian. _

‘I can’t believe they’ve not called this whole thing off.’ Ginny said, following Hermione’s eye to look at the Bulgarians.

‘The ball or the tournament?’ Hermione asked.

‘Both.’ Ginny said.

‘They can’t call the tournament off... Binding contract – remember?’ Draco reminded them.

All four common rooms were hardly less crowded now than during term-time; it seemed to have shrunk slightly too, as its inhabitants were being so much rowdier than usual. Hermione wasn’t sure if it was due to the fright of a murderer, or if the nutters she went to school with were excited for the Yule Ball.

Fred and George had great success with their Canary Creams, to the point that they reached all four houses. For the first few days of the holidays, people kept bursting into feather all over the place.

It didn’t take long before people began to treat any offered food with extreme caution, lest it have a concealed Canary Cream. Fred and George had already come to Hermione to ask her to check their work on an entire range of new items – and Hermione had told them they’d done a bang-up job, while also making a mental note never to accept any form of food from the twins in her life.

Snow was falling thickly now on the castle and its vast grounds. The blue Beauxbatons carriage looked like a frozen blue pumpkin next to Hagrid’s hut. Meanwhile, the Durmstrang ship now sat on a frozen lake – the portholes were glazed over with thick ice, and the rigging was white with frost. 

‘It is not so bad.’ Krum had told her when she asked if it was even warm on the ship at night. ‘I haf the thought of you to keep me varm.’ 

Theo and Blaise had made gagging motions behind his back for that one, which caused Hermione to choke on her morning cup of tea.

The house-elves down in the kitchen were outdoing themselves with a wonderful series of warming foods. A healthy dose of stews and savoury puddings was keeping everyone too full to think about the fact there was a murderer on the prowl.

Only Fleur Delacour seemed to be finding any issue, and it wasn’t with the murder. ‘It is too ‘eavy all zis food.’ She could be heard remarking to her followers. ‘I will not fit into my dress at zis rate.’ 

‘What a tragedy.’ Ginny had remarked to Hermione. They rather enjoyed people watching together.

‘She thinks a lot of herself, doesn’t she?’ Hermione nodded.

‘You two can be rather nasty at times.’ Harry told them.

‘You love it.’ Ginny told him with a wink.

Without the egg to properly research, Hermione had thrown herself into Wolfblood research, a tough feat now that there was a curfew, and had turned up… absolutely nothing.

She was getting frustrated now. But there was a rare bookshop down Knockturn Alley – she wanted to go in there at her first opportunity. A rare creature and a rare bookshop went hand-in-hand in her mind. 

Christmas day finally came. Hermione did rather well in her pile of presents, a lovely selection of books and a new winter cloak and boots… and her dress had arrived.

The morning consisted of Ginny and Luna bringing their dresses for the ball down into the Slytherin girls’ dormitory – they were all going to be getting ready together. 

Then everyone gathered in the common room. There was a wonderful chess match between Draco and Harry, during which everyone got involved – offering Harry advice that is, Draco didn’t need any help.

The game culminated in an exciting checkmate, involving a couple of recklessly brave pawns and a very violent bishop. Draco was crowned as the winner – to nobody’s shock. 

She’d gone to the kitchens with Draco to give Dobby his Christmas present, apparently the house-elf had woken Harry up that morning to give him a pair of handmade socks. 

Draco had received the same treatment but he actually had a proper present to give back to the elf. Draco had ordered a new complete outfit for Dobby to wear – a little button up suit if he wanted to go out without his formal butlers’ outfit but still look his best. Dobby had loved it and burst out crying.

Then Hermione had found out the Dursley’s had gifted Harry a single tissue.

‘You’ll be able to move in with Sirius soon!’ Hermione told him to cheer him up. 

Sirius had sent him a new top of the line broom-care kit for his Firebolt, and he’d spent most of the morning when he wasn’t losing at chess, pouring over the manual. He’d also given him a penknife with attachments to unlock any door and undo any knot that was given with the note: _Harry, your father and I used this to sneak around the castle in our day. Use it well._

This reminder of his father had left Harry rather misty eyed, and everyone had given him a few minutes to calm off.

Mrs Weasley had completely outdone herself this year. Knitted sweaters for everyone. _Everyone._ Even Theo got one and he’d never really met the woman!

But Slytherin’s were very glad of an extra warm layer in their draughty dungeon. Mrs Weasley was instantly sent several thank you letters. 

Draco’s was the best; it was purple with a large black letter D wearing a crown. 

Harry’s seemed to have been made with additional care and love, to the point that Hermione wondered if Ginny had told her mother they had started dating. It was green with a dragon on it – Mrs Weasley had an account of the task with the Horntail from several of her children: Charlie, Fred and George, Ron, and Ginny. She knew every detail of the task now. 

Lunch was magnificent, it included at least a hundred turkeys and Christmas puddings, and large piles of Cribbage’s Wizarding Crackers. Hermione had laughed when Luna had forced Draco to wear the pink paper crown that had come out of his cracker. 

Hermione’s paper crown was black. ‘Meh – I think I prefer my Hattie tiara… though this one is much lighter.’ Hermione had smiled when Draco asked her if she enjoyed wearing a crown.

After lunch had settled to a point they could freely move without groans, they went out onto the grounds. 

The lake was frozen over now to the point that several students had gone out skating. You couldn’t pay Hermione to go ice skating on _that_ lake, the shadow of the Giant Squid could be seen swimming under the thin layer of ice. The Merpeople all seemed thoroughly annoyed that their lake had frozen over too, they kept trying to break the ice from underneath with their tridents when a student skated too close to them. 

The boys had all instantly succumbed to the instinct to hurl balls of wet snow at one another. Ginny and Luna had gotten involved, Ginny had aimed rather a good shot that hit Harry straight on the nose. Hermione chose to watch the chaos rather than join in, especially once the Weasley twins got involved.

At five o’clock, Millie and Tracey came to collect Hermione, Ginny, and Luna.

‘What do you need three hours for?’ Harry had grumbled, Ginny and Luna had become his allies in the snowball fight.

Once the two girls protecting his flank were gone, George got Harry on the ear with a rather large snowball.

* * *

There was a familiar large box sat on the end of Hermione’s bed when she got back with the other girls. 

There was a note laying on top of the old wooden box._ I thought some of these would go with your dress, have a magical evening. Narcissa xx_

Hermione grinned and opened the box – it was her Hattie collection.

Hermione was the first to take a shower – she rubbed a new sweet and flowery potion into her hair, shaved everywhere, then rubbed another sweet mixture into her skin. 

She was hurried from the shower by pounding on the door – all the girls needed one. She climbed out and bound her wet hair up, quickly brushed her teeth again, and left the bathroom in her dressing gown. 

The other girls were all showered and back into the dormitory by the time Hermione had convinced her hair, with her wand, to dry in neat waves. 

Hermione pulled her dress out of her wardrobe – it was odd getting herself ready for a formal occasion. She’d gotten used to having a lady’s maid do her hair and makeup… or Daphne.

Vutris knew Hermione missed her best friend. She should be here with Hermione now, getting ready for the ball. She was supposed to be going with Blaise, as friends, and joking about with Hermione as she did her hair for her.

Tracey was wearing a white dress that flared out at the waist and ended just below the knee. The round cut showed off the most respectable hint of cleavage and she wore a snowflake necklace. The three-quarter sleeves were a champagne lace that ran all down the body of the dress and ended in a snowflake pattern at the end of the dress. She wore her hair down, but pinned out of her face neatly. 

Millicent looked stunning. Her dress was floor-length and black. Strapless and a mermaid cut – the dress was suitable for someone who loved fashion as much as Millie did. The black of the dress was emphasised by the magical element – beautiful and ornate snowflakes were falling from the top of the dress and the way to the bottom where they collected in the mermaid train of the dress, giving it a white trim. She wore her hair up in a sophisticated bun, with a few strands left out and curled to frame her face.

Luna was wearing a simpler dress, or so it seemed – it was perfect for Luna. It was a bottle-green, and seemed to be a plain halter neck dress… until you saw it from the back. It didn’t have one. There was nothing covering her back at all - the dress seemingly began at herbum and hips from the back The strap of the dress behind Luna’s neck was hidden by her low chignon, leaving the impression that nothing at all was really holding the dress up if you looked at her from the back. 

Ginny’s dress was a royal blue – and it contrasted perfectly with her fiery red hair. It was ankle-length, which looked incredibly classy on her, and it showed off the stiletto’s Ginny would be wearing. When Ginny had mastered walking on a needle-sized heel, Hermione did not know. The dress was a surplice neck allowing a clear view of the blue choker Ginny was wearing – an item she had borrowed from Millie – from which hung a black stone that hung in the hollow of her throat. A black belt around the waist emphasised Ginny’s petite frame. Her hair was similar to Luna’s and Millie’s, pinned elegantly up with a few curled strands framing the face.

Hermione even complimented Pansy, who had been very quiet recently indeed. She was in very frilly robes of a bold purple that flowed down to the floor. It would look excellent as she was twirled around the dance floor. She had pinned her hair up in an elegant French twist. She was wearing a long pendant that was tucked down the front of her dress.

Then came Hermione. The dress was floor-length, silk, silver, and off the shoulder. She’d enjoyed wearing stars when she’d become Lady Granger – the long silver dress was full of twinkling stars that seemed to flow from her waist down to the floor. 

The dress wasn’t tight fitting from the waist down, there was a slit on the right side that went all the way up her thigh. Hermione had worried she might look a little trashy showing off her full leg, but once she had her matching silver heels on, she found it was a classy look.

All the girls had a clutch bag the same colour as their dresses, Millie had gifted them to everyone as a Christmas present. 

She didn’t go all out on the jewels, meaning she didn’t wear the tiara. She took off the miniature hoop earrings Draco had given her for her birthday and put them back in their ancient cushioned box. She only put the box in her bedside drawer, she’d put them back in tomorrow. 

It was the first time she’d worn the Hattie collection since she had become Lady Granger, she’d rather forgotten the weight of it all.

The necklace went on first, Tracey fastened it for her. The Elvan White Gold went perfectly with the cut of her dress. The hundreds of diamonds on the chain supported the ridiculously large round diamond that hung just above the dress. Hermione couldn’t help remember that the necklace was worth one hundred million. 

While Tracey was doing up the necklace, Hermione was putting the earrings in. Halo diamond drop earrings… eighty million. 

‘The Queen Hattie collection, right?’ Pansy asked as she stepped forwards to finger the earring lightly.

Hermione prepared herself for a biting remark, but none came. ‘It suits you.’ She said, then walked over to her vanity to do her makeup.

‘Thanks.’ Hermione said to her back. ‘You look really nice.’ 

Pansy gave her a smile in the mirror and turned to apply her blush.

‘How old is the collection?’ Millie asked, she’d jokingly put the tiara on and was walking around the room like a Queen as the other girls curtseyed to her.

‘About three hundred years. It was a wedding gift King Septimius gave to Queen Hattie Hufflepuff.’ Hermione told her as she picked up the ring from the box. ‘That’s the one worth eight hundred million Galleons, remember?’

Millie instantly took the tiara off her head with wide eyes and put it back in the box. She’d forgotten all about their conversation at the Slytherin table when they had said the worth of the collection.

Hermione wasn’t going to wear the tiara – that would be a bit overkill for a Christmas party. But she did put the ring on… two hundred and fifty million Galleons... Glittering diamonds, a light-catching halo lay around the centre gem. The pairs of pave diamonds nestled in the marquise frame gracefully flowed down the band and added to the sparkle. 

The many glittering diamonds she wore shone like the stars on her dress until she looked like a star herself.

Hermione took one last look at the Hattie Tiara nestled in its box. Containing more diamonds than the rest of the collection combined, Hermione admired the seven beautiful of diamond icicles pointing upwards before she shut the lid.

Makeup was a quick affair – Millie did it for everyone. She was the second most gifted in that area, after Daphne.

As Millie did her makeup – Tracey declared Hermione to be useless at hair and took over, putting her hair up in a romantic bun. It seemed to be a matching trend for the girls – as she joined most of them in leaving a few curled strands down to frame her face.

The boys were all ready and assembled in the common room.

‘Well, don’t you all look lovely?’ Blaise grinned. 

The boys were all dressed in nearly identical tails – to the point Hermione wondered if they had coordinated their outfits. The only difference in their black suits seemed to be the colour of their pocket square and tie. 

Hermione realised why this was as everyone paired off for the walk to the Great Hall. 

Tracey was wearing white; she was going with Theo – Hermione wasn’t sure if it was as friends as they were claiming as they both kept blushing when they thought nobody was looking. Theo’s pocket square and tie were both the same champagne colour as the lace on Tracey’s dress.

Millie was going with Goyle – also apparently as friends. His pocket tie and square were as black as her dress. 

Hermione wondered if Pansy had elected to wear the royal colour, or if Draco had told her he would have to. Whatever it was – Draco had a purple tie and pocket square. He looked very handsome; the ring of a Royal Duke was clear on his hand. The sword of Atune was on his hip, he hadn’t taken it off since the murder. 

Luna was too young to go on her own. To get out of attending the under fourth year’s party – meaning a night of no friends – Crabbe had gallantly come to her aid and offered to take her to the ball. His tie and pocket square were the same green as her dress.

Harry was down in the Slytherin common room too – he and Neville, also present, must have gotten ready with the boys down here. His tie and pocket square were blue to match Ginny’s dress. 

Blaise and Neville were going as a ground with Seamus and Dean, along with Lavender and the Patel twins. They stepped up to Hermione, Krum was meeting her in the entrance hall. 

‘Well, tesoro, you look…’ Blaise trailed off at a loss for words.

‘…Wonderful.’ Neville finished for him.

Both boys offered her their arms and she took both. 

‘A boy on each arm, what would mother say?’ Hermione joked in false propriety as the group left the common room.

‘Ron’s robes are just awful.’ Neville sighed as they walked up the stairs. ‘he was up there getting ready before we came down to get ready.’ 

‘How awful?’ Hermione asked.

They were seeing other students in the hallway now – everyone looked very glam. They weren’t wearing several million Galleons of jewels glam, but still, very glam. 

‘They kind of look like a dress. Poor sod.’ Neville said.

‘His family is rolling in it now – why not buy him new robes?’ Blaise asked.

Ginny was walking with Harry at the back of the group, so thankfully did not hear Blaise casually declaring her family to be “new money”. 

‘He was grumbling about his mum teaching him a lesson.’ Neville said.

‘But he’s been good this year?’ Hermione asked. ‘He’s been weirdly quiet.’ 

‘She wasn’t very sympathetic when he got his leg bitten off either.’ Neville told them. ‘But anyway, they’re all frilly… or they were. He used a severing charm on a lot of it. Poor sod… Huh, never thought I’d feel bad for Ron Weasley.’ 

The entrance hall was packed with students, everyone was waiting around for eight o’clock, the doors to the Great Hall would be thrown open soon.

‘Where’s your date?’ Blaise asked her.

Hermione had a quick scan of the room. ‘Probably still walking up with his school… I’ll go find him. See you later.’ 

She gave both Blaise and Neville a kiss to the cheek to thank them for escorting her this far, then left them to it. They were wandering off to find the rest of their group the last she saw of them.

Hermione was weaving through the crowd of people, who were all milling around and looking for partners from different houses or schools, when she spotted him.

_Poor sod_, she found herself agreeing with Neville. Ron was hidden away in the corner of the room alone, he did look like he was wearing an old woman’s dress, and he hadn’t done a very neat job on the severing charm.

She found herself standing before him. ‘Do you want me to transfigure your robes?’

He looked at her in shock. ‘Excuse me?’ Hermione noticed he was looking a little pale. 

‘Your robes. I’ll transfigure them into a suit if you want.’ She told him again. As she said this, she gestured at the rough edges where he had clearly removed the lace, the edges were looking desperately frayed.

Ron seemed to consider her for a moment. ‘Why wou-’

‘I promise I won’t make them any worse.’ She cut him off. 

‘Yes please.’ Ron said.

They were stood away from the crowd in the corner of the room, so they didn’t really need to go anywhere for privacy. Hermione pointed her wand at him and did some complicated wand movement.

The brown dress turned into an old style set of still-brown tails – still a little out of fashion, but much better than they had been. 

‘Hmm.’ Hermione said, stepping back to admire her work. ‘Mind if I tweak the colour a little?’ 

‘Go for it.’ Ron seemed to be in a state of shock that he was having an exchange with Hermione that wasn’t ending in him getting into a fight or suspended.

Hermione continued with another set of complicated movements. The robes murky brown turned into a more full-bodied chocolate colour. She’d been aiming for black but this was still a vast improvement, it didn’t clash with his hair as much anymore.

‘There. Sorted.’ Hermione stepped back. ‘See you later.’ She went to move on, stowing her wand in her silver clutch bag. 

‘Wait, Granger.’ He reached out to grab her arm before she could walk off. ‘Thank you.’ He said, he looked terribly awkward.

‘You’re welcome.’ She said.

Ron seemed to be trying to say something, but was unable to get the words out. ‘I- we- Mo-’ Finally, he sighed. ‘You look nice.’ 

Hermione thought he was being terribly strange, but at least he hadn’t insulted or cursed her.

He looked up over her shoulder. ‘Your date just came in, have a nice night.’ He said before turning and disappearing into the crowd.

Hermione hurried over to the front doors, which were swinging open to reveal the Durmstrang students. Krum was front and centre next to Karkaroff.

He ginned at her as she approached, his eyes scanned up her body appreciatively. 

‘You look very beautiful.’ He said, leaning down to kiss her cheek.

‘You’re looking very handsome yourself.’ She grinned back. 

He was wearing a rich black suit with a silver tie and pocket square to match her dress. Hermione wondered who had coordinated all the boy’s ties and pocket squares to match their dates’ dresses, she had a suspicion that it was the resident fashionista, Millicent.

He offered her his arm and she took it gladly. She didn’t see, but there were many boys giving Krum an envious glare, that slit in her dress was doing a lot to the imaginations of the poor teens.

Behind the group of Durmstrang students, Hermione could see that a large area of lawn in front of the castle had been turned into some sort of whimsical grotto full of fairy lights. Meaning that hundreds of actual fairies were sitting in the rosebushes, and were fluttering over the statues of what seemed to the three Gods’ all of whom were wearing wreaths of holly on their heads as crowns. 

The Beauxbatons were right behind them, Hermione caught an eyeful of Fleur. She looked quite stunning, in floor length robes of a silver-blue satin. She was accompanied by the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain, who was in a lot of Hermione’s classes, Roger Davies.

‘Champions over here, please!’ Professor McGonagall’s voice called out. Hermione raised her free arm to adjust her necklace, though there was no need, Elvan White Gold didn’t get out of place.

Krum told his friends that he would see them all once the party started, and guided Hermione over to the other champions by McGonagall.

Professor McGonagall, who was wearing dress robes of red tartan and had arranged a rather ugly wreath of thistles around the brim of her hat, told them to wait on one side of the doors while everyone else went inside; they were to enter the Great Hall in procession when the rest of the students had sat down.

Hermione waved to her friends as they passed her on their way in, Draco gave her a wink as he walked by. “_You look nice,_” he mouthed at her.

“_Thanks,_” she mouthed back.

Fleur Delacour and Roger Davies stationed themselves nearest the doors; Davies looked so stunned by his good fortune in having Fleur for a partner that he could hardly take his eyes off her. She seemed to be in a deep conversation with him – though it looked to be rather one sided since he was just staring at her.

Cedric and Cho were close to Hermione too. ‘Hey, nerd.’ Cedric greeted her with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. ‘You look very nice.’ 

Hermione smiled at her desk buddy. ‘Cheers. You’re looking very dapper.’ Cedric was wearing a suit of dark silk.

Cedric turned to greet Krum with a friendly handshake. Hermione and Cho had a quick hug. 

‘I love your dress!’ Hermione said to Cho with a smile. ‘Who is it?’ 

‘Madam Cassandra.’ Cho told her. ‘Is yours from the royal designer? The stars look familiar.’ 

Hermione felt that Cho would get on very well with Millie.

Harry and Ginny joined the rest of the champions.

The rest of the school was pretty much in the Hall now, to the point that Hermione could see the two Auror’s posted on the door, they were both wearing dress robes so that they would blend in. Tonks was at the rear of the group going into the Great Hall – she would be following Draco around all night. She was wearing pink robes to match her hair.

‘Hey Tonks.’ Hermione said as she walked past the Champions.

‘Hey Granger.’ She greeted in return. ‘Looking good.’ She gave her a wink and then continued walking into the Great Hall. She looked quite tired in Hermione’s opinion, rather pale and sickly. Perhaps she had caught a winter chill?

Ginny came to stand besides Hermione, she was looking rather nervous. Krum, bless him, noticed this too and quickly picked up a conversation with Hermione’s youngest friends on some Irish Quidditch match that had just occurred.

Soon, Ginny was happily arguing with him over the Irish Chaser’s superior chasers. ‘Well, that’s why you lost the World Cup. They had better chasers.’

Hermione suspected Krum was not used to people being so blunt with him, but he seemed to love it when people didn’t suck up to him. ‘Ah, but they only beat us by a margin.’

Ginny had rolled her eyes. ‘A win is a win.’ 

Krum had to give her that one.

Krum’s fan club from the library stalked past, throwing Hermione looks of deepest loathing. To her own surprise, Ginny also received a few glares from Harry’s growing fan club. 

Once everyone else was settled in the Hall, Professor McGonagall told the champions and their partners to get in line in pairs and to follow her. They did so, and everyone in the Great Hall applauded as they entered and started walking up toward a large round table at the top of the Hall, where the judges were sitting.

Krum and Hermione were leading the train, then Fleur and Rodger, followed by Cedric and Cho, and finally bringing up the rear was Harry and Ginny. It was the order McGonagall had put them in, the order their names had come out of the cup.

Hermione had to keep herself from gasping when she saw the transformation the Great Hall had undergone. The walls of the Hall had all been covered in sparkling silver frost, with hundreds of garlands of mistletoe and ivy crossing the starry black ceiling. The House tables had vanished; instead, there were about a hundred smaller, lantern-lit ones, each seating about a dozen people.

As like the other long walks of Hermione’s life, the walks that ended in a new badge/medal or a tiara, the memory sort of blurred for her. She recalled walking in and admiring the décor, and praying she wouldn’t trip, and then she was arriving at the top table and being greeted by Dumbledore.

Dumbledore smiled happily as the champions approached the top table, but Karkaroff wore an expression remarkably sour as he watched Krum and Hermione draw nearer. Hermione, who knew Karkaroff was an ex-Death Eater, suspected that he wasn’t very fond of his prize student going out with a Muggle-born. She made sure to give him an extra-large smile as she sat down.

Ludo Bagman, was in robes of bright purple with large yellow stars – Hermione got the impression he was trying to give off an air of royalty with his choice of colour and the King’s favourite raining stars pattern- was clapping as enthusiastically as any of the students.

Madame Maxime, who had changed her usual uniform of black satin for a flowing gown of lavender silk, was applauding them politely. She still seemed to be looking down at Hogwarts, it was getting to the point that Hermione was wondering if Beauxbatons was some kind of World-Wonder better than Regia.

Then Hermione heard Harry groan quietly to Ginny, who shared in his miserable sound. She followed their line of sight to see the reason why. Mr. Crouch was not there. The fifth seat at the table was occupied by Percy Weasley. 

Percy, who was wearing brand-new, navy-blue dress robes and an expression of such smugness that Hermione had to resist a severe eye-roll.

‘Lady Granger!’ Percy greeted across the table. Greeting her over his own sister who was sat not one seat away from him, he seemed to have somehow got Harry to sit next to him. ‘How are you?’ 

_Still a pompous twat then_. Hermione thought to herself. ‘I’m good, thanks Percy. I got ready with Ginny tonight; doesn’t she look nice?’

Ginny kicked her under the table for pawning her brother off on her. Hermione winked back at her and turned to chatter happily with Krum and Dumbledore, they were discussing the Hogwarts Quidditch league. 

‘I’ve been promoted.’ Percy announced loudly, though nobody had asked, he spoke that loudly he gained the attention of the entire table. From his tone, he might have been announcing his election as supreme ruler of the universe.

‘I’m now Mr. Crouch’s personal assistant, and I’m here representing him.’ Percy continued.

‘Why didn’t he come?’ Ginny asked her brother.

‘I’m afraid to say Mr. Crouch isn’t well, not well at all. Hasn’t been right since the World Cup. Hardly surprising… overwork. He’s not as young as he was… though still quite brilliant, of course, the mind remains as great as it ever was.’ Percy began.

Ginny met Hermione’s eye across the table and they shared a look that said enough of their thoughts on Ginny’s brother. 

‘But the World Cup was a fiasco for the whole Ministry, and then, Mr. Crouch suffered a huge personal shock with the misbehaviour of that house-elf of his, Blinky, or whatever she was called. Naturally, he dismissed her immediately afterward, but… well, as I say, he’s getting on, he needs looking after, and I think he’s found a definite drop in his home comforts since she left.’

_All he had to do was say “oh, he’s ill._” Hermione grumbled to herself. _Didn’t ask for your whole life story._ She also didn’t like the way he hadn’t even remembered Winky’s name.

‘And then we had the tournament to arrange, and the aftermath of the Cup to deal with — that revolting Skeeter woman buzzing around… no, poor man, he’s having a well-earned, quiet Christmas. I’m just glad he knew he had someone he could rely upon to take his place.’

‘I’m sure you are a great comfort to Mr Crouch.’ Ginny said. ‘Has he managed to learn your name yet, Weatherby?’

Percy blushed furiously and busied himself looking at his menu. Hermione was very glad Harry had chosen to bring Ginny, she was very effective in managing her brothers. She would say the things the rest of them usually resisted the urge to say.

Dumbledore, who was very clearly trying not to laugh spoke to Ginny. ‘It is very nice to have you with us, Miss Weasley. Did you not want to attend the Abbey party for the under fourth years?’ 

‘No sir. My friend Luna, she’s just over there, we wanted to come with our friends instead.’ Ginny told him with a smile.

‘Your friends?’ Dumbledore asked with a frown. 

‘People in Ginny’s year suck.’ Hermione told the headmaster. 

‘Oh…’ Dumbledore said. Then he perked up. ‘Well, we’re happy to have you join us.’ Then he picked his menu up.

There was no food as yet on the glittering golden plates, but small menus were lying in front of each of them. Everyone followed Dumbledore’s lead and picked up their own menus. Hermione wondered if house-elves were going to pop up to take their order.

Dumbledore, however, looked carefully down at his own menu, then said very clearly to his plate, ‘Pork chops!’ And pork chops appeared.

Getting the idea, the rest of the table placed their orders to their plates to – though Hermione felt rather foolish to be speaking to her plate.

As they ate, Krum had asked her to tell him all about Muggle Christmas, he’d never experienced one. This ended up as a conversation about Christmas-themed potions, a conversation Dumbledore happily joined in on. She ended up deep in talk with Viktor and Dumbledore and hardly seemed to notice what she was eating as Dumbledore told them about the time, he’d accidently turned his own potions teacher into a giant snowman.

‘You added too much Holly?’ Hermione asked. 

Dumbledore nodded. ‘I got detention for a week. I just tossed in the entire Holly bush.’

The conversation then turned to Christmas at Durmstrang.

‘Veil, ve have a castle also, not as big as this, nor as comfortable, I am thinking,’ he was telling Dumbledore and Hermione, though he had told her most of this before. ‘Ve have just four floors, and the fires are lit only for magical purposes. But ve have grounds larger even than these – in summer we are flying every day.’ 

‘Now, now, Viktor!’ Karkaroff said with a laugh, though it didn’t reach his cold eyes, ‘don’t go giving away anything else, now, or everyone will know exactly where to find us!’

Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling. ‘Igor, all this secrecy… one would almost think you didn’t want visitors. After all, you know where my school is?’

‘Well, Dumbledore.’ Karkaroff gave him a grim smile that bared his yellow teeth. ‘Do we not jealously guard the halls of learning that have been entrusted to us? Are we not right to be proud that we alone know our school’s secrets, and right to protect them?’

Dumbledore actually laughed at this; the entire table was watching this exchange now. 

“Oh, I would never dream of assuming I know all Hogwarts’ secrets, Igor.’ Dumbledore told him. ‘Only this morning, for instance, I took a wrong turning on the way to the bathroom and found myself in a beautifully proportioned room I have never seen before, containing a really rather magnificent collection of chamber pots. When I went back to investigate more closely, I discovered that the room had vanished. But I must keep an eye out for it. Possibly it is only accessible at five-thirty in the morning. Or it may only appear at the quarter moon - or when the seeker has an exceptionally full bladder.’

Harry snorted into his plate of goulash and Percy frowned at the Headmaster. But the wheels were turning in Hermione’s mind.

‘Were you up on the seventh-floor, by chance Headmaster?’ She asked delicately.

Dumbledore’s eyes twinkled in interest. ‘Yes, I was! Fascinating castle – Hogwarts!’ Dumbledore turned to address the table. ‘You never know what you’re going to find.’

Hermione wasn’t listening then. Ravenclaw’s secret room seemed to be more than a room full of magical artifacts/ junk… _Very interesting_. She thought to herself. _Perhaps it’s some sort of… requirement meeting room?_ Hermione could have sworn Dumbledore had given her a very small wink.

She made a mental note to go and investigate as soon as possible, she had a very busy schedule at the minute though. A NEWT workload was keeping her busy, then there was her private lessons and her research projects. She might find some time to pop up there and investigate next weekend.

Soon Hermione realised that Beauxbatons actually was some kind of World-Wonder almost on par with Regia. Fleur was animatedly telling the table what her school was like. 

‘At ze Palace of Beauxbatons, we ’ave ice sculptures all around ze dining chamber at Chreestmas. Zey do not melt, of course… zey are like ’uge statues of diamond, glittering around ze place. And ze food is simply superb. And we ’ave choirs of wood nymphs, ’oo serenade us as we eat.’ 

Roger Davies was watching her talk with a very dazed look on his face, and he kept missing his mouth with his fork. Hermione had the impression that Davies was too busy staring at Fleur to take in a word she was saying. Hermione found herself feeling sorry for the beautiful girl, perhaps she had been a little harsh on her.

‘Hermione?’ Ginny asked. ‘Could I have a sip of your wine?’ 

Hermione was sharing a bottle of delicious red with Krum and Dumbledore. 

‘You can have a glass!’ Dumbledore told her, then conjured one for her. 

Again, Hermione was thankful for the lax wizarding drink laws. She wouldn’t be allowed a sip of alcohol in the Muggle world until she turned eighteen – not that anyone ever stuck to that law.

‘Herminny.’ Krum said, Hermione realised he was trying to mimic Ginny saying her name properly.

Hermione gave him a smile for trying. ‘You’re close enough. It’s not the easiest name… And I like it when you call me dear anyhow.’ 

Desert was delicious, Hermione had a wonderful salted-caramel brownie and ice-cream that she practically inhaled. She’s been very careful not to go overboard on the alcohol… yet… she still had to open the ball. 

She’d danced with Draco at enough royal functions and had all eyes on her enough that she didn’t feel very nervous about opening the dance, and the dance lessons from Draco had effectively killed any slight nerves she might have had. Ginny, though, seemed rather nervous as Dumbledore stood.

The Headmaster asked the students to stand as he had. Then, with a wave of his wand, all the tables zoomed back along the walls leaving the floor clear, and then he conjured a raised platform into existence along the right wall.

Then Hermione’s heart melted, she heard Harry rattling off Quidditch facts to Ginny to distract her from her own nerves. It was clearly working. _They’ll be the first down the isle then._ Hermione thought to herself.

A set of drums, several guitars, a lute, a cello, and some bagpipes were set upon it. The Weird Sisters now trooped up onto the stage to wildly enthusiastic applause; they were all extremely hairy and dressed in black robes that had been artfully ripped and torn.

The applause continued as the Champions took their place on the dance floor, all the other students formed a large circle around them.

The Weird Sisters struck up the slow, mournful tune, of the waltz.

One of Krum’s hands snaked around her waist and the other took her hand tightly. Her free hand came to rest on his shoulder. 

The trick to getting the dance right and not failing to nerves was to keep your eyes on your partner. Krum, thanks to Draco’s tutelage, timed the lifts perfectly. Hermione wasn’t sure if it was the wine, but she was rather enjoying the tight feeling of Krum’s hands on her waist as he lifted her.

Very soon others began to join in the dancing, so the champions were no longer the centre of attention. Once this was evident, Krum began to chat with her as they danced. Hermione really did enjoy his company; they never ran out of things to talk about.

‘You and Professor Dumbledore seem very open with each other.’ Krum said as he lifted her again. ‘Very… how you say… blunt?’

Hermione laughed. ‘In my first year I went to yell at him for lack of education for the Muggle-borns at the school. There’s a lot to learn about this world when you first come into it.’

Dumbledore was waltzing with Madame Maxime. He was so dwarfed by her that the top of his pointed hat barely tickled her chin; however, she moved very gracefully for a woman so large. They seemed to be getting along well, they were deep in a conversation about the possibility of holding a future tournament at Beauxbatons in a few years. 

‘You just want to wait until that Granger girl is old enough to compete, don’t think I don’t see through you, my old friend.’ Madam Maxime told Dumbledore with a smile.

‘Lady Granger.’ Dumbledore corrected.

This was all the conversation she overheard as they were waltzing one way, and Hermione and Krum the other way. 

‘I wouldn’t put my name in if I could.’ Hermione rolled her eyes to Krum.

‘You vould vin though?’ Krum said.

‘Hmm. I don’t know. It’s alright knowing all this stuff in theory, but I can’t really think logically under pressure. I just shoot the first curse that comes to mind.’ She told him.

Krum smiled. ‘I think you vould vin if you entered this year.’

Hermione grinned, ‘well… there’s not much competition this year.’ She teased. She was punished for this as he lightly tickled her ribs as they danced.

Mad-Eye Moody was doing an extremely ungainly two-step with Professor Sinistra, who was nervously avoiding his wooden leg. He was asking her what she knew about Templar history from the sounds of it.****<strike></strike>

Pansy, who had been dancing near the two teachers, looked like she was about to be sick at the sight of him. 

They heard the final, quavering note from the bagpipe with relief. It was a lovely waltz, but it did go on a bit. The Weird Sisters stopped playing, and applause filled the hall once more.

Then Hermione noticed who was loitering at the corner of the Hall, talking to Tonks.

‘Would you mind getting me a drink?’ Hermione asked Krum as the band struck up a faster song.

‘Of course. More Vine?’ Krum asked.

She did indeed want more wine.

The second Krum left her she turned and walked over to her target.

She curtseyed when she got near him.

‘Ah! Hermione!’ The King greeted her as an old friend, Hermione suspected he might have had a few glasses of wine while everyone was dancing the waltz. ‘You look lovely… I see you’re getting good use out of your jewellery.’ 

Hermione’s hand instinctively brushed over the necklace she wore. ‘Thank you, Sir… I didn’t know you were coming?’ She said, moving to stand at his side to survey the room. People were excitedly noticing the King now.

‘Oh, I need to have a formal picture taken with the Champions and their dates for the papers… I suspect we’ll all get called outside in a minute.’ He told her. ‘Then I need to get back to Madagascar for the rare creatures conference.’ 

If Hermione thought it odd that someone would schedule a conferance on Christmas day, she kept it to herself... She actually began to wonder if it was code or something.

Hermione noticed Blaise dramatically dip one of the Patel twins to the music, resulting in an excited shriek from her. A few steps away, Neville was dancing with the other twin – his dancing was comically awful. Dean and Seamus were both dancing with Lavender. 

The King wasn’t watching this though, he was frowning at his nephew across the Hall, he was dancing the two-step with Pansy.

‘Why didn’t you come with Draco?’ Armand asked lightly as he looked at Draco.

‘He’s come with his girlfriend, sir.’ Hermione told him as she looked over at Draco too. The purple jewel on the hilt of Excalibur kept glinting in the light as he moved.

‘And why isn’t that you?’ Armand asked. 

Hermione was a bit too shocked to look up at the King, or perhaps it was more that she couldn’t meet his eye. ‘His father doesn’t want him to date a Muggle-born.’ She left out the threats to her life.

Armand sighed. ‘Do you think I’d be able to pardon myself if I murder my own brother?

Hermione laughed. ‘How about I murder him and you pardon me?’

The King chucked. ‘I’ll consider it… The entertainment is good, I might get them next year.’

‘Any news on the murder?’ Hermione asked after a few moments of silence. 

Armand shook his head; Hermione saw it from the corner of her eye. ‘I doubt we will. Whoever did it knew what they were doing… stab wounds to major organs and neck sliced cleanly…’

Hermione felt rather sick as she flashed back to finding Madam Sybils broken body on the floor. As soon as the authorities had released the body a few days later – the High Oracle had ordered her body be taken and entombed at the Temple of Vutris she had taken orders in.

‘Sorry.’ Armand said, he could see Hermione looked uncomfortable at the detail. ‘It’s easy to forget how young you are at times.’

‘I’m not that young any more, Sir.’ Hermione pointed out. ‘Narcissa was younger than me when she got married.’ 

‘Dear, I haf your drink… oh… Your Majesty.’ Krum had handed Hermione her drink before he’d noticed who she was stood next to, he gave the King a quick but respectful bow.

‘Mr Krum, good to see you again.’ The King extended his hand.

Krum shook the King’s hand happily. 

‘Is this your date, Hermione?’ Armand asked, his hand was still gripping Krum’s.

‘Yes. He is my date.’ Hermione told him.

‘Well then, I wish you a good night. Don’t let me keep you from the dancing… off you go. I’ll see you for the photograph in a few minutes.’ The King waved them off. ‘Do you want me to take that?’ 

Hermione followed his line of sight and discovered that the wine glass in her hand was now empty. _When did I drink that?_

She gave her empty goblet to the King, an action that felt very alien, and with a quick bow and a curtsey to the King – they were dancing again.

They danced almost every dance together – it was a magical evening. The only dances they didn’t go round together was when Hermione danced with her friends. She was passed around: Blaise, Neville, Theo, Crabbe, Goyle, and a few of Krum’s friends in several partner swaps. The best swap was when she and Harry had danced the town square, Ginny had gone off with Krum and they’d spent the entire dance bickering about Krum’s Quidditch technique. 

‘Mind if I cut in? Draco said just as people began to line up for Mr. Beveridge's Maggot.

‘Where’s Pansy?’ Hermione asked.

Draco gestured further down the line, it looked like she was set to dance this one with Ron. 

‘Do you mind?’ Draco asked Krum.

‘Not at all, Your Grace.’ Krum said. ‘I vill go and get drinks.’ He kissed Hermione on the cheek and disappeared for the bar.

‘You know this is my favourite dance.’ Hermione told him with a smile. ‘I know it’s not yours. just know, I expect a good attempt from you.’

Draco grinned back. ‘I’ll try my best.’ 

Hermione was used to this song at royal balls being played with a violin and a piano, to hear it come from bagpipes was rather odd.

Hermione and Draco kept shooting glances at each other as they crossed the floor with the couple next to them – a fifth year couple Hermione didn’t recognise.

When they came together in a line for the steps, Draco’s hold on her hand was comforting and exciting at the same time. She could feel the cold metal of his Duke’s ring on her hand.

Finally, the dance ended and the couples all bowed to each other. Krum was already on the approach, he came baring gifts, it looked like he’d gotten Draco a drink too – he was too nice for his own good.

‘I think his niceness might run out if I steal you for another dance.’ Draco smiled as he practically whispered into her ear.

‘Not yet. Come hit me up again in an hour or so.’ She smiled at him. ‘Have you seen your uncle?’ 

Krum arrived and handed out the wine to great thanks. 

‘No, I haven’t… Looks like Pansy’s doing the Quadrille with Ron – I’ll go find him while I’ve got time.’ 

‘Be forewarned – he’s a bit tipsy… it’s making him a little bit… blunt?’ Hermione told him.

Draco smiled. ‘Thanks for the warning.’ Then he dramatically took her right hand and kissed the knuckle just above her Hattie ring. ‘I’ll come steal you later.’

Hermione knocked back the glass of red wine Krum had got for her and they joined the crowds for the Quadrille. 

The Hall was smaller than that of Regia, it was strange not to have as much space as they danced. The Ship’s Cook was coming up, Hermione wondered how they’d manage to make the room for it… they’d have to vanish the tables bordering the room completely. 

Krum – to his credit – never made a comment about her “friendship” with Draco. He probably knew nothing could ever happen between them.

‘I am very fond of you, dear.’ Krum had said in her ear later during one of the slow dances.

Hermione had her head rested on his chest as they swayed, she shut her eyes – content. ‘I’m fond of you two.’ 

‘Champions – please make your way to the garden in ten minutes for photo’s.’ Mr Bagman had briefly taken the microphone as the students were lining up for the next dance.

‘Would you mind if we missed this dance so I can straighten up for the pictures?’ Hermione asked. She was very aware that there had been some very physical dances… and that she’d had a lot of wine.

Ginny, Cho, and even Fleur had the same idea. Hermione bumped into them all in the ladies’ room anxiously fixing their makeup and hair. 

Cho was fixing Fleur’s hair for her and Hermione helped neaten up Ginny’s makeup. Hermione and Cho had only required minor touch-ups.

‘Are we all ready?’ Fleur asked the girls.

‘Ready.’ They all chorused back.

All four dates were stood, or leaning on the wall, outside of the ladies. It made for a comical sight.

Fleur instantly began to fix Rodger’s collar, though it wasn’t really out of place. 

‘Harry – tuck in your shirt, for the love of Vutris.’ Hermione rolled her eyes as the group walked outside.

The front doors stood open – letting in a welcome cold wind to the stuff Hall. The fluttering fairy lights in the rose garden winked and twinkled as they went down the front steps. The group all just followed Cedric after he said McGonagall had told him where to go.

They found themselves surrounded by bushes; winding, ornamental paths; and they approached the statues of the three Gods. 

Hermione wasn’t sure if she had ever seen what Ledur looked like – she’d seen statues and murals in the Temples to the other Goddesses. She thought he looked very handsome – yet there was a sadness in his eyes… even in stone form.

There was a fountain off to the side and people who had been sat on the stone benches by the rosebushes were being sent back inside for a few minutes by professors.

They stopped just past the statues of the Gods’, by a fountain shooting sparkling jets of water in graceful – and no doubt magically manipulated, arches of water. The mist of the spray was turning into snowflakes as it neared the ground – Hermione wondered if Professor Snape had tipped a few capfuls of Insta-snow into the fountain.

Hermione groaned when she saw the reporter. Skeeter. As head reporter for the Society section Hermione supposed she would be the person to report on a school party.

There was a long stone bench in front of the fountain and the photographer with Skeeter asked all the girls to sit on it, while all their dates stood behind the with a hand on their shoulder. Hermione and Ginny, as the youngest, were sat in the middle – Fleur and Cho looked very graceful as they stretched out their legs off to the side of the bench.

The King then quickly walked onto the scene after a few snaps and slid in between Viktor and Harry to stand in the middle of the group. He had his crown on now.

‘Any comments on the Ball, Your Grace?’ Skeeter asked, seemingly her final warning had subdued her.

‘A wonderful time.’ The King said. ‘It is good to see our young people enjoying themselves.’ 

‘Any comments on the murder of the Divination teacher?’ Skeeter then asked. 

_So much for subdued_. Hermione rolled her eyes.

‘No.’ The King said. Then he turned to the photography. ‘Are you done with me? I need to get to Madagascar and back in time for the Regia Ball tomorrow.’ 

The photographer had taken a few more shots with the King and then thanked him for his time. The King hurried off and Hermione noticed a lot of shadows around the garden – who she realised must have been Armand’s increased guard – disappeared with him towards the school gates.

The photographer took several photo’s of just the champions together – then one of the champions alone with their dates by the fountain.

Skeeter had asked them for their opinion on the Yule Ball – everyone had given her a comment similar to the Kings. It was good fun and a nice break from the pressure of the tasks. 

The whole process was rather painless and quick – and they were dismissed not long after. Hermione supposed they were in a rush to get the morning edition. 

Ginny was sat fanning herself as Fleur and Cedric returned inside with their dates. 

Hermione met Cedric’s eye as he was leaving the garden with Cho and saw him mouth. “_We need to talk._” Hermione nodded to let him know she’d understood and tapped at her wrist as if she was wearing a watch. _Later._

‘Shall we get drinks and sit out here for a few minutes?’ Harry asked the remaining group. 

Ginny grinned and nodded. ‘Sounds good – it’s getting a bit hot inside.’

Harry and Krum disappeared back up the path, Ginny and Hermione remained on the bench to enjoy the cold air.

‘Severus, you cannot pretend this isn’t happening!’ Karkaroff’s voice sounded anxious as hushed as the two men came around the corner. This was clearly a man that didn’t want to be overheard.

_Oh, no._ Hermione thought to herself as she glanced at Ginny and saw her keen interest. 

‘It’s been getting clearer and clearer for months. I am becoming seriously concerned, I can’t deny it-’

‘- Then flee.’ Snape cut him off, he sounded as if he’d rather educate first years on sex education. ‘Flee… I will make your excuses. I, however, am remaining at Hogwarts.’

Snape had his wand out and was blasting rosebushes apart, his expression most ill-natured. Squeals issued from many of the bushes, and dark shapes emerged from them. ‘Ten points from Ravenclaw, Fawcett!’ Snape snarled as a girl ran past him. ‘And ten points from Hufflepuff too, Stebbins!’ As a boy went rushing after his date.

‘And what are you two doing?’ Karkaroff had noticed Hermione and Ginny relaxing on the bench. His tone was incredibly bitter.

‘We’re lezzing out in the rosebushes.’ Hermione told him in a completely serious tone. 

Snape cleared his throat and Hermione saw that he was putting real effort in to maintaining a stern expression, she’d made him laugh internally at least.

‘Be careful, Granger.’ Karkaroff said. ‘I don’t like your tone.’

‘Lady Granger.’ Hermione said, she’d never pulled rank in her life, she found she rather enjoyed it.

‘What _are_ you two doing outside?’ Snape asked.

‘Harry and Viktor went to get drinks – we all wanted a little break from the dancing.’ Hermione told her favourite teacher.

‘Very well. We’re making rounds, please don’t make me catch you doing anything unsavoury.’ Snape said. He and Hermione shuddered at the same time at that visual – Snape was like her school-dad, she had absolutely no desire for him to see her necking Viktor… or worse.

With this warning given – he moved on to blast the next rosebush apart. Karkaroff followed after him seemingly content on continuing their conversation.

‘What’s got Karkaroff all worried?’ Ginny asked her. 

‘Doesn’t matter.’ Hermione brushed her off. ‘Do you hear that?’ She asked, craning he neck to look through a gap in the rosebush to the side of them.

Hagrid and Maxime were sat on the bench by the Gods’ statues.

‘What did you know, ’Agrid?’ said Madame Maxime, a purr in her low voice.

Hermione and Ginny both instantly made to stand up. Hagrid wouldn’t want to be overheard in a romantic situation – which is what this seemed to be – they certainly wouldn’t want anyone listening to them in a romantic setting.

This thought made Hermione picture for a mad moment Harry whispering sweet nothings to Ginny – the idea made her want to laugh, Harry wasn’t very smooth… although she supposed he might be with Ginny in private.

But they couldn’t find freedom on either side of the path. Fleur and Rodger had come back outside, and were in a passionate embrace to their left. It would be weird if Hermione and Ginny pushed past them. To their right, Snape and Karkaroff seemed to be in an intense argument.

Hermione and Ginny both tried to distract themselves by watching a beetle that had landed on their stone bench… but it wasn’t a good enough distraction to drone out what Hagrid said next.

‘I just knew… knew you were like me... Was it yer mother or yer father?’

‘I - I don’t know what you mean, ’Agrid…’ Madam Maxime had taken a rather alarmed tone now.

_Oh, sweet Vutris, stop talking Hagrid_. Hermione pleaded mentally. 

‘It was my mother.’ Hagrid carried on quietly. ‘She was one of the last ones in Britain. Course, I don’t remember her too well… she left, see. When I was about three... She weren’t really the maternal sort. Well… it’s not in their natures, is it? Dunno what happened to her…’ Hagrid trailed off.

Madame Maxime didn’t say anything.

Hermione took her eyes from the beetle to look through the rosebush. Maxime looked incredibly uncomfortable – she was looking around very quickly, as if searching for an escape.

‘Dad raised me… but he died, o’ course, jus’ after I started school. Sorta had ter make me own way after that. Dumbledore was a real help, mind. Very kind ter me, he was…’

Maxime had very clearly been under the impression that she had come outside for a romantic encounter with Hagrid… and now she looked very uncomfortable.

‘Enough about me. What about you? Which side you got it on?’ Hagrid asked.

Madam Maxime suddenly got to her feet. ‘It is chilly.’ She said in a rather cold tone. ‘I think I shall go in.’ 

‘Eh?’ Hagrid said blankly. ‘Don’t go! I’ve never met another one before!’ 

_Stop talking. Please stop talking Hagrid_. Hermione was exchanging very worried glances with Ginny.

‘Anuzzer what, precisely?’ Madame Maxime barked; her tone icy.

_DON’T ANSWER THAT. PLEASE DON’T ANSWER THAT._ Hermione begged. She began to wonder if she could use her so far limited Legilimens skills to get a message to Hagrid.

‘Another half-giant, of course!’ Hagrid really couldn’t read a room, he said this with a shy smile.

Madam Maxime reacted to this about as well as one would imagine. 

‘Ow dare you!’ She shrieked. She was backing away from Hagrid now, completely furious. Her voice exploded through the peaceful night air like a foghorn. To their other side – Fleur and Rodger were shocked out of their passionate embrace, they giggled and hurried off back to the Great Hall.

‘I ’ave never been more insulted in my life!’ Maxime declared furiously. 

She stormed away back to the Great Hall leaving Hagrid alone on his bench. He remained sitting on the bench, staring after Maxime. It was much too dark to make out his expression. Then, after about a minute, he stood up and strode away, not back to the castle, but off out into the dark grounds in the direction of his cabin.

‘Right – a glass of red for my dear.’ Krum said suddenly – he and Harry had returned with their drinks.

‘Are you two okay? You look like you’ve had a fright.’ Harry said.

Hermione and Ginny could only give them a helpless glance – then, after a deep and calming breath, Ginny told them what had just happened.

...

‘Did you know?’ Krum asked Hermione as they slow danced about half an hour later. ‘That Hagrid vas a half giant?’

‘Not for certain.’ Hermione told him. ‘I had my suspicions... Does it matter?’ 

‘No…’ Viktor said, though it sounded strained. ‘Giants are violent… is he safe?’ 

‘Yes.’ Hermione answered firmly. ‘I’ve known him for four years – he wouldn’t hurt a Flobberworm.’ 

Krum remained silent for a moment, as through deep in thought. ‘Okay. I shall take you on your word.’ 

Hermione smiled into his chest, and Krum pressed a kiss to her forehead, even in heels he was still taller than her by a bit. 

‘I don’t know who Maxime thinks she is fooling.’ Krum then said in a lighter tone. ‘If Hagrid is a half-giant, she is too.’ 

‘Hmm.’ Hermione hummed her agreement into Krum’s shirt. She wasn’t very pleased with how Maxime had spoken to Hagrid.

Hermione had danced again with Draco – a nice slow step so she could tell him all about her night and what had happened outside. 

He told her about his night – apparently, he’d found Ron and Pansy arguing in a corner but he hadn’t heard what they were arguing about. When he’d asked Pansy what was going on, she’d choked and stumbled over her words before refusing to tell him. 

He’d also told her that Fred and George had been in some kind of heated conversation with Ludo Bagman, only to appear extremely annoyed when Percy had forced himself into their conversation – which had ended it.

Draco had handed her back to Krum at the end of their dance and she hadn’t left his arms again for the rest of the evening. 

When the Weird Sisters finished playing at midnight, everyone gave them a last, loud round of applause and started to wend their way into the entrance hall. Many people were expressing the wish that the ball could have gone on longer, Hermione was among them.

Ginny and Harry were disappearing up the stairs towards the Gryffindor common room, hand in hand, last she saw of them.

‘Vould you like to come back to the ship for more drink?’ Krum asked.

Hermione felt suddenly nervous, not a bad, uncomfortable nervous, it was more of a sensation of butterflies. ‘Sure.’ She said with a smile, though she’d already had well over a bottle of wine throughout the night already.

Krum had beamed at her. ‘Vonderful.’ He said and offered her his arm.

About ninety per-cent of the Durmstrang boys were taking their dates back to the ship with them… though Hermione was no doubt the youngest among them. 

‘Hermione!’ Someone was calling after her.

‘Cedric?’ She said as the older boy hurried up to her, behind him Hermione could see Cho waiting at the front door for him. ‘Oh, you wanted a word.’ 

She turned to Viktor. ‘I’ll just be a moment, okay?’ She didn’t give him time to answer because she was walking off to the side with Cedric.

‘You guys told me about the dragon. I owe you.’ Cedric told her. 

Hermione instantly got very excited. ‘You figured the egg out?’

Cedric nodded. ‘You need to put it under water to hear the clue… it’s an underwater task. It’s a little hard to explain – just stick it under water and listen to the song.’

‘That wail is a song?’ Hermione frowned.

Cedric snorted. ‘You wouldn’t believe it, but yeah… tell you what, take it up to the Prefects’ bathroom. Fourth door to the left of that statue of Boris the Bewildered on the fifth floor. The password’s “pine fresh” and it should be until – like – the end of January.’ 

Cedric went to leave and return to his date. ‘Thank you, Cedric.’ Hermione smiled at him gratefully. 

‘Fairs fair.’ He said. ‘Have a good night.’ He said with raised eyebrows, he’d seemingly just noticed that Hermione was going to the Durmstrang ship with Krum.

Hermione snorted. ‘You too.’ Hermione had absolutely no doubt that Cedric was about to take Cho to his bedroom. 

‘Is everything okay, dear?’ Krum asked when she returned to him with a smile.

Hermione nodded; they had been left behind by the other members of his school. ‘We sit next to each other in class, we’re partnered on a lot of projects.’ It was a pretty lame excuse but Krum didn’t ask any further questions.

‘Come on. It is cold.’ He put his arm around her and pulled her into the warmth of his side. That silk dress didn’t look very warm. 

Hermione squished the butterflies in her stomach by thinking about the interesting fact that despite being used as a method of transportation by Durmstrang, travelling by underwater ship is a breach of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. It was literally an illegal boat and nobody seemed to give a damn.

Then Krum told her what it was like to sail it underwater and how it felt when it would jump from different bodies of water. They’d been in the Black Sea and then jumped near the Strait of Gibraltar, most of them had gotten quite ill from it. 

She had already had a private tour from Viktor of the public areas on the ship, he’d walked her through how all of the ship worked and escorted her back to the castle for lunch.

This time though he took her hand and quietly led her down the dark wood of the ship’s interior stairs. 

‘Most of the boys are sharing with one other.’ Krum told her as they passed shut doors. ‘I haf my own room.’ 

None of the lanterns dotted down the corridor were still lit at this time, though when Hermione raised her hand to one, she could still feel a little warmth coming from it. Karkaroff must have blown them out as he’d stalked to his own bedroom.

At the end of the row came another set of stairs to go down, and another row to walk up. Finally, they came to the rear of the ship. ‘Karkaroff gave me this room – they are the old Capitan’s Quarters.’ 

They had come to a mahogany door, which Krum pushed open.

Hermione wasn’t sure what she expected for Krum’s bedroom. Obviously, most of it wasn’t Krum’s personality – just the ships furnishings – but she couldn’t help think it was all very Gryffindor in its colouring. 

The great four-poster bed, which looked like it had been put on the ship when it was built four hundred years ago, had dark red bedding and curtains. There was a black fur rug on the floor in front of an empty fireplace on which sat two red armchairs, and there was a mahogany desk in the corner of the room with an oil lamp – the desk contained many personal letters along with a few books on Aquatics. Oddly there was a claw foot bathtub in the corner of the room behind a screen.

_He's figured the egg out then_. Hermione said as she quickly scanned the book titles. All of them were water themed in some way – and Cedric had said it was an underwater task.

‘I vill light the fire.’ Krum said, stepping around her. Hermione took a seat on one of the armchairs and watched him work. He tossed several logs into the grate and pointed his wand at them.

It didn’t take long for the small fire to warm up his room to a toasty degree. Krum had disappeared for a moment to the kitchens and returned in a remarkable amount of time with a bottle of red and two glasses.

The cold had done a lot to sober the couple up, and they drank this bottle of wine quickly until they both felt very merry indeed. 

‘Ve haf hot springs at Durmstrang.’ Krum told her as he topped up her glass. ‘They are excellent for releasing tension.’ 

‘You prefer baths to showers then?’ Hermione asked. 

‘Oh yes. I like that one.’ He pointed to the one behind the screen of his room. ‘It is very large.’ 

Hermione wasn’t entirely sure what made her say this next one, but she didn’t regret it one bit. ‘Is it big enough for two people?’ 

Krum had grinned. ‘Vould you like to find out?’ 

The butterflies were back, thankfully she’d gained a little liquid courage. She nodded.

Krum had disappeared for a moment and Hermione heard the water begin to pour from the taps and a wonderful scent filled the room. _Must be the same scented water they use as Regia._ She thought to herself – though this one smelled much sweeter, more like honey than flowers.

Hermione knocked back the last of her wine as Krum approached. A stray drop spilled from the corner of the glass and ran down her chin, Krum caught it on his thick finger and then put the tip of his finger to his lips. He took her empty wine glass in his hand and put it down on the fireplace along with his own. 

Then, he knelt down in front of her. 

‘May I?’ He asked.

Hermione nodded.

Krum took her left foot in hand, placed it on his knee, and undid the buckle of her heel. After he’d removed the shoe, placing it gently to the ground beside him, he lowered his head slightly and brushed a kiss against her ankle. 

He then repeated the action with the other foot, with the rough pad of his thumb rubbing a deep circle into her foot this time as he kissed slowly up the inside of her leg – this was the side of her dress with the slit in it. He stopped when he got to her knee and stood up. 

He kicked off his own shiny shoes and then offered her his hand and pulling her up too. Hermione felt much more comfortable without her heels on, though it did make the height difference between them more profound. 

At fifteen, Hermione stood at about five foot five, she might grow a few more inches – but she had long ago accepted she was going to be the “short” friend. All the boys were already taller than her – Draco was doomed to be a giant if the hight of the rest of his family was anything to go by. 

Krum wasn’t incredibly tall, he was about five foot ten or eleven, it was a difference to make him have to bend down to kiss her.

He ran his fingers lightly across her hair until he found the pin holding it in place. He turned her around so he could see what he was doing and pulled the pin out. Her long, curled hair tumbled down to settle about her waist and Viktor ran his fingers through it.

Then his fingers brushed her thick hair aside to reach for the zipper of her dress, he slowly pulled it down, layering gentle kisses on her shoulder as he did so.

The dress fell down to the ground, leaving her in the strapless shift she’d been wearing underneath. It was the same silver as her dress but was very lacey, it was basically lingerie. 

Krum carefully undid her necklace as she worked the ring off her finger – she handed it to him and he put the two royal collection items on his desk gently. The earrings would be fine staying in.

Then he hurried back to her. From behind, he began to kiss her neck. Hermione shut her eyes in blissful pleasure at the sensation, her head leaned back onto him as he marked her neck. His hands snaked around her waist and began to explore her body over the shift. When his fingers lightly brushed against her breast – she turned around to face him. 

She raised a hand to his chest, the other hand he took with a reassuring firmness – as if he could sense her nerves.

She had to reach up onto her toes because he was so much taller than her – but she made a good effort of it. She kissed him. 

This was no innocent peck. Oh no. This was passion. Raw passion. Exciting passion. 

She was practically naked as, for the first time, they lost themselves in a kiss. Locked in each other's arms his mouth dominated hers, she had no problem at all with him taking the lead. In fact, she found she rather liked not being in charge for a change.

One hand was wrapped in her thick brown hair, the other had a tight grip on her waist and was pulling her flush against him. He could feel her breasts through the thin fabric she wore after he briefly let go of her to strip off his own shirt.

He could see the outline of her small yet strong body clearly and noticed her heaving breasts were pushed against the fabric; her nipples left a visible rise in the fabric where they were hardened by the cold Christmas air.

She reclaimed his mouth and trailed a finger down his toned chest. Constant Quidditch training had really hit Viktor hard, he had filled out nicely, his days in the gym had made him strong and it showed in his muscles.

‘You are very beautiful.’ He told her quietly as he kissed a trail up her neck.

Then he found the buttons on her shift and speedily undid them. The fabric dropped to the floor – and Hermione was naked in front of a man for the first time in her life.

She tried not to blush as he took off his own pants and underwear. _For the love of Vutris be mature about this._ She had to chide herself as he tossed his clothes off to the side, he stood in front of her completely naked now too.

He took her hands in his and led her over to the tub just as it had filled to the perfect amount. 

He held his arm out for her to put her weight on as she climbed in and sat forwards as he instructed, then she felt him climb in behind her.

‘Yes. There is room for two people.’ Krum said lightly in her ear before continuing to kiss her neck. Hermione had grinned at that one – her butterflies melting away at how comfortable she felt with Viktor.

She leaned backwards into his embrace and shut her eyes as he lightly traced his fingers up the sides of her waist. The water smelt heavenly and was blissfully warm without being too hot, she could still feel the heat of the fire coming around the screen.

'You vill tell me to stop when you vant to, right?' She nodded her response. She had no intent on telling him to stop at the minute. She wasn’t sure how far she would go with him – but it all felt right and safe at the moment. The fact that Krum was clearly not expecting her to have sex with him tonight had soothed whatever nerves she had left.

Her long hair was covering her breasts in the water – and Krum couldn’t help mentally comparing her to the true mermaids. Beautiful creatures that lured sailors to their doom. Krum imagined that if the mermaids had looked like Hermione did in this instant – the sailors wouldn’t have minded one bit. 

‘Lean on me more.’ Krum whispered in her ear.

She did as she was told so that she wasn’t supporting herself at all anymore, her full weight was with him.

_What an exquisite sight_, he thought to himself as he wrapped his arms around her and began to kiss her neck that he had already left lightly marked. One hand went to tease her nipple while the other fell down her stomach slowly. It disappeared below the water line, and Hermione gasped as it brushed confidently against the part of herself that she had barely begun to master. 

_He’s done this before._ She thought to herself as her eyes scrunched shut in pleasure._ Good. One of us should know what they’re doing._

She gasped again as he tweaked her nipple but then that hand was snaking down below the water line too. She let out a breathy moan as the other hand settled slightly lower than the wonderful fingers working at her clit, one finger pushed inside her.

She turned her head to the side and met Krum’s lips again in a passionate and searing kiss as he added another finger to the gentle rhythm he was building up. His thick, calloused fingers felt divine moving in and out of her.

Both of his hands picked up the pace and soon Hermione found she was unable to remain still. It was most peculiar the way she began to thrash about in pleasure, moaning Viktor’s name as she tossed her head backwards on his shoulder. Sure, she’d given herself one or two orgasms in the shower – but they had been nothing like this. 

Soon she was reduced to saying, ‘oh God, oh God, oh God,’ over and over again as he worked her up to the edge. 

She cried out his name as she came and Viktor decided right then that it was the best sound he had ever heard. She continued to rub slow circles on her most sensitive spot as she came down from the high, panting with exertion. 

Once she could think straight again, she turned her head to the side and kissed him again, she could feel him smiling as she did so. Then, much to her satisfaction, he gasped into her mouth as she gripped him under the water. 

She turned to her side so she could face him better, soon she was straddling him.

His eyes shut and he groaned. Hermione had read the books – but it seemed rather more daunting now… like a practical exam. Hermione forced that idea from her head. _This is fun and erotic, don’t compare it to an exam you tit._

But still, she didn’t really know what she was doing. Krum realised this quickly and placed his hand over hers to guide her, she was a very quick study of what he seemed to like. They kissed passionately as she pumped her hand up and down. Not wanting to cum in the bath water he stopped her after a few minutes.

He stood in the water and Hermione took her first proper look at his… thing. It was probably an average length but it was very girthy._ You’ve just had your hand around it and you call it a thing?_ She looked at his… cock, as he suddenly bent down and scooped her out of the water.

She gasped from the shock of the cold at leaving the hot water, but Viktor was carrying her bridal style over to the bed. Then, he pretty much threw her down on it… another move Hermione was surprised she quite enjoyed.

Krum grinned as he climbed on top of her. 

‘I don’t think I’m quite ready for…’ She trailed off.

Viktor didn’t seem bothered or shocked at this. ‘But vat ve are doing in the bath is okay?’ 

Hermione nodded and smiled. ‘Yes.’

‘Okay then.’ Krum said with a smile and began to kiss her neck again.

He moved downwards, he kissed and sucked at her neck, making her gasp. He moved downwards, he kissed and sucked at her nipples, making her moan. He moved downwards.

He traced his fingers lightly over the mauling scar on her waist, then quickly moved on. An injury from a Werewolf no doubt made him feel uncomfortable. She didn’t blame him for not lingering there. He just kept moving his head down.

Hermione realised what he was about to do and wrapped her hand in his hair.

‘This is okay?’ He asked, kissing his way up the inside of her thigh.

‘Is okay.’ Hermione repeated blindly back to him. ‘I mean – yes, it’s okay.’

Then his mouth was on her. She gasped and her hand tightened in his hair. She gasped as he licked at her most private of places with what appeared to be a confidence that could only come with practice. _He’s a Quidditch star, he must get women throwing themselves at him._ She thought, this was fleeting though, as Viktor chose that moment to do some rather interesting circling manoeuvre with his tongue and inserted the two fingers back inside of her. He set up a steady, pumping rhythm. 

He reached up with his free hand to tease her nipple, he’d seen how well she responded to that already. Soon she started making his new favourite sound again.

Viktor was thoroughly enjoying himself buried in her sweet centre, and from the noises she was making he knew he would be doing this again for her. She was sweet and tangy on his tongue, and very responsive. 

She was moaning louder and her eyes were scrunched tightly shut now. He had to move his hand from her nipple so he could use the weight of his arm and upper body to pin her hips to the bed – her thrashing about kept making him lose his place. The fingers pumping in her picked up their speed.

She cried out in one long sound of bliss as she came again, and then was finally still as he removed his finger from her, her breathing slowed. 

Viktor moved off her to lay on his back next to her and shut his eyes happily for a moment, not expecting anything else tonight – that bath had already been the most erotic moment of his young life. 

It was to his great surprise when he felt the warm and wet sensation of her lips slipping over the head of his still erect penis.

His breath shuddered and when she started to suck his reaction was immediate.

She broke off long enough to say, ‘tell me what you like,’ and then she was back at it.

His toes curled, he groaned her name, and he grabbed hold of the back of her head and buried his fingers into her thick brown locks so he could guide her head.

_No wonder all her teachers love her_. He thought as she tried to take more and more of him down her throat with each bob of her head. _She’s a very enthusiastic student._ Krum didn’t need to give her much instruction – she could tell what he liked the most by the quiet hums, moans, and groans that were coming from him.

She couldn't take all of him in, she wasn’t well practiced enough for that, so she focused on the head with her mouth while pumping him with her hand. _Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck._ This was all Viktor was capable of thinking as Hermione brought him closer to the finish.

He tapped her on the head lightly and she came up for air, her lips were delightfully puffy. ‘I am going to cum.’ He said. ‘It is okay if you do not want to-’

But Hermione cut him off by lowering her mouth back onto his cock.

She could tell he was at that delicious edge as the grip on her hair tightened. He let out a breathy moan and spilled into her mouth, instinctively, she swallowed. He tasted slightly salty and Hermione didn't enjoy the taste, but she hadn’t expected to. 

She’d noticed there was still a small rim of red wine in Viktor’s glass on the mantle and went over to finish it off and wash the taste from her mouth before she pulled on her slip from the floor.

‘You should stay the night. It is not safe at the moment.’ Krum told her.

Hermione nodded as she picked up her clutch bag, she wasn’t quite sure when she had put that on his desk… she pulled her wand out and transfigured her slip into something a bit more comfortable to sleep in. Then cast a drying charm o both of them and the bed - they'd gotten it rather wet from their bath.

Viktor had gone over to the wardrobe to pull on a pair of shorts to sleep in, and they returned to his bed together.

Hermione was laying with her head on Viktor’s chest, running her fingers up and down it when he angled his head to give her a gentle kiss to the forehead. ‘That vas amazement.’ He said.

Hermione was too tired to correct his grammar, she could only hum her agreement.

‘Are you going home in the morning?’ He asked.

Hermione nodded.

Most students would be going home on boxing day – a bit pointless for most as their parents would be at Regia for the adults only ball, for the final week of half-term. They would all return in the new year. 

‘May I vrite to you?’ He asked.

Hermione yawned. ‘I’ll only be gone a week.’

‘Yes. But it shall feel a very long week away from you.’ He told her, he’d begun stroking his fingers up and down her back very gently and the action was making her feel quite drowsy.

‘Hmm, okay then.’ She said, it came out rather slurred though, making Viktor smile fondly down at her.

‘Sleep, my dear.’ He bent his head again for a final kiss goodnight. It was only moments later that Hermione was asleep.

…

Krum had leant her a spare cloak once the sun had risen and they’d both had a few hours sleep. She needed to sneak back into the castle.

They had shared a passionate, yet caring kiss at the edge of the lake. It would be dumb for him to walk her back in case they got caught. 

He had tightly wrapped his cape around her shoulders, the day was very cold and she had only her silk dress from yesterday. 

‘I vill miss you, my dear.’ He said to her. 

Hermione smiled at him, feeling quite besotted. ‘I’ll see you next week.’ 

They had shared one – final – lingering kiss before she turned and hurried back towards the castle.

She _very nearly_ made it back to the common room without being caught.

But, alas, she rounded the corner and walked smack into Professor Snape.

Her hair was a mess, she was wearing last nights dress and carrying her heels on her finger, and the most damning evidence – she was wearing a Durmstrang cloak.

_I’d have preferred Dumbledore to walk in on me in the shower than this._ She thought to herself as Snape stared at her in what could only be described as open-mouthed horror. _Genuienly, it's like my dads just caught me sneaking back in the morning after. _

Words seemed to be failing him, but he was turning very red, Hermione feared he might explode.

She held up a finger to stop whatever it was he was trying to say. ‘I vote we pretend this never happened.’ 

Snape scrunched his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. ‘Agreed… you better be gone by the time I open my eyes or I’m sending you to a convent.’ 

Hermione had snorted at that one, but had done as she was told and hurried off down the corridor. Base, she thought to herself as the door to the common room opened for her.

Then, her smile faded from her face.

‘Morning.’ Draco said, he was sat in front of the fire – fully dressed and ready for the day. 

‘Morning.’ She said back in shock at seeing him. ‘What time is it?’ She asked with a frown, what was he doing up?

‘It’s only six. I couldn’t sleep.’ Draco said in explanation. ‘So… I take it you had a good night with Krum?’ 

‘Yes. I did… Did you have a good night with Pansy?’ She asked.

Draco seemed to consider her for a moment before he sighed. ‘Yes. I did.’ 

Hermione nodded at this – she wouldn’t say she felt jealous, not now that she had Viktor – but it still didn’t feel right.

‘I’m going back to bed for an hour.’ She told him. With this, she walked straight past him and disappeared down the girl’s corridor. 

Draco remained sat on the couches though, staring into the flames of the roaring fire, until the other students began to get up. Everyone ready to depart for home.

…

...

You’ll notice I took a lot from the book in my talk of Yule Balls – you can’t improve on perfection. 

I also wanted to say – I love Harry Potter, it is a wonderful world. But J.K has clearly lost her mind. I made a point in my comments the other day about mentioning the Black Lives Matter movement. Well, Trans lives matter too and J.K can suck it. 

You’ll also notice I once said, possibly in their second year, that pre-toilets they followed a Roman style bathroom plan. I refuse to believe that King Armand I would pop a squat in the corner of Regia and vanish his waste. Very undignified. 

So, in summary, Trans lives matter, and J.K has lost the plot. 

I also stole a lot of their bathtub scene from my Hiccup/Astrid story – Life on Berk – which I suppose is lazy writing… Oh well.

Also, 75 chapters! Thanks for sticking with me for so long!

Love E x


	76. The Second Task

‘He literally ran away from me… I mean, he ran right into the snack trolley!’ Daphne complained.

Nobody would go anywhere near Daphne, outside her own friendship group that is, everyone else was too scared that she would somehow predict their deaths if they stepped too close.

‘That’s not even how it works!’ Daphne had complained from her seat in between Hermione and Draco.

Draco raised a brow at his oldest friend. ‘How does it work?’

Daphne let out a huff and sunk back into her seat. ‘I don’t know! I don’t even know what’s going on!’ 

‘Maybe you’re a seer?’ Millie asked from her seat next to Blaise.

‘I’m not.’ Daphne said firmly. 

‘How do you know you’re not?’ Blaise asked.

‘My parents took me to the Temple of Vutris – they have a seer there; she took a look at me.’ Daphne said. 

‘Well... you’re something!’ Hermione said.

Daphne shrugged. ‘It’s most likely that I’m bonkers.’ 

‘You’re not bonkers if you’re right… which you are.’ Draco said. He pulled an arm around her shoulders and messed her hair up. 

Hermione often heard that Draco was cold and serious, yet as he play-wrestled with Daphne to cheer her up it was hard for her to see. Perhaps he just had a soft spot for certain people… Hermione couldn’t imagine The Duke of Abbington play-wrestling with someone not in his intimate circle.

Once Daphne had extracted herself from Draco, which she managed with a jab to the ribs, she flattened her hair back down and turned to look out of the window.

‘Is that your owl?’ She asked Draco.

It was his owl. 

‘It’ll just be the morning paper – I missed the delivery before I left the Abbey this morning.’ Draco stood to let his great Eagle-Owl fly in and perch on his arm.

Draco had spent his week at home staying at his Abbey and overseeing the work being done there, he was apparently very pleased by it. Tonks had been with him, of course she had, so there had been no issue about an under-age Wizard staying in his own residence.

Draco gave his bird an affectionate stroke before it took off out of the window again. Then Draco’s smile faded as he unbound the paper.

‘Holy shit.’ He said as he scanned the article on the front page.

‘What is it?’ Several people chorused to him.

Draco turned his copy of the Daily Prophet around so the rest of his friends could read it.

_DUMBLEDORE’S GIANT MISTAKE._ The headline instantly made Hermione groan – she knew without reading the rest of the article what it would say.

_The Headmaster of Hogwarts has never been afraid of making controversial staff appointments during his time. He’s hired a Werewolf, A master Duellist who once killed his opponent, and a notoriously jinx-happy ex-Auror._

‘A master duellist who what?’ Daphne gasped. 

‘It’s Flitwick. He told me about it once-’ Hermione told her, ‘-it was an accident. She’s making it out to be something it wasn’t. He knocked the man over and he hit his head. It’s not like he blasted him in the face with a dark curse.’ 

Hermione turned back to the paper. 

_These appointments, however, look responsible when compared to the part-human Dumbledore is currently employing to teach Care of Magical Creatures. Rubeus Hagrid, who was expelled from school in his third year, was previously employed as the school gamekeeper before Dumbledore saw fit to raise him to the rank of teacher._

_For the last year, “Professor” Hagrid has been terrorising his students with dangerous creates. Of course, we all remember just last year when the now Duke of Abington was slashed by a Hippogriff in his class. The Duke was later quoted to say: ‘It was an accident. I wasn’t being careful enough.’ _

_This reporter has contacted several international Care of Magical Creatures classes. The Professor at Mahoutokoro, one of the eleven main Wizarding schools, told me of their schools’ curriculum: ‘We would not teach a creature like that to and Wizard under the age of fifteen… though, these things are usually chosen at the discretion of the school.’ _

‘She actually sent an owl all the way to Japan to get a single slightly criticising quote.’ Daphne shook her head as she read, she hadn’t gotten to the worst part of the article yet, but Hermione had.

_Before the Christmas holidays, I spoke with Mr Hagrid about certain creatures he was teaching his fourth-year class about. A creature he had bred himself and was calling “Blast-Ended Skrewts.” He had crossed Manticores and Fire-Crabs. _

_The creation of new breeds of magical creature is, of course, an activity usually closely observed by the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Hagrid, however, considers himself to be above such petty restrictions. “I was just having some fun,” he says, before hastily changing the subject. The Manticore is a XXXXX beast – it is considered to be one of the Wizarding World’s most dangerous beasts._

_But this illegal breeding is not the most alarming part of this report. We can exclusively reveal that his mother is none other than the Giantess Fridwulfa, who’s whereabouts are currently unknown. _

_The handful of Giants, that did not war themselves into extinction, joined the ranks of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and were responsible for some of the worst mass Muggle killings of his reign of terror. While many of the giants who served He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named were killed by Auror’s working against the Dark Side, Fridwulfa was not among them. It is possible she escaped to one of the giant communities still existing in foreign mountain ranges. _

_This reporter is wondering if Mr Hagrid has inherited the same brutal nature as his mother’s kind, and asks, is he safe to be teaching our children?_

_In an unusual twist, Mr Hagrid claims a close relationship with Harry Potter, who brought about the fall of You-Know-Who which drove the remaining Giants underground. _

_Mr Hagrid had this to say about They Boy Who Lived: ‘I fetched him from his Muggle home… told him he were a Wizard. We’ve been friends ever since; he often pops round to me house for a cuppa.’ _

_Perhaps Harry Potter is unaware of the unpleasant truth about his large friend. But it certainly falls on the Headmaster of Hogwarts shoulders to ensure the safety of his students… even though it seems he cannot ensure the safety of his own staff. (more on the Murder at Hogwarts on p.10)_

At the bottom of the article was a list of information and sources, all of which backed up Skeeter’s claims in the article. Clearly Binta’s article and her Final warning had pissed her off.

‘I think I preferred that article she did about the Yule Ball.’ Hermione said in a strained voice after everyone had finished the article.

That article, titled: _Splendour at the Yule Ball_, had been a much happier article in the society section. There had been equal sized pictures of all four champions with their dates stood by the fountain that all framed the larger central picture of everyone with the King. 

Nobody said anything.

‘All this hysteria about giants…’ Hermione shook her head. ‘They can’t all be horrible, it’s the same sort of prejudice that people have against Werewolves.’ 

‘No, it’s not.’ Neville chimed in. ‘I’m a cuddly teddy-bear most of the month, a giant will rip your head off any day.’ 

‘You just called yourself a cuddly teddy-bear.’ Blaise told him.

Neville shrugged before leaning his head backwards and shutting his eyes. It was a no-moon day, and Neville was suffering for it. He’d been asleep for most of the train journey and he was looking rather ill. 

‘Honestly, how do the rest of you cope feeling like this all the time!’ Neville loudly complained as the train jolted, causing his eyes to snap open.

The effect of the no-moon on Wolfblood’s had been the only scrap of research Hermione had been successful in finding. It basically rendered them completely human again. It was the lack of the superior senses that rendered them so… pathetic.

Neville was asleep again in seconds, his head lolled onto Blaise’s shoulder.

‘I haven’t the heart to wake him up.’ Blaise muttered, and he tolerated Neville snoring down his ear for the rest of the journey.

Hermione had gone to the bathroom as they neared the castle and popped in on another carriage containing: Harry, Ginny, Fred, George, Lee, and Luna. 

They were all watching Fred beat George at Chess, though they were both a bit rubbish anyway. 

Harry seemed paler than Neville.

He had started to worry. The glaring issue was that the twenty-fourth of February felt a lot closer from this side of Christmas, and he still hadn’t figured out his egg.

Hermione sat in the free place on Harry’s left and leaned into his ear once she was sure everyone was too invested in the Chess game to notice. ‘Meet me on the fourth floor tonight. Bring the egg and some swimwear.’ 

Harry turned to look at her in surprise. ‘You figured something out?’

‘Cedric gave me a hint to hear it. Just meet me later, alright?’

He nodded and she stood up. ‘I’ll see you all at the feast… don’t move your knight there.’ She told Fred before leaving.

* * *

Daphne had raised her eyebrows as she saw Hermione dress in her costume and put her cloak on over it, instead of putting on her pyjamas – she shoved them into her bag instead.

‘Don’t wait up for me.’ Hermione told her best friend as the blonde climbed into bed and she turned and headed back out into the now-empty common room and out.

Harry was waiting for her at the top of the stairs on the fourth floor. They were doing this at night so they could take as long as they wanted without fear of someone trying to come into the Prefects bathroom. 

For added precaution, there was a murderer on the loose somewhere in the castle, Harry had his invisibility cloak hung over his arm and was holding the Marauder’s map tightly. He’d seen her coming up the stairs on it – it would also be a great aid in forewarning them if someone was approaching the bathroom.

The heavy egg was resting on the floor, Hermione swooped down and picked the heavy thing up so Harry didn’t have to juggle it with his map and cloak.

They set off down the corridor after passing a quick, ‘hello,’ to each other. 

As they walked, the conversation quickly turned to Skeeter’s scoop on Hagrid. They just could not understand how she had found out about Hagrid’s mother unless she’d gone purposefully looking for it.

‘Maybe she heard him telling Madam Maxime at the ball?’ Hermione offered. ‘I suppose Ginny and I could have missed her leaping into a rosebush to spy on everyone.’

Harry nodded. ‘Maybe she has an invisibility cloak?’ He said, raising the arm baring his own invisibility cloak at her.

Hermione shrugged. ‘I don’t think so – they’re quite rare.’ 

They came to stand in front of the statue of Boris the Bewildered, a lost looking wizard with his gloves on the wrong hands. 

Hermione leaned into the door next to his statue. ‘Pine fresh.’ She repeated the password Cedric had told her.

The door creaked open and the slipped inside, Harry bolted the door behind them.

‘Wow.’ Hermione said.

Harry turned from the door and saw what she meant. It would be worth becoming a Prefect next year just to be able to use this bathroom.

It wouldn’t look amiss in the halls of Regia. 

It was softly lit by a splendid candle-filled chandelier, and there were several unlit candles dotted around the room in case they wanted any extra light. Everything was made from white marble – really giving off the Regia-feel.

The bath was more of an empty swimming pool sunk into the middle of the floor. About a hundred golden taps were bordering the pool’s edges, each with a differently coloured jewel and some writing on its handle. _The diving boards a bit much._ Hermione thought to herself with an eye roll.

Long white linen curtains hung at the windows, and a pile of fluffy looking towels sat in the corner.

There was one lone decoration on the wall. A golden-framed painting featuring a blonde mermaid who was asleep on a rock with her long blonde hair covering her face. 

Hermione grabbed two of the fluffy towels and set them at the pools edge. Harry had jumped when Hermione started taking her clothes off, but then saw she had her costume on underneath them.

Harry, thankfully, had worn his trunks under his pants too – as there wasn’t a changing room.

Harry moved the egg – Hermine had put it own next to her bag – and put it next to the two towels. Hermione was messing with some of the taps – she had experience with fancy Royal-baths, so he let her take charge.

One tap gushed pink and blue bubbles the size of footballs; another poured ice-white foam so thick that Harry thought it would have supported his weight if he’d cared to test it; a third sent heavily perfumed purple clouds hovering over the surface of the water.

Then, when the deep pool was full of hot water, foam, and bubbles, which took a very short time considering its size, Hermione turned off all the taps and slid into the water. 

‘Oh… I was going to say hand me the egg while you get in but my feet don’t touch the bottom.’ Hermione rested an arm on the edge of the pool and moved around the edge.

‘It’s a bit shallower here.’ Hermione said a few feet away, she could just about get her toes down. 

Harry moved the towels over to where Hermione was bobbing up and down and handed the egg to her and jumped in a little way down so he wouldn’t splash Hermione. 

He then slowly swam up to her. Highly enjoyable though it was to swim in hot and foamy water with clouds of different-coloured steam wafting all around him, they had a job to do.

‘Are you going to put it in the water?’ Came a new voice behind them.

Hermione shrieked and dropped the golden egg, it clunked heavily to the floor of the pool as she and Harry swivelled around to face the voice.

‘Myrtle!’ Harry declared; he was incredibly happy Hermione was here with him – otherwise he’d have gotten into the pool without anything on. Still, he had a nasty feeling that Myrtle had been spying on them from out of one of the taps ever since they had arrived. Harry was instantly put off becoming a Prefect – sure they got a cool bath, but they’d be spied on the entire time by a ghost.

‘I'd try the egg in the water. That’s what Cedric Diggory did.’ Myrtle told them. 

‘It’s already _in_ the water thanks to you.’ Hermione huffed, then she dived under the water to heave the heavy egg back up to the surface. 

‘Have you been spying on him too?’ Harry asked indignantly. ‘Do you just sneak up here in the evenings to watch the prefects take baths?’ 

‘Sometimes.’ Myrtle shrugged, apparently being dead meant Myrtle just didn’t give a shit anymore.

Hermione breached the surface with the egg and Harry helped her to hold it up.

Together, they lowered the egg beneath the foamy surface and opened it… there was no wailing this time. Cedric’s tip had paid off. They couldn’t hear properly through the water.

‘We’ll have to go under too.’ Hermione said to him, and he nodded in agreement. 

They both took a great breath and slid under the surface. Now – at the bottom of the marble bubble-filled bath, they could hear the melodic song coming from the egg:

_‘Come seek us where our voices sound, _  
_We cannot sing above the ground, _  
_And while you’re searching ponder this: _  
_We’ve taken what you’ll sorely miss, _  
_An hour long you’ll have to look, _  
_And to recover what we took, _  
_But past an hour — the prospect’s black,  
T_ _oo late, it’s gone, it won’t come back.’_

Gasping for air, they both broke the surface and wiped soapy bubbles from their eyes – underneath the water Hermione could hear the song start again.

‘You’ve been robbed.’ Hermione said.

‘I don’t think I have?’ Harry frowned.

They listened to the song again.

‘You’re going to be robbed before the task then… What would you miss most of all?’ 

‘I dunno? My wand?’ Harry pondered the practical items that could be taken from him. 

‘They’re not going to make you do a task without your wand… although I suppose if you’re underwater it won’t matter if you don’t have it… we’ll have to plan for that then, find a way to breathe underwater for an hour without a wand.’ 

Hermione instantly began raking her brains for potions that allowed this. She was coming up blank.

‘We’ll ask Neville about that tomorrow, see if he knows of any plants that could help you out.’ She said.

They dunked to listen to the clue again.

When they broke the surface again Hermione’s eyes landed on the rooms only piece of artwork.

‘Merpeople.’ She said. 

‘What?’ Harry asked, turning to look at the painting too.

‘That egg, it’s a Merperson singing.’ She told him.

Harry looked at his egg, then up to the painting, then back down at his egg. ‘What’s the difference between a Mermaid and a Merperson?’

‘There aren’t any Mermaids left alive… that we know of. A Mermaid was a girl who could choose to turn into a Mermaid and back again – and they were pretty… Merpeople are stuck like that….’

Hermione told him. ‘And they’re a lot more… fishy? Yeah, fishy in appearance… Oh, and a Mermaid was a lot more magical – they used to beg Mermaids for a few strands of hair and make these insanely powerful wands with them… I think that’s what I read anyway.’

‘Why aren’t there anymore Mermaids?’ Harry asked.

‘They died out. Nobody knows how they were created, I’ve read about them, it’s not like turning into an Animagus. From what I’ve come across, it looks like they all do some kind of ritual to Atune… Queen Blythe was one.’ 

‘Really?’ Harry asked.

‘Hmm.’ She said, then got back to the topic at hand. ‘So, if a Merperson is singing this, reasons they’ll be involved more in the task. They’ll probably be given your stolen object to guard.’ 

‘I have to fight a Merperson?’ Harry looked appalled.

Hermione snorted. ‘Yeah, I’d like to see someone try. They’re bloody vicious when someone is coming at them.’

‘So, they’ll be guarding my stuff and I just have to get around them?’ Harry asked.

Hermione nodded.

‘Wow. That was much faster than Diggory.’ Myrtle told them from her perch. ‘Cedric spent hours mulling it over… nearly ran out of bubbles.’

Something seemed to occur to Harry then, and he looked at Myrtle in concentration. ‘Myrtle… how big is the lake? Like, how deep is it?’

‘I don’t know.’ She answered honestly. ‘Deep. I don’t like it down there much. Very dark. But if someone flushes my toilet when I’m not expecting it I don’t have a choice.’ 

Harry ignored this final remark and turned to Hermione. ‘I’m only going to have an hour to swim through the entire lake?!’ 

Hermione looked like she didn’t want to give him bad news. ‘Well… it’s a Triwizard task. I’d say go to the darkest, deepest, most dangerous part of the lake and that’ll be the right spot.’

Harry groaned; he wasn’t a very good swimmer; he’d never had much practice. Dudley had had lessons in his youth, but Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon, no doubt hoping that Harry would drown one day, hadn’t bothered to give him any. A couple of lengths of this bath were all very well, but that lake was very large, and very deep… and Merpeople would no doubt not be the only thing he would face.

He told Hermione this concern. 

‘Let’s focus on not drowning first.’ Hermione told him.

Myrtle burst out crying at this point. 

‘I can’t believe you’d talk about breathing in front of me!’ She cried in her annoying shrilly voice. ‘When I can’t… when I haven’t in years!’ She buried her face in her hands.

_Wow, you think the idea of being dead would have settled on her after fifty years._ Hermione dunked under the water to listen to the clue again so she wouldn’t openly snigger at the Ghost.

She missed what Harry had said while she was underwater, but Myrtle was telling her life story when she emerged.

‘Nobody missed me even when I was alive. Took them hours and hours to find my body. I know, I was sitting there waiting for them. Olive Hornby came into the bathroom… “Are you in here again, sulking, Myrtle?” she said. And then she saw my body... oh, she didn’t forget it until her dying day, I made sure of that. I followed her around and reminded her, I did. I remember at her brother’s wedding…’ 

Hermione pitied Myrtle, she really did, but she never chose the right moments. She and Harry clearly had bigger fish to fry.

Hermione shut the egg and placed it on the side of the tub while Myrtle told them how Olive had gotten a restraining order against her.

‘Myrtle.’ Hermione cut her off. ‘I don’t mean this in a mean way at all – but I think you need some kind of counselling… I think you’d feel a lot better for it… Maybe speak to Dumbledore about arranging someone to talk to?’ 

Myrtle had sighed. ‘Maybe you’re right… Thanks Lady Granger.’ She curtsied to Hermione, an action Hermione really wasn’t used to, and zoomed off up the sink tap.

Hermione and Harry turned away from each other while they dried off and got changed quickly into their pyjamas.

Hermione had unlocked the door while Harry examined the Marauder’s Map to check the coast was clear firstly to the Slytherin dungeon and then the pathway to his own common room.

‘Is the coast clear?’ Hermione asked as she scanned the dark corridor.

Harry was frowning at his map however.

‘What’s up?’ She asked, coming to stand next to him so she could follow his line of sight.

Peeves was not the only name moving about on the map. There was a single dot moving around a room in the bottom left-hand corner – Snape’s office. But the dot wasn’t labelled “Severus Snape”.

‘What is Bartemius Crouch doing in the school?’ Hermione asked him. ‘From the way Percy was going on I thought he was deathly ill.’

They hesitated for a moment, but then curiosity got the better of both of them. They both left in the direction of the Dungeons. They were going to see what Crouch was up to at one am.

They moved as quietly as possible down the stairs, though the floorboard would creak occasionally and the portraits on the walls would glare at them.

They snuck along the corridor and pushed aside a tapestry about halfway along, and proceeded down a narrower staircase, a shortcut that would take them down two floors. They both kept glancing at the map to see if Mr Crouch had moved.

Hermione occasionally glanced down at the stairs and jumped over the vanishing step… and Harry didn’t.

Harry’s leg suddenly sank right through the trick step Neville always forgot to jump. He gave an ungainly wobble, and the golden egg, still damp from the bath, slipped from under his arm.

He lurched forward to try and catch it, but was too late. Hermione dived for it too – but she wasn’t fast enough either and it slipped past her arms. The egg fell down the long staircase with a bang on each step. The Marauder’s Map fluttered out of his hand but that wasn’t their biggest concern. 

Hermione had wrapped her arms around Harry and was trying to pull him free, but he was very stuck.

Then the Golden Egg fell through the tapestry at the bottom of the staircase and burst open, it began to wail loudly in the corridor below. 

Hermione reacted very quickly, sensing that amount of noise would attract a teacher in seconds. She tossed the Invisibility Cloak over Harry and herself… but in her haste with the cloak, her wand fell down the steps and clattered to a stop near the map.

She moved to step out from under the cloak when, ‘PEEVES!’

Harry took a tight hold of her arm to keep her under the cloak.

It was the unmistakable hunting cry of Filch the caretaker. ‘What’s this racket? Wake up the whole castle, will you? I’ll have you, Peeves, I’ll have you, you’ll... and what is this?’ Filch’s footsteps halted; there was a clink of metal on metal and the wailing stopped - Filch had picked up the egg and closed it.

Any moment now, Filch was going to pull aside the tapestry, expecting to see Peeves… and there would be no Peeves... but if he came up the stairs, he would spot the Marauder’s Map… and Invisibility Cloak or not, the map would show “Harry Potter” and “Hermione Granger” standing exactly where they were, and Hermione’s wand was clearly laying next to the Map.

‘Egg?’ Filch said quietly at the foot of the stairs. Then he gasped. ‘This is a Triwizard clue! This belongs to a school champion!’

Hermione felt Harry slump next to him. ‘You can report it missing in the morning… he already thinks Peeves did it.’ Hermione whispered in his ear.

‘PEEVES!’ Filch roared gleefully. ‘You’ve been stealing!’ He ripped back the tapestry below, and they saw his horrible, pale eyes staring up the dark and (to Filch) deserted staircase.

‘Hiding won’t help.’ Filch said softly. ‘You’ve gone and stolen a Triwizard clue, Peeves… Dumbledore will have you out of here for this, you filthy, pilfering poltergeist.’ He seemed to be getting worked up in an excitement.

Filch started to climb the stairs, his scrawny, dust-coloured cat at his heels. Mrs. Norris’s lamp-like eyes, so very like her master’s, were fixed directly upon Harry and Hermione. _Can she see through the cloak?_ Hermione wondered.

Sick with apprehension, he watched Filch drawing nearer and nearer in his old flannel dressing gown - Hermione tried desperately to pull his trapped leg free, but it merely sank a few more inches. Any second now, Filch was going to spot the map and the wand or walk right into him.

‘Filch? What’s going on?’ Filch stopped a few steps below Harry and Hermione and turned around to face the bottom of the stairs.

_Oh, thank Vutris!_ Hermione thought. It was Snape.

He was wearing a long grey nightshirt and he looked livid. ‘It’s Peeves, Professor,’ Filch whispered malevolently. ‘He threw this egg down the stairs.’ 

Snape climbed up the stairs quickly and stopped beside Filch.

‘Someone’s been in my office. I saw it on my way here.’ Snape told Filch. ‘Peeves couldn’t get it there if he tried. Come and help me look for the intruder.’ 

_Snape, to the rescue_. Hermione thought with a smile and let out a shaky breath. _Please, go!_ She begged to Filch silently.

‘The thing is, Professor…’ Filch said awkwardly. ‘Professor Dumbledore will have to listen to me now. Peeves has stolen a -’

‘- I don’t care about the bloody poltergeist! Someone has broken into my office!’ Snape barked. 

Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. 

Hermione’s heart sank. _Shit_. Mad-Eye Moody limp into sight. Snape stopped talking very abruptly.

Moody was wearing his old travelling cloak over his nightshirt and leaning on his staff as usual. ‘Are we having a pyjama party, gentlemen?’ He growled at the men.

‘Professor Snape and I heard noises, Professor.’ Filch told him at once. ‘Peeves the Poltergeist, throwing things around as usual… and then Professor Snape discovered that someone had broken into his office.’

‘Shut up!’ Snape hissed quickly.

Moody took a step closer to the foot of the stairs. Harry saw Moody’s magical eye travel over Snape, and then, unmistakably, onto himself and Hermione. They remembered with the same sickening jolt that Moody could see through Invisibility cloaks.

Moody alone could see the full abnormality of the night. Snape in his nightshirt, Filch clutching the egg, and himself trapped in some stairs with Hermione crouched next to him.

Moody’s lopsided gash of a mouth opened in surprise.

Then Hermione raised her hand in acknowledgement of the Professor and he actually smiled for a second.

‘Did I hear that correctly, Snape?’ Moody asked slowly. ‘Someone broke into your office?’

Hermione had shut her eye to concentrate now – this would be hard without a wand. 

‘What are you doing?’ Harry hissed in her ear.

‘Shh!’ She hissed back. She resumed her hard concentration, thinking in the direction of Professor Snape.

‘It doesn’t matter.’ Snape said quickly and coldly.

‘I say it is very important. Who’d want to break into your office?’ Moody barked.

‘A student, no doubt.’ Snape replied.

‘You reckon they were after potion ingredients, eh?’ Moody asked. ‘Not hiding anything else in your office, are you?’

‘You’ve searched my office already, you know I’m not… but please, feel free to search it again.’ Snape replied. A vein in his temple was now visibly throbbing.

Hermione wasn’t getting through to him, she concentrated on the walls around her Professor’s mind.

Then Snape did something very peculiar, to Harry’s eyes anyway, he jumped about a foot in the air in shock.

_I’m on the stairs and I’ve dropped my wand. SOS!_ Hermione knew at the sight of his leap that her message had gotten through.

Snape frowned up the stairs in her general direction and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

‘Are you alright, man?’ Moody asked, seeming rather taken aback by Snape’s sudden jump.

‘Fine, thanks. I’m tired.’ 

It occurred to her, as Snape stepped up the stairs to pick up her wand that she hadn’t told Harry what was going on. 

Snape’s fingers had only brushed the corner of the Map when Harry made eye contact with Moody and pointed at himself. Moody was incredibly quick in summoning the map away from him. But at least she saw Snape pocket her wand – that, at least, would be safe from Moody’s clutches.

‘This is mine.’ Moody told him. ‘Must have dropped it earlier.’ 

Snape didn’t argue, or seem to care. ‘I’m going back to bed.’ He said curtly. ‘Don’t let me keep you from finishing your rounds.’ 

‘Give me that.’ Moody said lightly to Filch, reaching for the egg.

But Filch was clutching the egg as though it were his firstborn son. ‘Professor Moody, this is evidence of Peeves’ treachery! I can keep it to get rid of him!’

‘It belongs to its champion. Now hand it over!’ Moody ordered.

‘Peeves clearly isn’t here.’ Snape turned to Filch. ‘Why don’t you go and chase him down?’

Filch set off after the Poltergeist without any argument, leaving the egg with Moody. 

Snape had gotten rid of Filch for her. _Thanks!_ She thought in his direction. She received a glare in response. Snape stepped behind Moody as he examined the egg, waved Hermione’s wand over his head and lay it on the frame of a painting of a fat witch asleep next to a bubbling cauldron. Then he turned and swept off downstairs without another word.

Hermione put the mental wards around her mind back in place.

Everyone remained still for a moment and then Moody turned to the duo on the stairs. ‘Are you two planning on spending the night up there or what?’ 

Harry pulled the cloak off them. ‘I’m stuck.’ He gestured to his pinned leg.

‘Ah. Hold this, Granger.’ He said, thrusting the Golden Egg at her. 

Moody took hold of Harry’s arms and pulled; Harry’s leg came free of the trick step, and he climbed onto the one above it. ‘Thanks.’ Harry muttered.

Then Moody pulled the map from his cloak pocket. ‘What is this thing?’ He asked. 

‘It’s a map of Hogwarts.’ Harry told him, though Hermione was silently wishing he hadn’t.

He looked down at it and his eyes widened. ‘Merlin’s beard! This… this is some map Potter! Where’d you get it?’ 

‘My dad made it with his mates.’ Harry told him honestly.

Then Moody’s head snapped up. ‘Did you happen to see who broke into Snape’s office? Is that why you’re down here?’

Harry nodded, Hermione remained silent and off to the side. ‘It was Mr Crouch.’ Harry told him.

‘Crouch? You’re sure?’ He was frowning at Harry.

‘Positive.’ Hermione answered. ‘The map doesn’t lie. It said Barty Crouch was in the office.’ 

Moody looked down at the map for another moment. ‘Well… he’s not there anymore.’ 

‘Why do you think he was there?’ Harry asked Moody suddenly, clearly the temptation and the curiosity had gotten too much for Harry.

Moody sighed. ‘People say old Mad-Eye’s obsessed with catching Dark wizards… but he’s nothing compared to Barty Crouch.’ 

Hermione found herself wishing Snape had stayed behind, she didn’t feel very comfortable with Moody... especially when he started referring to herself in the third person.

‘Do you think he’s investigating? Lots of Dark stuff’s happened this year, hasn’t it? The World-Cup… the murder?’ Harry asked.

‘Don’t miss anything, do you lad?’ Moody said. ‘Crouch could be thinking along those lines… Snape’s room would make sense then… If there’s anything I hate, it’s a Death Eater who walked free.’ 

Hermione felt Harry stiffen next to her as Moody pretty much verbally confirmed that Snape had once been a Death Eater. 

‘People change.’ Hermione said firmly.

‘No, they don’t.’ Moody replied equally firm. Then he turned to Harry. ‘Now, I want to ask you something.’ 

Hermione could hear the gears turning in Harry’s head as he ran through the answers to the most obvious questions. _What are you doing up here at one am with a Golden Egg and a Slytherin? _

‘Can I borrow this?’ Moody waved the Map in the air. ‘I’ll take good care of it… Might come in handy catching that murderer.’

‘Oh!’ Harry said. ‘Yeah, alright.’

Hermione groaned inwardly, she really wished Harry had said no.

‘Good lad.’ Moody said. ‘I take it you’re both up with this egg for a reason?’

‘Burning the midnight oil, Sir.’ Hermione said.

Moody smiled; it made his mangled face look even more out of shape. ‘You two should consider careers as Aurors… though I reckon you’d have slightly higher ambitions Lady Granger?’

‘No. I want to slum it in the Magical Law department and campaign for the rights of lesser beings.’ Hermione corrected him.

Moody seemed to review her for a moment. ‘That’s very… noble. But it’s a complete waste of your talents. You’re a powerful witch, you should put it to use.’ 

Then before Hermione could debate this, he turned to face Harry as well. ‘Bed, both of you!’

Then he turned and walked off in the direction of his office, looking down at the Marauder’s Map as he went. 

‘See you in the morning?’ Harry said to Hermione. 

She nodded and Harry turned and walked back up the secret staircase in the direction of Gryffindor tower. Hermione moved to the painting of the plump witch and her cauldron to retrieve her wand, and then followed the same path Snape had taken down the stairs.

He was waiting for her outside the Slytherin common room.

‘What on earth were you doing?’ He asked in exasperation. 

‘Helping Harry figure out his egg so he didn’t die.’ Hermione told him honestly. ‘You can’t punish me for being a good friend!’

‘I most certainly can. Detention on Friday with me – you can take the time to brush up on your advanced Legilimency, that was the fuzziest message I’ve ever received.’ 

‘I didn’t have a wand!’ Hermione complained.

They remained on the step of the Slytherin common room bickering about her skills and technique until she let out a yawn and he sent her to bed. She was that tired that it completely slipped her mind to tell him who had broken into his office.

As Hermione climbed into her bed, smiling at she saw Daphne snoring away on the bed next to her, she thought on what Moody had said to her about wasting her gifts. She completely disagreed with him, of course, but she did begin to wonder if there was another way to accomplish her goals without a long and dull career at the Ministry.

* * *

Snow was still thick upon the grounds and the greenhouse windows were covered in a condensation so thick, they couldn’t see out of them in Herbology.

Hermione, who shared a workbench in this class with Fred and George, had spent the lesson huddled for warmth with them in greenhouse seven. Surely, they were breaking some law by having children take lessons in such a bitterly cold room.

It was at lunch that Hermione heard the news that Hagrid had not taken his class. Hermione groaned when Draco had told her that Professor Grubbly-Plank had taken the lessons for all the Care of Magical Creatures classes so far that day. The Skeeter article had clearly upset Hagrid. 

‘Good lesson though… Unicorns.’ Neville had told her. 

‘They only let the girls near them though.’ Blaise sulked.

‘That’s not true. They let Draco go right up to them and stroke them.’ Neville countered.

‘That’s because they could smell the Royal Unicorns on me. The pack that live on the grounds of Regia? The scent lingers for several months.’

Blaise had taken a dramatic sniff of his friend. ‘No, you just smell like a prat to me.’

Draco smacked him over the back of the head.

‘I can smell it.’ Neville told him. ‘It’s in your hair – you smell a little bit too sweet… I thought it was just your shampoo until we saw them Unicorns today.’

‘I’m sorry, just how strong is your Wolfblood sense of smell?’ Draco asked, slightly taken aback.

‘Very. I’m getting better at it too, picking up different smells. Same for the rest of it to – my hearing and sights coming along.’ Neville said as he reached for some bacon.

‘I wish I was a Wolfblood.’ Crabbe said from down the table.

_‘No, you don’t. All my bones break once a month.’ Neville said, the smile vanishing from his face._

_And you might go insane._ Hermione added silently.

‘If Hagrid isn’t back teaching tomorrow, we’ve got to go and see him. Agreed?’ 

‘Agreed.’ Hermione nodded, even though she didn’t take his class.

But Hagrid was not there when they knocked on his door the next day, or he was pretending not to be.

‘Have you seen the new Divination teacher?’ Draco then turned to Hermione with a grin. ‘No more five million flights of stairs for us, he’s moved the class to the ground floor.’

‘Who is it?’ Hermione asked. The fact that Draco had called the teacher a “he” ruled out the possibility of another Priestess.

‘Dumbledore’s got a centaur!’ Draco told her.

Hermione raised a brow. ‘A centaur?’

‘Professor Firenze.’ Harry chided in.

‘He’s awesome.’ Draco grinned. 

‘But his pack wouldn’t approve of that, would they?’ Hermione asked with a frown.

‘No, he told us about it. But the King got involved apparently and completely deescalated the situation. Firenze is here as a personal favour to the monarch – he’s not employed by the school technically.’ Harry told her.

‘Is there any news on who killed Madam Sybil yet?’ Hermione asked.

Draco shook his head.

‘Does it feel to you guys like everyone’s just given up on it?’ Hermione asked.

Draco pointed out the three Auror’s and his own pink-haired guard standing around the Hall. ‘They haven’t.’

* * *

There was a Hogsmeade visit halfway through January. Hermione gave herself the afternoon off from frantically researching how to breathe underwater for an hour along with rabid Wolfblood’s. It didn’t help her any that the Auror’s patrolling the corridors constantly were making it difficult to get down into the secret library.

She was going to go down with Viktor, but Karkaroff would only give him an hour before he wanted him back, so they were going for lunch and then she would meet up with her friends.

‘Hello dear.’ Viktor greeted her at the front doors, he had his thick cloak on. He wrapped Hermione in his arms and kissed her briefly, yet tenderly, on the lips.

‘Hi Viktor.’ She smiled up at him. ‘Do you want to get a carriage down or walk?’ She asked.

‘I vould say carriage but I’d rather haf you alone for the walk if this is okay?’ He asked.

Hermione smiled, it was a good thing she’d dressed warmly in a knitted jumper with jeans and her warmest cloak and gloves. 

‘Your hair looks lovely.’ He told her as they began the walk.

Hermione raised a hand to her perfectly styled hair. Daphne, thank Vutris for her return, had told Hermione she would be doing her up for this brief date. 

‘I missed dolling you up for the Yule Ball, don’t deny me this.’ 

Hermione had sat, secretly pleased, outwardly grumbling, as her best friend styled her hair up in an elegant knot on top of her head. 

Daphne had leant her the black gloves and pushed her out the door, ‘I’ll see you later in the pub!’

The walk down didn’t take very long – the cold spurred them on a bit – but it was nice to get some time alone. Well… as alone as one could be with Auror’s dotted every few feet up the path. The grounds were very wet and soggy, and great paths of path had dissolved into a muddy mess that was sending many a student sliding to the ground with ungraceful yelps.

For Hermione, the slippery ground was a good excuse to hold onto Krum’s arm tightly as they walked. 

She shivered and Krum pulled her under his cloak, pressing her into his side as they walked. 

‘How are you warm right now?’ She asked with a jealous shake of the head.

‘It feels much varmer to me here. I must admit, I much prefer this school to my own.’ He told her quietly.

‘Don’t let Karkaroff hear you saying that, he’ll have a stroke.’ She told him.

‘Are you looking for someone?’ Viktor asked as they stepped into the Three Broomsticks. 

Hermione had indeed taken a quick scan of the room and let out a sigh of disappointment. ‘I was hoping I’d see Hagrid. He hasn’t taught a class since Skeeter wrote that article.’ 

‘I thought she was in trouble for publishing things like this?’ Viktor asked as they made their way to one of the more concealed tables. It was away from the fireplace, which was incredibly crowded, but at least they’d get some privacy… and a quick warming charm would sort them both out in a jiffy.

Madam Rosmerta was straight to their table, celebrity clients like Viktor Krum never had to order at the bar.

‘Two butterbeers please.’ Hermione had said.

‘Any food?’ The bar owner asked, though she was looking at Krum and not Hermione.

‘I’ll have the four cheese Niffler-burger, please.’ Hermione said.

Krum seemed suddenly alarmed. ‘You eat Niffler hear?’ He asked, looking appalled. 

Hermione tried not to laugh. ‘No, we don’t. It’s called that because of the golden sauce on it.’ 

Krum seemed to relax. ‘Oh, I’ll haf the same. Please.’

Rosmerta was back with their drinks almost instantly – and then with their food almost as quickly.

Hermione was just finishing off her chunky chips when she noticed who was sat in the corner of the bar.

‘Does that man never go to work?’ She asked Krum.

He followed her line of sight to see Ludo Bagman, he was tucked away at a corner table talking with several Goblins. Bagman was talking very fast in a low voice to the goblins, all of whom had their arms crossed and were looking rather menacing. Mr Bagman was looking strained.

‘Vhy is he near Hogvarts ven there is no task?’ Krum asked with a frown, he’d told her in the past that he didn’t much like the man.

Then her friends walked in. Harry, Ginny, Draco, Blaise, Neville, Luna, and Daphne. They took a corner near the fire.

Ludo Bagman did not miss Harry Potter walking past him.

‘In a moment!’ He snapped at one of the Goblins and hurried after Harry. Hermione and Viktor shared a bemused look.

They heard him greet Harry, and then saw him steer him away from his group. Fortunately for them, he steered Harry right over to the potted plant Hermione and Viktor were sat behind.

‘Well, I just thought I’d congratulate you again on your splendid performance against that Horntail, Harry,’ Bagman said. ‘Really superb.’

‘Thanks?’ Harry said awkwardly. 

Then Bagman looked quickly over his shoulder at the group of Goblins that were watching him. ‘Absolute nightmare.’ He muttered to Harry. ‘Their English isn’t too good... it’s like being back with all the Bulgarians at the Quidditch World Cup.’ 

‘What do they want?’ Harry asked Mr Bagman, he must have noticed as Hermione had just how intently the group of Goblins were watching Bagman.

‘Er… they’re looking for Mr Crouch.’ Bagman told him, though he seemed incredibly nervous. 

Harry was frowning at this. ‘Then why are they in Hogsmeade? He’ll be at work at the Ministry, won’t he?’ 

Bagman started twiddling his fingers over his enormous belly. ‘He’s sort of stopped coming to work... Been absent for a couple of weeks now… Young Percy, his assistant, says he’s ill. Apparently, he’s just been sending instructions in by owl. But would you mind not mentioning that to anyone, Harry? Because Rita Skeeter’s still poking around everywhere she can, and I’m willing to bet she’d work up Barty’s illness into something sinister. Probably say he’s gone missing like Bertha Jorkins.’ 

_He's not been to work in weeks but he can root around Snape’s office?_ Hermione thought to herself with a frown. 

‘Is there any update on Bertha Jorkins?’ Harry asked. 

Bagman looked strained again. ‘No… I’ve got people looking for her now.’

_About time._ Hermione grumbled to herself. _It’s only taken you six months._

Bagman sighed. ‘It’s very strange. She definitely arrived in Albania… then she headed south to meet with an aunt and vanished without a trace… she doesn’t seem the type to elope or anything…’ 

Then he seemed to shake himself a bit. ‘What are we doing? Talking about Goblins and Bertha Jorkins?’ He seemed to laugh at himself for a moment but it sounded very forced. ‘I wanted to ask how you are getting on with your Golden egg?’ 

Krum didn’t look very impressed from his seat across from Hermione.

‘Er… fine.’ Harry mumbled.

‘Listen, Harry… you didn’t volunteer for this tournament and I feel bad… if I can help at all… just say the word.’

Now Viktor really didn’t look pleased. Hermione very much doubted Bagman would be offering help to all the champions.

‘No.’ Harry said that quickly and forcefully that he appeared quite rude. ‘I already figured out the egg, thanks.’ 

Bagman looked almost affronted, but couldn’t say much more as Fred and George turned up at that point.

‘Hello, Mr Bagman.’ Fred greeted him brightly, Harry made his escape back to his table.

‘Can we buy you a drink?’ George asked.

‘Er… no thanks. I must dash… Nice seeing you all, good luck, Harry.’ And he hurried out of the pub. The Goblins he had been sitting with tossed some coin down onto the table, paying their bill no doubt, and hurried out after him.

_Looking for Crouch my arse._ Hermione thought to herself. _Goblins only chase a man like that for one reason._

Fred and George stalked away from them, and Hermione and Viktor were alone again.

‘He is a judge! He should not offer anyone help.’ Viktor grumbled as they finished their drinks.

‘I agree. He’s a blithering idiot.’ Hermione said.

‘Good of Harry not to accept.’ Viktor added on quickly.

‘Hmm, yeah he doesn’t much like Bagman either.’ She told him.

Once their empty glasses and plates had been cleared, Viktor had to follow orders and return to the castle. He gave Hermione a quick kiss, thanked her for a lovely lunch date, then hurried out into the thick and heavy rain that had just started to thunder down on the village.

Hermione went and sat with her friends.

‘Have fun?’ Daphne asked. 

‘Yeah, it was nice.’ She said. ‘I heard what Bagman said to you.’ She said to Harry.

Harry rolled his eyes at the thought of Bagman. ‘What’s he thinking trying to help me? I could get him done for that.’ 

He’d already regaled the table of the conversation.

‘And that rubbish about the Goblins looking for Crouch?’ Hermione said. ‘Did you believe a word of that?’

Harry snorted. ‘Not a word.’

‘It is true Crouch hasn’t been seen in weeks though.’ Draco said. ‘Matilda told me.’

‘Maybe Percy’s poisoning him.’ Ginny said as she stole a chip from Harry’s plate. ‘He probably thinks he’ll be promoted to head of department if old Crouch snuffs it.’ 

‘For Merlin’s sake.’ Harry groaned.

‘What?’ Ginny asked defensively. ‘I only took one chip!’ 

‘What? Oh, not that… Here, have as many as you want.’ He pushed his plate in front of her. ‘I ordered extra because you always say you’re not hungry and end up eating mine…’

‘Then why the groan of despair?’ Draco asked.

‘Turn around.’ Was Harry’s answer.

Everyone turned to face the door. Everyone then mimicked Harry’s groan.

Rita Skeeter had just entered wearing some truly awful banana-yellow robes.

‘Thank the stars Millie isn’t here, she’d gouge her eyes rather than look at that.’ Daphne said to the table.

Skeeter’s nails were painted in an almost neon-pink, she carried her usual crocodile skin bag. Her usual photographer was lurking next to her.

They made their way past Hermione’s table.

‘-didn’t seem very keen to talk to us, did he, Bozo? Now, why would that be, do you think? And what’s he doing with a pack of goblins in tow anyway? Reckon something’s up? Think we should do a bit of digging?’

‘Trying to ruin someone else’s life?’ Harry said loudly, causing a few people to look around.

Skeeter turned to face the table to be met by the glare of several angry teens.

Rita Skeeter’s eyes widened behind her jewelled spectacles as she saw who had spoken. ‘Harry!’ She beaming. ‘How lovely! Why don’t you come and join-’

‘No.’ Harry cut her off, furious. ‘What did you do that to Hagrid for, eh?’

Skeeter raised an overly pencilled eyebrow. ‘People have the right to know the truth.’

Draco snorted. ‘Since when did you care about the truth? I seem to remember something about Binta calling you out on that…’

Harry acted as if Draco hadn’t spoken. ‘Who cares if he’s half-giant? There’s nothing wrong with him!’

Rita smiled, snapped open her bag at once, and pulled out her Quick-Quotes Quill.

‘I thought those were unreliable?’ Draco said at the sight of it.

This time, Skeeter ignored him. ‘How about giving me an interview about the Hagrid you know, Harry? Your unlikely friendship and the reasons behind it. Would you call him a father substitute?’

Several people leapt to their feet in anger at this, but Hermione was the first to speak.

‘You horrible woman.’ She said through gritted teeth. ‘You’d do anything for a story wouldn’t you!?’

‘Sit down you silly girl.’ Skeeter said coldly.

‘Lady of the realm you’re talking to there.’ Draco said, he’d also leaped up.

‘Lets just go.’ Ginny said in frustration. She pushed Harry out of his booth seat and followed after him. Draco quickly settled the tab with Rosmerta and the rest of them stepped out into the rain, which was more of a light drizzle now. As they left, they saw that Rita’s Quick-Quotes Quill was zooming over a piece of parchment on the table.

‘She’ll be after you next, Hermione.’ Harry warned her.

Hermione snorted. ‘Oh, I’m trembling in my boots.’ She said sarcastically. ‘Bring it on! Silly little girl, am I? Bloody cow… and it’s not like there’s anything she _can_ dig up on me? “Breaking news: Hermione Granger gets detention!” doesn’t exactly sound like front page material.’ 

Blaise and Neville elected to hang around the village for a little longer – and Ginny and Luna had haircuts booked and Daphne was meeting up with Millie and Tracey to do a little shopping. This left Hermione with Draco and Harry for the walk back to the castle.

Hermione ranted for most of the walk back, only changing her tune when she caught sight of Hagrid’s hut. ‘Right, that’s it. Hagrid isn’t hiding anymore!’

Hermione led them, at a shocking pace given her shorter legs, to Hagrid’s hut. The curtains were drawn and they could hear Fang start to bark as they approached. 

‘Hagrid!’ Hermione pounded on the door. ‘That’s enough! We know you’re in there and we’re not going away until you open the door. Nobody gives two shits if you’re part giant! So you’ve got about two seconds before I blow this door off its hinges-’

Hermione was cut off by the front door swinging open to reveal Professor Dumbledore. 

‘Oh.’ Hermione felt all the air rush out of her in surprise.

‘Good afternoon.’ The headmaster said pleasantly. ‘Why don’t you come in?’ 

The group went into the cabin; Fang launched himself upon Harry the moment he entered, barking madly and trying to lick his ears.

Hagrid was sat at his table nursing a very large mug of tea. He looked a real mess. His eyes were blotchy and swollen, and his hair looked like a tangled wire.

‘Hi Hagrid.’ Harry said once he’d managed to extract himself from the dog. 

Hagrid grunted his own greeting.

‘More tea, I think. Earl Grey?’ Dumbledore took out his wand and twiddled with it, a revolving tray containing a teapot, several china cups, and even more little cakes appeared. They all sat down around Hagrid’s table for a spot of unusual afternoon tea.

There was a slight pause, and then Dumbledore said, ‘Did you by any chance hear what Miss Granger was shouting, Hagrid?’

Hermione turned pink. 

‘They all seem to still want to know you, judging by the way Miss Granger threatened to blow your front door up.’ 

‘Of course we still want to know you!’ Harry said, staring at Hagrid. ‘How could you think we’d care what that cow wrote about you?’

Several fat tears leaked out of Hagrid’s eyes and fell slowly into his tangled beard. 

‘Living proof of what I’ve been telling you.’ Dumbledore said to Hagrid. ‘So many parents have written to me to tell me how fond they were of you in their school days – they don’t want you sacked.’

‘Not everyone feels that way.’ Hagrid cried.

‘Really, Hagrid.’ Draco spoke up. ‘If you’re holding out for universal popularity, you’ll be suck in you cabin forever. I’ve been receiving hate mail since I was born.’

‘Exactly.’ Dumbledore said. ‘I must get at least one letter a week complaining about the way I run this school… I don’t let them drive me underground.’

‘You’re not half-giants!’ Hagrid cried.

‘Neville’s a Werewolf and he shows his face.’ Hermione said. ‘He gets ten letters a week from people telling him he should be put down… do you know what he does? He burns them and carries on with his day.’

Harry nodded at this one. ‘And nobody can hold your family against you! Look at what I’ve got for relatives! Skeeter would have a field day with the Dursley’s!’

‘An excellent point.’ Professor Dumbledore nodded. ‘My own brother was prosecuted for performing inappropriate charms on a goat! It was all over the papers, but did Aberforth hide? No! After my father – my mother didn’t hide either.’ Dumbledore paused, seeming to catch himself talking about an entirely private matter. ‘People can turn out okay, even if their families are…’

‘Evil.’ Draco offered. ‘Look at my dad! He nearly killed Ginny Weasley and I turned out alright.’ 

‘Come back and teach, Hagrid.’ Harry said. ‘Please come back, everyone really misses you.’ 

More tears leaked down out of Hagrid’s eyes.

Dumbledore stood up. ‘I refuse to accept your resignation, Hagrid, and I expect you back at work on Monday. You will join me for breakfast at eight-thirty in the Great Hall. No excuses. Good afternoon to you all.’ Dumbledore left the cabin, pausing only to scratch Fang’s ears.

Hagrid, after sobbing for a few minutes, looked to Harry. ‘Yeh know, yeh reminded me o’ me a bit when we first met… Parents gone and not really sure yeh were up fer it… Now look at yeh! School Champion! I’d love yeh ter win, I really would.’

Hermione wondered if Hagrid had been pouring any whiskey in his tea.

‘It’d show everyone yeh don’t have the be a rotten Pureblood to do it!’ He said, then looked at Draco, ‘no offence.’

‘None taken.’ Draco said gently, though Hermione though he did look a little bit offended at being referred to as “rotten” by a man he’d come to cheer up.

‘How you doing with that egg?’ Hagrid asked.

‘Great. All sorted.’ Harry said quickly.

_Stretching the truth a bit there. _

‘That’s my boy! You show ‘em Harry, you beat ‘em all!’

They’d left soon after, reasonably confident that they had succeeded in cheering Hagrid up, if only a little.

As they passed the Durmstrang ship moored in the lake, they saw Viktor Krum emerge onto the deck, dressed in nothing but swimming trunks. The boys got a good look at the muscles Hermione had been admiring for the last few weeks now.

Viktor waved at Hermione as they passed. Then he jumped off the side of the ship.

‘He’s mad!’ Harry said, staring at the spot where Krum had disappeared into the dark water.

‘It must be freezing in there!’ Draco said. ‘The ice has only just started to melt!’

‘He’ll be practicing.’ Hermione told them.

Realisation dawned on Harry. ‘I am not getting in the water if it’s that cold.’ He huffed.

‘Cast a warming charm before you jump in, don’t be such a baby.’ Hermione told him as they walked towards the front doors.

They’d told Neville about the predicament weeks ago and he’d joined Hermione in research – claiming he had read something about some plant or other that might help.

He’d finally come up with a plant called Gillyweed, much to everyone’s relief. Draco had ordered some – it would be arriving straight from a grower the day before the task at the latest. Draco had insisted on buying fresh so Harry could have the guarantee of it lasting the full hour.

‘Yeah, that’s fair.’ Hermione had said. ‘Stale ingredients can lose potency.’ 

‘Will it be okay coming the day before, then?’ Harry asked, clearly worried he was about to be accidentally drowned.

‘It’d be fine coming today to be honest. They only really start to go off after a few months. Draco’s just being extra precautions.’ She told him, which calmed him right down.

Everything was very calm before the task; Harry had even braved the lake a few times with a Bubble-Head charm to get some swimming practice in. The first time he’d gone he had to get Ginny to push him in as he couldn’t stand the cold.

‘AAAHHHH!’

Hermione bolted upright in her bed, clutching her ears in pain. 

Daphne was thrashing about in her bed as she slept, her scream broke all the mirrors on the vanity and the glass shattered loudly against the stone ground. 

All the girls were awake. Hands pegged over their ears.

Hermione had a brief worry that the large underwater glass window would shatter and they would drown – and indeed it did seem to bulge at the sound of Daphne’s piercing screams but it didn’t shatter.

‘Daphne!’ Hemione lunged herself onto Daphne’s bed and grabbed her. Her scream was deafening and high pitched.

Daphne didn’t wake up even though Hermione shook her vigorously. 

‘Sorry.’ Hermione muttered. Then she slapped Daphne across the face, hard.

Daphne’s eyes snapped open and the screaming died in her throat.

‘What’s going on?’ She asked in alarm at the sight of Hermione straddling her and the other girls in the room looking at her like she was demented.

Then she registered the pain in her face. ‘Did you hit me?!’

‘Look what you did!’ Hermione said, pointing to all the shattered glass on the floor.

Daphne seemed to realise what had happened. ‘I screamed?’

Hermione nodded. ‘What the fuck was that?’ 

‘I don’t know – I just had a nightmare I guess.’

‘So what, every time you have a nightmare now you’re going to break all the glass in the building?’ Pansy asked, it was a valid question.

Daphne shook her head. ‘I dunno… no? I’m sorry.’

‘What were you dreaming about?’ Hermione asked as she climbed off her.

‘I – I don’t know… I don’t remember.’ Daphne said helplessly. 

Millie, Tracey, and Pansy all climbed back into their own beds. 

Daphne took a tight grip on Hermione’s wrist, she looked terrified. ‘Will you stay with me?’

‘Of course I will.’ Hermione said, then she tucked herself into bed beside Daphne.

_What the hell is happening to her? _

Hermione took a tight hold of Daphne so she would at least get some physical assurance. It took Hermione a good while after tat fright to get back to sleep, but Daphne did not go back to sleep at all.

She hadn’t lied, she couldn’t remember the dream, only the feeling of pure horror. It was paralysing. All night Daphne felt Hermione’s comforting arm around her stomach, but she only felt fear. When the sun rose, Daphne was still awake – staring wide-eyed in horror at the wall. 

* * *

‘She couldn’t remember the dream?’ Draco asked her the sent morning at breakfast.

Hermione shook her head. ‘Not a thing.’

‘Should we be worried?’ He asked.

‘Er – yes?’ Hermione said. ‘Her scream broke glass? That alone is cause for concern.’ 

‘What do we do?’ He asked.

Hermione let out a frustrated sigh. ‘I don’t know. I tried to talk her into going Pomfrey with me this morning, but she wouldn’t go.’ 

‘If it happens again, tell me, and I’ll drag her there if I have to.’ Draco said.

‘I’ll stun her ass and drag her there myself if that happens again. Fucking terrifying.’ Hermione said. 

‘Morning my beauties.’ Blaise said as he walked past them he dropped a kiss to Hermione’s head, then one to Draco’s – earning him a swift elbow to the ribs. 

He sat down in Daphne’s empty stop – she was off getting catch up work from Snape. 

‘What the hot goss?’ He asked, reaching for a muffin.

‘None of your business.’ Draco said, turning back to his own breakfast.

‘Actually Blaise.’ Hermione turned to face the boy. ‘I did want your help with something.’ 

‘And what’s that?’ 

‘Neville.’

Blaise suddenly looked up in alarm. ‘Wha – what about Neville?’

‘He listens to you. He wants to apply for this term abroad thing next year in Brazil but…’

Blaise understood. ‘He doesn’t think they’d accept a Werewolf… Thanks for telling me, I’ll try and talk some sense into him… Have you seen the front page today?’ He asked, holding the Daily Prophet out for her.

‘Let me guess, Skeeter’s tried to ruin someone else’s life?’ Hermione asked.

‘Nope.’ Blaise said with a smile.

_Binta Imari – Royal Press Agent – to be given a regular column to improve communication of important information. _

_The King decreed this morning that anything written by the Royal Agent must be punished - ‘This is being done to tackle the dangerous spread of misinformation.’ _

‘Well… that’s sending a strong message to the anti-Skeeter campaign.’ Hermione said.

‘Hmm. She’s pissed the King off. I would not want to make an enemy of the most powerful man in the world.’ Blaise said.

* * *

‘Granger, Weasley. Dumbledore wants you in his office.’ Snape said.

Hermione had just been with Draco to deliver Harry his Gillyweed for the next task – he’d been brushing up on some handy underwater use spells with Ginny. 

‘Me?’ Ginny said in surprise. ‘What would Dumbledore want with me?’ 

‘I didn’t ask.’

Hermione’s mind however had kicked into gear. _Shit. _

Hermione gave Draco a hug, a bit unusual for her to do without cause. ‘Keep Harry calm tomorrow, okay?’ She whispered in his ear.

Then she pulled Harry in for a hug. ‘Remember, Dumbledore won’t let anything bad happen to your stolen item. Get in – steal it back – and get out again.’ 

Harry nodded and gave her a puzzled look.

‘If we’re all done with our displays of affection, can we move on please?’ Snape asked in a tired voice.

Hermione took Ginny’s hand as they began walking up the stairs. ‘Don’t panic.’ She whispered to her. ‘Dumbledore won’t let us get hurt.’

Ginny gave her a puzzling look, but Hermione didn’t explain.

‘I just want to register that I think this is a terrible idea and reckless.’ Hermione said to Snape. ‘I am not happy about this.’ They were nearing the office now.

‘Noted. Up you go, I’ll see you tomorrow.’ He said.

‘Bring me a dressing-gown, will you? If I catch a cold I’ll be livid.’ 

‘Cauldron Cakes.’ Snape said, and the stairs began to reveal themselves. Then he nodded at Hermione. ‘I’ll see what I can do.’ He said in his usual bored tone.

‘What’s going on?’ Ginny asked as Hermione pulled her up the stairs.

‘We’re the beloved items. We’re going to the bottom of the lake.’ Hermione told her.

Ginny’s mouth fell open in shock.

Hermione didn’t bother knocking on the office door, she just pushed it open. ‘I don’t like this.’ She said loudly as she walked in.

Ginny gave a little shriek when she saw Cho Chang along with a little blonde girl, Fleur’s sister, passed out on Dumbledore’s rug.

‘Can I go to the toilet and get a drink first?’ Hermione asked, ‘while you explain it all to Ginny?’ 

There was a Ministry wizard stood at Dumbledore’s side, he frowned at her. ‘You will need the explanation too.’ 

‘Er – Stasis charm, bottom of the lake, an hour to find us… that about cover it?’ She asked over her shoulder, she was already walking off to where she knew Dumbledore’s bathroom to be.

When she returned, Ginny was on the floor besides Cho and mini-Fleur. She could have been sleeping peacefully, but the sight of one of her actual friends passed out on the floor really unnerved her.

Hermione shot back the glass of water the Ministry Wizard held out to her. Then she straightened up her school robes, and lay down on the floor next to Ginny. 

‘Wand?’ The Ministry wizard held out his hand.

‘Nope.’ Hermione said, it wouldn’t float off – she had it safely holstered. 

‘Hit me.’ She said to Dumbledore.

She saw a blue light at the end of Dumbledore’s wand – then her eyes became heavy and she drifted into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

Just as it had before, he faced the Horntail, time was slipping away as though somebody had bewitched the clocks to go extra fast. Ginny never returned to the library – once it was nearly curfew Draco sent him to bed and told him he’d see him in the Kitchens at half six for a super early breakfast before they headed down to the lake.

Harry had sat in the common room for a little while, watching Alfred play in the roaring fire. The little Dragon gave him a look as if to say “where’s Ginny?” as he looked at Harry. Harry shrugged at the Dragon and it turned away from him in a huff.

‘Mr Potter. It is time to get up.’ A small finger was poking him in the cheek.

He batted the finger away and opened his eyes, Dobby was at the foot of his bed. It was still dark outside.

‘Master sent me to get you up.’ Dobby told him as he pulled the blanket off Harry, leaving him exposed in his pyjama bottoms to the cold air.

‘Five more minutes.’ Harry grumbled and he hid his face in his pillow.

Dobby snapped his fingers and Harry crashed out of his bed and onto the floor.

‘Master insisted I get you out of bed. You meet in the kitchens in fifteen minutes.’

Harry rubbed the sleep from his eyes and stood up. ‘Alright… I’m up.’ 

Dobby bowed and popped back out of the room. Harry felt half-asleep as he pulled on his red “Potter” robes he had been sent to compete in.

Harry had wandered down to the kitchen, the cold air doing a lot to wake him up.

‘You’re late.’ Draco said to him as he stepped inside the kitchens. A hearty breakfast of porridge with fruit was waiting for Harry.

‘It’s Ginny. She was supposed to meet me in the common room and we’d walk down together, but she very showed… must have slept through her alarm or something.’ Harry sighed; he’d rather been hoping for a good luck kiss from Ginny before he went into the water. He felt much braver when she was around.

But Draco groaned and pinched his nose at this information. ‘Hermione’s missing too. Daphne was up when I left… I don’t think she’d slept… but er – yeah, she said Hermione never came home last night.’

‘She could be with Krum?’ Harry offered awkwardly.

‘And where’s Ginny? Because that girl is the lightest sleeper in the world according to Hermione.’ 

Harry choked on his porridge as it hit him. ‘Are you saying that they – they’ve…’

‘They’ve been stolen.’ Draco nodded. ‘Ginny for you, Hermione for Krum… I think Hermione figured it out when Snape came to get her last night.’

Harry groaned and put his head on the table. ‘That’s why she said – get in and out again… she doesn’t want me to waste time saving her.’

Draco nodded. _Bloody typical Hermione, save everyone but her._

‘Are they okay?!’ Harry asked in worry. ‘Will they drown? Or freeze to death?’

Draco touched the mark on his wrist that Harry could not see. ‘I think they’re fine… Dumbledore wouldn’t let anyone get hurt, would he?’ 

‘I’m not leaving anyone down there.’ Harry said firmly.

Draco looked at him like he was crazy. ‘Er, yes you will. Cedric and Fleur are very capable of saving their people… and Krum won’t let Hermione get hurt, he seems to really like her.’

‘… Are you okay with that?’ He asked as he played with the remaining dregs of porridge.

Draco shrugged. ‘Not really. But I can’t stop her can I? Not exactly fair to ask her to wait around for me while I’m off with Pansy is … I don’t want to talk about this. Let’s go down to the lake.’

They walked most of the way in silence, until they got to the front doors.

‘Have everything you need? Wand? Plant?’ Draco asked.

‘Yes, mum.’ Harry said back.

‘Less of your attitude, young man.’ Draco said, in a rather good impression of Mrs Weasley – a woman he’d only met a few times.

Harry put his hand into his pocket and flashed Draco his hand, then into the other where he retrieved the ball of slimy, greyish-green rat tails. They weren’t really rat tails, but they looked remarkably close.

‘You’ll be fine. Just take a few deep breaths.’ Draco said to him, doing as Hermione had said and trying to keep him calm, though he didn’t feel calm himself at all.

The seats that had once encircled the Dragon enclosure in November were now ranged along the opposite bank rising in stands. A few eager students were already occupying the front row seats.

Dumbledore was stood at the judges table talking to Princess Matilda.

‘Matilda!’ Draco beamed as they drew closer, she smiled at her little cousin and pulled him into a hug.

‘Hello Dragon… you’ve gotten taller!’ She ruffled his hair and he patted it back down in annoyance. ‘Hiya Harry.’ She said.

Harry gave a small bow. ‘Highness.’ He greeted.

‘All ready for the day?’ She asked him.

Harry nodded. ‘Yeah, I’m all set.’ 

Matilda grinned. ‘Wonderful. There’s Auror’s dotted all around the lake – so don’t worry about your security.’ 

‘Where’s Tom?’ Draco asked, looking around.

‘He’ll be lurking in the tree line somewhere.’ Matilda waved him off. ‘I’ve got Dumbledore keeping me safe today.’ She grinned at the aged Headmaster.

Hermione wondered if it was odd for Dumbledore to bow to his old student – though she supposed he would have once taught Armand too. 

Fleur was the next champion to arrive as the stands seemed to be getting fuller – the rest of their friendship group arrived to occupy the last few seats on the front row. It was the final confirmation, Ginny and Hermione were not among them – she looked as sick as Harry felt. Harry wondered who had been stolen from her.

‘Where’s uncle?’ Draco asked as Fleur chatted with Dumbledore.

‘In the Pacific. He _was_ meant to be here… but uh…’ Matilda looked a bit uncomfortable. ‘It’s not hit the papers yet so don’t tell anyone. Okay?’ 

Harry and Draco both nodded. 

‘The King is dealing with a Leviathan issue in the Pacific. Apparently, a Leviathan and a Lion Turtle had gotten into it and some Wizards got in the way.’

Draco’s mouth fell open. ‘Nobody’s seen a Leviathan or a Lion Turtle in years!’

‘Well. They decided to come out to play last night. We have no idea what’s happened. But there was a wizard’s yacht right in the middle of their fight… two dead and twelve injured.’ Matilda told them.

This talk of near-mythical beasts tearing wizards apart wasn’t exactly what Harry wanted to hear right before he waded into a lake full of monsters to rescue his sort of girlfriend. 

They hadn’t had “the talk” but he supposed they wouldn’t need one after this… the thing he’d miss most in the world. He’d have to take one of the girls to help him pick out a hair pin over summer – or maybe she’d prefer a hair comb… he’d ask Millie for help; she was very fashion savvy. 

By the time Cedric and Viktor arrived on the scene, there was an excited crowd ready for some action. Harry felt rather sick as his last ten minutes ticked away.

‘Draco, you best go and sit down.’ Matilda told him, then she ruffled his hair again.

Draco came back to Harry under the pretence of wishing him luck as he flattened his hair back down. ‘Remember Gillyweed takes a minute to kick in, so swallow it when he starts doing the countdown.’

Harry nodded and Draco walked off to the stands, Blaise and Daphne had saved him a seat in between them. 

Harry copied the other champions as they took off their shoes and allowed Bagan to arrange them along the bank in ten-foot intervals.

‘Alright, Harry?’ Cedric said to him as Bagman marched Harry past him.

‘Alright.’ Harry nodded back.

Bagman steered Harry right to the end, so he was next to Krum. Bagman gave Harry’s shoulder a quick squeeze and returned to the judges’ table. He pointed his wand at his throat as he had done at the World Cup, and his voice boomed out across the dark water toward the stands.

‘All of our champions are ready for the second task, which will begin on my whistle. They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three, then.’

Harry stuffed the Gillyweed into his mouth. He did not enjoy the taste… it was slimy and rubbery.

‘One... two… three!’ 

Harry waded out into the lake without stopping to see what the other champions were doing. He knew the Gillyweed hadn’t kicked in yet – since he could still breathe air – so he just kept walking further out into the water. It was so cold he felt the skin on his legs searing as though this were fire, not icy water.

It was when the water reached his neck that the Gillyweed began to work.

Harry felt as though an invisible pillow had been pressed over his mouth and nose. He tried to draw breath, but it made his head spin; his lungs were empty, and he suddenly felt a piercing pain on either side of his neck - Harry clapped his hands around his throat and felt two large slits just below his ears, flapping in the cold air. . . . He had gills.

It was a daunting thing to do, but he thought of Ginny lying in wait at the bottom of the lake, he dunked his head under the water and took a deep breath.

He stretched out his hands in front of him and stared at them. They looked green and ghostly under the water, and they had become webbed. He twisted around and looked at his bare feet - it looked as though he had sprouted flippers. The water didn’t feel icy anymore either, not that it felt hot – just pleasant. He could now see very clearly, despite the darkness of the lake. His new flipper feet propelled him quickly through the water.

‘Not exactly a spectator sport, is it?’ Blaise whispered to Draco back above the water.

Harry began to swim down into the abyss. 

Small fish flickered past him like silver darts. Once or twice he thought he saw something larger moving ahead of him, he swam away from any large shadows. He had no interest in picking a fight with the Giant Squid.

_Where do I go? This lake is massive!_ He thought desperately to himself. 

He swam further into what he assumed was the centre of the lake, besides a large tangle of plant-life, he didn’t see anything at all.

_Shit!_ Was all Harry could think as something took a tight grasp on his ankle.

Harry twisted his body around and saw a Grindylow. A small, horned water demon, poking out of the weed, its long fingers clutched tightly around Harry’s leg, its pointed fangs bared.

Harry moved incredibly fast to pull his wand out of the holster on his left arm. 

‘Relashio!’ He cried, but only bubbles came out of his mouth with no sound.

_Shit!_ He thought again. 

Then, he did the only thing he could think of – he gripped his wand tightly around the middle so it wouldn’t snap, and then he jabbed it into the Gryindylow’s eye. It released him instantly and shrunk away in pain. Harry sawm away from the area quickly in case it had any friends nearby.

When he was a safe distance away, he stored his wand away back in its holster. 

_Where do I go?_ Harry wondered._ …Think like Hermione… think like Hermione… “Well… it’s a Triwizard task. I’d say go to the darkest, deepest, most dangerous part of the lake and that’ll be the right spot.”_

Harry instantly turned straight down and kicked hard. He’d go across the lakebed until he saw some more danger.

He wasn’t sure how long he swam for, but he didn’t see any other creatures.

Then, at long last, he heard a snippet of the beautiful singing of the Merfolk:

_‘An hour long you’ll have to look,_  
_And recover what we took…’_

Harry swam straight at the direction of the singing and soon saw a large rock emerge out of the muddy water ahead. It had paintings of Merpeople on it; they were carrying spears and appeared to be worshipping a Merperson that didn’t look quite like the rest of them… Harry realised they were worshipping a True Mermaid. Harry swam on past the rock, following the Mersong. 

_‘Your time’s half gone, so tarry not_  
_Lest what you seek stays here to rot.’_

Harry really hoped Hermione had been right when she said that the Dumbledore wouldn’t let anything bad happen to the captives. If he left Hermione behind and she drowned or was eaten by a stroppy Merperson, he’d never forgive her.

Harry swam past the rock painting and there they were. The Merpeople had grey skin, long green hair that floated around them in the water, and eyes of a beady yellow.

They all leered at Harry as he swam past them. _Where do they live?_ He wondered as he noticed a few swimming out of a cave. Merpeople were emerging on all sides now, watching him eagerly, pointing at his webbed hands and gills, talking behind their hands to one another.

Harry found his destination easily enough – he just followed the singing until he came upon a large statue hewn from a massive boulder. Four people were tightly bound to its tail, all of them floating without any life to them. 

For a terrible second, he thought something had gone wrong and they’d all drowned. He got his hands on Ginny’s face though and felt that she was still a little warm. Then a little stream of bubbles left her mouth.

Hermione was floating just to Ginny’s right, Cho besides her, and a small child on the other end.

Harry really didn’t like seeing anyone like that, but Hermione had been quite firm with him. He looked around for something to cut the rope holding Ginny in place. He considered briefly asking a Merperson to borrow a spear, but Hermione had warned him they could get quite violent when provoked, so he steered clear of them. 

For a fleeting second, he thought of the knife Sirius had bought him for Christmas - locked in his trunk in the castle a quarter of a mile away, no use to him whatsoever.

After a minute, he settled on one particularly jagged and sharp rock and began to hack at the rope. After several minutes of hacking, during which he cut his hand on the rock several times, the binding came free. 

Harry looked around, but there was no sight of the other champions. But Hermione had been firm – take Ginny and go… Dumbledore wasn’t going to let anything happen to them.

_Merlin, I hope she’s right or Draco’ll kill me._ He thought, and with one last look at Hermione bound to the bottom of the Black Lake, he grabbed a tight hold of Ginny’s arm and began to kick upwards. 

He really didn’t like seeing Ginny like this, it was like she was dead. He moved to wrap his arms around her waist and pull her flush against him so he could kick at the water without fear of kicking her.

She felt very small against him like this, he felt sick.

He kicked hard for the surface, and it became lighter. The surface could only be ten feet above him when he began to feel his Gillyweed begin to wear off – his gills disappeared a second later. His head broke the surface to thunderous cheers.

Ginny’s eyes snapped open and she coughed up a great spout of water. Then she blinked in the light, and turned to Harry. ‘Hey!’

Harry grinned at her light tone. ‘Are you alright?’ He asked her as he treaded the water, still holding her against him.

She nodded and he let her go. Together, they began to swim for the bank.

Percy Weasley, who had come in place of Crouch, rushed into the water to help his siter out. She batted his hands away. ‘I’m fine!’ She hissed at him.

Harry climbed out of the water right behind Ginny just as another bout of applause erupted. Harry turned to see Cedric and Cho, and he smiled at him from the bank. _A Hogwarts victory through and through! _

Harry and Ginny were whisked away by Pomfrey instantly, a towel thrown around both of their shoulders and Pomfrey instantly began treating his hand. He’d rather mangled it in his fury to cut Ginny free.

Once Pomfrey moved away to tend to Cedric, who had gotten a bit scraped, Ginny threw her arms around him and kissed him. 

‘I’m the thing you’d miss the most?’ She asked in surprise.

‘Of course you are, you ninny.’ He said, then kissed her again.

Another cheer went up. To his great relief, it was Krum with Hermione. 

Hermione’s eyes snapped open and she coughed up some water as Ginny had done. ‘Are you alright, my dear?’ Krum asked urgently.

Hermione nodded as she took in her surroundings. She looked rather like she had been hit in the head.

‘Can you swim on your own?’ He asked, clearly worried for her.

Hermione nodded and began to kick towards the other champions.

Pomfrey gave Viktor a quick once over. Hermione waved the matron off though; Snape was approaching with his arms full.

First, he handed her a fluffy dressing-gown, which was hastily applied. Then, wonderful man he could be, he handed her a hot water bottle and a flask full of hot chocolate.

‘Cheers.’ She said to him.

He took her chin in his hand and turned her face about and had an examination of her eyes. ‘You’re fine.’ He said.

‘I feel a bit dazed.’ She said. 

‘It’ll wear off, you haven’t breathed in about fourteen hours… Pomfrey has Pepper-up potions, off you go.’ He ordered, then strode away to re-join his fellow teachers.

Hermione moved to sit near Viktor, she didn’t go near Harry and Ginny, they were locked in a tender embrace. 

‘Dear, vould you visit me over the summer?’ He asked suddenly, as if a spur of adrenaline had jolted him into asked. ‘You haf a vater beetle in your hair.’ He said, then reached forwards to pick it out for her. He flicked it away and she saw it fly off and settle on the table near Harry.

‘Thanks.’ She said, then felt a little awkward. ‘Er... I’ll have to ask my parents about visiting.’ She mumbled. ‘But I don’t think they would let me… sorry.’

He nodded in acceptance and dropped down to give her a quick peck. Pomfrey was still fixing him up though, so he couldn’t do too much.

‘So after I leave in summer…’ Viktor mused.

Hermione would have really rather not had _this_ conversation now. ‘Our friendship will end?’

Hermione shook her head. ‘We’ll always be friends, Viktor.’

‘But not like we are now…’

‘Oh… I guess not.’ Hermione felt instantly guilty. She was apparently the thing he would miss most in the world, and she’d just effectively broken up with him. 

Krum let out a sigh, he seemed a little upset. ‘Okay.’ He finally said. ‘I vill just enjoy the time ve haf left together.’

The awkward conversation was cut off by Ludo Bagman’s booming voice.

‘Fleur Delacour, though she demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm, was attacked by Grindylows as she approached her goal, and failed to retrieve her hostage. We award her twenty points.’ 

Fleur was clutching at her little sister, who had just been delivered to the surface by a Merperson. ‘I deserve zero!’ She cried throatily. 

‘Cedric Diggory.’ Bagman continued. ‘Also used the Bubble-Head Charm, and was second to return with his hostage… though he was a minute outside of the time limit…’ The Hufflepuff’s in the crowd were putting out a deafening cheer for their champion. ‘We award him forty points!’ Hermione saw Cho congratulate Cedric with a kiss.

‘Viktor Krum used an incomplete form of Transfiguration, but it was effective, and he was the third to return with his hostage… We award him thirty points!’ Karkaroff clapped particularly hard, looking very superior even though his champion had scored on the bottom end. _At least his champion finished_, Hermione thought to herself.

‘Harry Potter used Gillyweed to great effect.’ Bagman continued. ‘He returned first, and with two minutes left of the time limit. Mr. Potter’s score is fifty points.’

Hermione joined in the cheers for Harry, he didn’t seem to care much, he was still wrapping in Ginny’s arms as they spoke intently to one another.

Harry was winning this Tournament… Cedric in second place, followed by Krum and finally Fleur brought up the rear. 

‘The third and final task will take place at dusk on the twenty fourth of June… The champions will be notified of what is coming precisely one month beforehand. Thank you all for your support of the champions!’ Bagman pointed his wand at his throat and cancelled his spell.

Everyone was quickly dismissed and not many people wanted to linger outside while it was so cold.

‘Great! I have three months off!’ Harry grinned as they walked back up to the school.

Hermione had spotted Daphne walking off to give a girl from Beauxbatons a tour around the lake and had given her a wink and a thumbs up.

‘Er – no you don’t. You’re training with me twice a week… we’re getting you ready for whatever they throw at you.’ Hermione told him. ‘You can have a week off, but then we’re back at it.’

Harry groaned, but accepted what Hermione said. He was walking with his arm thrown around Ginny’s shoulders.

Hermione smiled at the couple, there was no doubt of it now – they seemed to be very officially together.

* * *

A very happy (slightly late) Birthday to fanficloverforlife!

In other news – I’m returning to work now that Lockdown is lifting in England a little more. Say farewell to multiple updates a week

Love E x


	77. Blood Binding

‘You look…’ Draco trailed off as Hermione sat down next to him for dinner.

‘A right mess?’ She filled in; her hair had gone all frizzy like it used to be in first year before Daphne had got her hands on her.

They’d been brewing – or trying to brew – Veritaserum in Potions Class. She and Cedric had completely messed their potion up, and somehow, they were still the most successful in the room. 

Hermione’s and Cedric’s concoction hadn’t been the colourless, odourless liquid that Snape had guided his class through brewing at great effort. It had come out thick, black, and smelling strongly of rotten eggs. Hermione, who was normally a dab hand at Potions, was admittedly a little put out.

Classes seemed a little bit emptier now without Mary Porter in them – she hadn’t come back after Christmas. The effects of her arranged marriage could be felt by all the girls in their year – several of whom had engagements of their own.

Hermione gave up on fixing her hair and quickly wound it around her fingers and pinned it to the top of her head in a messy bun. She looked rather frazzled – bags under her eyes and pale. 

It wasn’t enough that she was helping Harry prepare for his final task, she was also looking into Wolfblood madness along with researching whatever the hell was going on with Daphne, but she was struggling with the workload of sixth year.

Not only was she – and everyone else in her year – studying as though she had exams every day, but the lessons were harder than they had ever been. Alchemy was proving especially troubling; Hermione had been the most successful in that class and all she had manage was to turn her strip of led an orangey/yellow that looked remarkably like sick. 

Hermione, who had done the impossible and become an Animagus at such a young age and very quickly, was even struggling in Transfiguration. She kept having to ask Professor McGonagall to repeat instructions. The subject of general human transfiguration was a tricky one. She found it incredibly frustrating that she could turn into a massive wolf on command, but she couldn’t turn herself into an armchair. It didn’t help that non-verbal spells were not expected in every class.

‘Have you noticed everyone’s gone very PDA all of a sudden?’ Draco asked as he frowned around the room.

Hermione followed his gaze with a laugh. Cho Chang was sat on Cedric Diggory’s knee over at the Hufflepuff table – she was proudly displaying the new hair comb tucked away in her dark locks. Cedric had given it to her after he’d plucked her from the lake. 

Then Hermione and Draco turned as one to glance upon Harry and Ginny. Ginny was only a third year – so nobody was expecting a courting gift just yet, and Hermione wouldn’t exactly call their constant hand holding as “PDA”.

‘You literally neck Pansy in the corridor, you hypocrite.’ She told him with an eye roll and turned back to her apple pie.

‘You can’t say anything on that score.’ Draco shot back at her. ‘Looked like Krum was trying to eat your face in the entrance hall this morning.’ 

Hermione chocked on her apple pie, and Draco had to give her a good few hits on the back to free her airway.

When they got back to the common room later on, Hermione noticed a new message pinned to the notice board.

_APPARITION LESSONS! If you are seventeen years of age, or will be on or before the thirty-first August, you are eligible for a twelve week course of Apparition Lessons from a Ministry of Magic Apparition instructor. Please add your name if you would like to participate._   
_Cost: 12 Galleons._

‘Aren’t you putting your name down, oh mighty sixth-year?’ Draco asked her, taking note of the queue of older students waiting to sign their name.

‘Can’t.’ Hermione grumbled. ‘I’ve had it out with Snape _and_ Dumbledore. I’m too young. I’ll have to learn with you lot.’ 

‘Ah well, it means we’ll get to have a lesson together again!’ Draco said, seeking to cheer her up as she did look rather put out, ‘we haven’t had a class together since our first year!’ 

That did cheer Hermione up. She sighed and said, ‘at least I’ll get to watch you fall on your face… nobody gets Apparition the first time.’ 

‘You probably will, you nerd.’ He said affectionately as they joined the rest of their friends on the couches in front of the fire.

Daphne had her nose buried in a new sketch-book, Hermione hadn’t asked but she was fairly certain that Daphne had burnt the one filled with the knife. 

‘Should I be worried?’ Hermione tried to ask in a cheery and joking tone.

_At least she’s not doing that manic drawing without looking thing._ Hermione thought to herself.

Daphne had smiled at her and looked up from her drawing. ‘No, I’m just drawing random objects now.’ 

‘Nothing repeating itself?’ Hermione asked.

Daphne flipped through the book, demonstrating the different images it held. ‘Nope. I mean, I’m not entirely sure why I drew our bathtub filled with red water but it’s better than thirty pages of a blood-soaked knife.’ Daphne shrugged.

‘Did you want to draw our bathtub or was it some like weird-sense thing?’ Hermione asked, angling her head to get a better look at her bathtub drawing.

Daphne shrugged again. ‘‘It just jumped into my head. I think it’s all me.’

Theo, who had of course overheard their entire conversation sat on the next couch over, chimed in with his usual lack of tact. ‘Good. Because no offence you manically drawing without needing to look was scary.’

* * *

The next morning Daphne’s owl arrived first, her parents had kept up a regular letter campaign to their now only child. They were, rightfully so, worried about her.

Daphne broke the wax seal on the envelope and pulled the letter out. 

_Shit._ Daphne thought as she scanned her eyes down the parchment. She knew that her mother couldn’t write in symbols, yet that was all she could see.

Archaic looking symbols that didn’t make any sense. 

It might have well been written in Chinese.

‘You alright?’ Draco asked her.

Daphne looked up from her letter to see Draco and Hermione staring at her in concern.

She quickly stuffed the letter into her pocket and gave them both a smile and an eye roll. ‘Yeah, mum’s just doing my head in checking in on me… you sense one vicious murder and you don’t get a moment’s peace ever again.’ 

Hermione and Draco, satisfied with this answer turned back to their breakfasts.

The paper arrived a few minutes later.

Hermione saw it before Draco did, and she smiled in anticipation as she saw Draco read the headline. He was forming a massive grin as he read each line.

_Royal family pleased to announce courtship of Matilda, Crown Princess of Europe, and Tom, Lord of Calais. _

The front page was filled almost entirely by a picture of Matilda and Tom posing for a photograph, both in full regalia, with great smiles on their faces. It looked like Matilda had an ornate hair comb pinned into her bun underneath her crown.

This wonderful article from Binta, the Royal Press Agent, completely overshadowed some ridiculous drivel that Skeeter had put out the same day. 

Apparently, Hermione had a taste for famous wizards, having gone through Draco, Harry, and now Krum who had asked her to stay with him over the summer.

Hermione had rolled her eyes as she set off for her morning lessons, though she was very curious as to how Skeeter had found out Viktor had invited her over in the summer. 

Draco was still beaming at lunchtime when she slid down next to him – she was covered in some kind of goo from potions – her truth potion had taken another bad turn – and Draco forced her to use magic to clean herself up a bit before she could go near him.

‘You seem chipper.’ Hermione noted to Draco as he passed her a scone. 

‘I am.’ He said with a grin. ‘Tom and Matilda are officially dating. Next comes marriage and a baby in a golden carriage. No crown for me! We must have fixed that vision I had with all the extra security!'

Hermione gave him a pleased grin and a pat on the shoulder, she knew that the vision where he’d seen himself crowned as a young man had been weighing heavily on him. ‘How does it feel to be free?’ 

Draco did feel like an enormous weight had been lifted from him. Sure, they had healed her last year – but until she produced an heir he was still risking sitting on that damned throne.

'Like I can actually breathe. You know, once things are settled… I'll be a free agent. I'll be able to do or see whoever I want.'

Hermione, due to Fred and George’s influence no doubt, noticed a wonderful opportunity to wind him up a bit. She raised a brow and acted seriously. 'You'll be able to _do_ whoever you want will you?'

Draco blushed but didn’t rise to the bait. 'You know what I meant Kitten!' Then he paused. ‘Unless… is it true you’re going to see Krum this summer? If you’ve moved on then I’ll… I’ll understand.’

‘He asked. I said no.’ Hermione said quietly.

‘So, when everything’s settled… and I’ve found a way to deal with my father…’ Draco trailed off. Hermione was very happy that her friends were all too caught up in their own chatter to hear any of this conversation. 

Hermione’s smiled allowing herself to truly feel hope for a future together for one blissful moment. She could see it all – both of them wearing the coronets of a Duke and Duchess, living in the Abbey, surrounded by a pack of little blond children.

Then her smile faded and she got a little choked up.

He saw this and pulled her quickly from the Great Hall, out into the privacy of the nearest alcove. 

‘What’s wrong?’ He asked. ‘I thought you’d be happy?’

‘I know… I am…. I just can't bear to get my hopes up if it doesn't work out.’ She rubbed at her eyes, which felt very watery. ‘So, I'll make you a deal, when you are free to do or see whoever you want, you let me know, My Lord.'

He grinned and pulled her into a hug, he was just as tall as Krum now – easily he was the tallest boy in their year. He rested his chin on top of her head. ‘What if I find out while other people are around? We need a code word.'

She laughed into his shoulder and pulled away. 'What did you have in mind? Can't be something we'd say normally.'

He thought for a moment. 'What about something mad like… Dementor's sock?'

She nodded. 'Dementor's sock it is. Until then…' Hermione reached up on her toes and dropped a quick peck onto his cheek before she hurried off to her next lesson.

Draco raised a hand to brush against his cheek as if he could still feel her soft lips lingering there. 

Hermione’s afternoon classes were very interesting. 

In Ancient History, Binns had managed to keep his entire classes attention for once… this wasn’t due to any great change in his teaching style, but because the subject matter was so interesting.

He had finally moved on from talk of Temple City to talk of the Elves. The proper Elves. “The Ancient Power” he had called them.

‘The Elves died out during the reign of Armand I, not that there were many left when he was crowned. They are, without a doubt the species that all wizards are descended from… the only evidence of their long lives? The powerful weapons and artefacts that they left behind. Along with their jewels, most of this is owned by the Royal Family… some of the weapons are rumoured to be kept in a hidden vault, managed solely by the King, so nobody can use their terrible power.’

Hermione had shrunk in her seat a little bit as Binns talked about the value of Elvan White Gold, everyone in the class knew that the King had gifted her the Queen Hattie set when he’d elevated her. 

‘Their weapons, mostly made as gifts to the Gods, who were reported to walk among them back then…’ 

‘Essay on Elvan Artifacts – you’ll all need to use the restricted section… Twenty inches on my desk… coursework.’

Hermione was scribbling her notes as quickly as possible, yet she only managed to catch the most important names and dates. Binns had that much material to get through in this short class, that he was rapid firing information at them.

‘I think my head’s going to explode.’ Cedric complained to her as they walked through the corridors to Defense Against the Dark Arts together. Hermione quite agreed, she was rubbing her temples as they walked.

They had finally moved onto the theory part of the course; Hermione was greatly enjoying not having Moody pointing a wand at his own students as he demonstrated “useful” curses.

‘How good was that Elvan stuff?’ Cedric asked her as Moody stood at the front of the classroom giving his lecture.

‘I know!’ Hermione whispered back. ‘All that stuff about the weapons they were making?! I had no idea!’

‘Granger seems to have a lot to say on the subject.’ Moody said, pointing at Hermione and Cedric’s desk. Hermione groaned inwardly, she had no idea what Moody had been saying.

‘Sir?’ She said.

‘Perhaps you could tell the class the difference between an Inferius and a ghost?’ The teacher grumbled back at her.

‘Ghosts are transparent.’ Hermione said lazily back, she’d really lost the will to put in any effort at all for Moody.

Thankfully, he seemed to find her cheek humorous and she didn’t get detention. 

‘Nice to see the genius that allowed you to skip two years is coming handy.’ Moody griped back. ‘Is “ghosts are transparent” the best you can do?’ He asked. ‘I know you know the answer. Let’s have it.’

Hermione sighed and let her mind drift to a Dark Creatures book that Snape had lent her only a few weeks ago. ‘The Inferius is a corpse that has been reanimated by a Dark wizard’s spells. It is not alive, it is merely used like a puppet to do the wizard’s bidding. A ghost, is the imprint of a departed soul left upon the earth.’ 

‘Very good.’ Moody nodded. ‘Ten points from Slytherin for your cheek, fifteen to Slytherin for your answer… But she is right – if you come face to face with something down a dark alleyway you’re going to be checking if you can see through it or not. You’re not going to go up to it and ask if it’s the imprint of a departed soul… but if it’s on your exam – don’t put that.’

This earned some sniggers from the class. 

_He’s bonkers… but he’s one of the best teachers we’ve ever had in DADA_. Cedric wrote her a note a few minutes later.

After what felt like twenty years, Moody released the group.

‘You coming down for dinner?’ Cedric asked her as he shouldered his bag.

‘Meh. I had a big lunch.’ She blagged. ‘I’m going to go and get some work done.’

Cedric shrugged. ‘Alright, see you tomorrow.’ 

Hermione, once alone, turned and walked off to the nearest staircase. Moments later, she was on the deserted seventh-floor corridor. 

She wanted a chance to check out what Dumbledore had said about the mystery room on the seventh floor. The most likely answer was that the room turned into whatever you wanted it to, the less likely was that Ravenclaw had also installed some secret bathroom on this floor too.

Hermione had figured it couldn’t hurt to get really specific with her attempt to get in. Her Wolfblood research had hit a dead end, even with Hufflepuff’s secret library – and there was definitely nothing in Gryffindor’s secret library… the idea that Slytherin had a hidden bookcase in his chamber was laughable… that left her only one founder to turn to.

She stood against the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy teaching trolls ballet and faced the blank wall opposite. Thought clear in her mind, she began to pace up and down.

‘I need resources on Wolfblood’s.’ She whispered as she walked up and down three times.

To her great joy, and relief, the door appeared.

She quickly double-checked that the corridor was empty before stepping backwards into the room.

She shut the door as quietly as possible, she didn’t want to attract one of the countless Auror’s roaming the corridors. 

‘Miss Granger?’ A voice said behind her.

A mortifying squeal erupted from Hermione as she dropped her bag, and swivelled around the face the source of the noise with her wand drawn.

It was Dumbledore.

Hermione instantly lowered her wand with scarlet cheeks. 

‘Sir!’ She said, still very shocked at seeing him. ‘I’m sorry! I didn’t think anyone else could be in here!’

‘Neither did I…’ Dumbledore seemed to think all this very interesting though. ‘Perhaps you have to ask the room not to allow anyone else in…’

‘I’m sorry, sir… I’ll come back later.’ She bent down to pick up her bag. If the Headmaster was doing some private research in this Ravenclaw Library, she would leave him to it and come back later.

But Dumbledore held up his free hand to stop her, the other hand was holding a thick, old, leather-bound book. ‘It’s quite alright… I was just about to leave.’ 

He placed his book back on the shelf and hurried past her. 

‘Out of curiosity.’ He said, with his hand on the door. ‘How did you find out about this room?’ 

‘Er… I needed somewhere to hide from Filch… it turned into a maze of stuff, you should check it out actually there’s some really cool stuff in there… Like, the mirror of Erised is in there!’ 

Hermione took in the amused expression on his face. The embarrassing realisation sunk in as she noticed Dumbledore was trying not to laugh.

‘…Which you already knew… Of course you did, you out it in there… Did you know there are Hungarian Mirror traps in there? … How many rooms are there?’ She asked.

‘It’s safer to keep a dangerous artefact in a room very few have access to… But I don’t know how many forms the room can take.’ Dumbledore answered her honestly. ‘It’s limitless I think.’ 

Then he pulled the door open. ‘I’ll leave you to your reading, be sure to be back in your common room by curfew… although I suppose this place could turn into a bedroom if you overstayed… Well, goodnight.’ 

The first thing Hermione did once she was left alone was to go and see what book Dumbledore had put back on the shelf. _Blood Binding: The Ancient Art of Banishing Bloodlines by Unknown._ Hermione quickly stowed the book back in its place without opening it. She knew for a fact that it was a banned book in the fullest extent, Blood Binding was an ancient and very much illegal act.

_I suppose someone could have reached out to Dumbledore for help undoing a curse… Yes, that must be it._ She put the thought from her mind and walked through the library.

It was much bigger than Hufflepuff’s secret library, though hers was a carefully crafted collection that included a copy of the rarest book ever… written in its original symbols: _The Prophecy of Triad._

This room on the other hand, seemed to be a massive range of every book ever written – helpful or otherwise.

The massive bookcases were all mismatched, clearly showing the growth of the room over the years as more books were written and deemed worthy of a spot. Some were a beautiful oak with carved symbols on every free inch – no doubt the original shelves. Some, the most recent no doubt, were a very simple pale wood that looked a bit cheap. 

Thankfully, the sections were clearly labelled. Dumbledore had been reading in the “Dangerous rituals” section, which was probably the smallest section in there. 

Hermione wandered a few isles, mentally taking note of the fact she would be coming in here to do fifty per-cent of her coursework from now on… then thirty per-cent in the secret library, and only twenty per-cent in the actual school library.

After taking a detour down the “Ancient History” isle and noticing a few wonderful resources on the Ancient Elves, she finally came across two isles. “Creatures, innocent” and “Creatures, dangerous.” 

She really hoped the Wolfblood would be down the “innocent” aisle, but with a sigh she turned and walked down the “dangerous” aisle.

When she was in the junk room, she could name an object and that collection of items would appear at the front of the room. The first logical thing to do would be to try and call for a book.

‘Book on the Wolfblood.’ She called. 

Nothing happened.

‘Book on the Werewolf.’ She tried again.

Nothing happened. 

‘Any book.’ 

Nothing happened.

She sighed. She’d have to do this the old-fashioned way… thankfully, she was no stranger to hunting through a library.

* * *

‘What time did you get back to the common room?’ Draco asked her the next morning over breakfast. Hermione currently had her head in her arms on the table and was groaning if anyone got too loud.

‘I don’t know.’ She said. ‘But I got detention for a week, one of the Auror’s caught me sneaking back in.’

‘Did you at least find anything helpful?’ He asked.

She shook her head. ‘No, not yet. There was a full section on Werewolves though, I’ll go back after my detentions are over and carry on… but I saw Dumbledore in there!’

‘Dumbledore? As in the Headmaster?’ Draco asked in surprise.

‘No, the Dumbledore who own the Hogs Head?’ Hermione quipped back sarcastically. ‘Yes, the Headmaster!’

‘What was he doing in there?!’ Draco asked, leaning forwards in interest.

‘He was reading this super illegal book on Blood Binding rituals.’ She whispered.

‘Blood Binding!’ Draco gasped. ‘That is super duper illegal.’ 

‘Super-_duper_?’ Hermione raised a brow and tried not to laugh at him.

But Draco only nodded. ‘Yes. Super-duper… I wonder why he could be reading about that?’ 

Hermione nodded. ‘Yeah, I did to… So, before I left I went and had a flick through the book he’d been reading…’

‘And?’

‘Well… I thought maybe he’d been researching because someone had asked for his help breaking a curse or something?’

Draco nodded. ‘Sounds plausible… I’m sensing a but.’

‘Hmm. There was nothing in there about breaking Blood Binding rituals. Literally, it said it was impossible and moved right on. The entire book – all six hundred pages – were saying the different ways you could do it and why you would want to.’ Hermione told him.

‘Why would you want to?’

‘Er, there was one that looked like he’d folded the page over to come back to. It was on suppressing dangerous inherited powers.’ She said.

Draco frowned. ‘So… someone could have still reached out for his help? Like they’ve passed on some dangerous ability to their kid?’ 

Hermione nodded. ‘Yeah, but it’s still incredibly dark magic… but I suppose if the situation demands it-’ 

Their conversation was abruptly cut off by the massive swarm of owls that flew into the Great Hall. There was only ever one reason that every single person in that room would receive a letter from home at once. 

The invites for the next Royal Christmas Ball had arrived.

The King’s own Eagle Owl - Prince - who was identifiable by the purple band around his clawed foot, landed in front of Draco. The King had sent Draco a letter along with his invite.

The great animal pecked fondly at Draco, who fed him some bacon, before flying off.

Freddie landed on her shoulder with her own letter.

‘Hey, how does the King get a hold of everyone’s birds?’ Hermione asked. The letter had been too big for Freddie to carry on his leg, so it had been wrapped in a cord and left to dangle from his leg. 

Draco frowned at her. ‘I don’t know… magic?’

Hermione fed Freddie a little piece of meat while she freed his leg.

She moved her hands under the table as she broke the Royal seal on the envelope. She saw a little flash of white inside and shut the envelope again after showing Draco. _Another White Invite. An invite to stay for a week at Regia… Christmas with the King… Christmas with Draco..._

‘Another Black Invite, Princess?’ Blaise asked her.

She nodded absently and tucked the envelope into the largest pocket on her robes and hurried off for her first lesson, stopping to drop a kiss to Viktor on her way out.

‘He’s really making a statement to your dad, isn’t he?’ Hermione said to Draco once they were alone in the common room. She’d just returned from her detention for being out of bed. 

She hadn’t been alone in her detention; it was not a great shock at all to see Fred and George there, and she ended up having as good a time as was possible scrubbing dirty cauldrons with them. 

‘Hmm.’ Draco hummed in agreement. ‘Pansy and her family only got the basic invite… What are you going to do?’ 

‘About what?’ She asked with a frown.

‘The White Invite?’ He said, looking at her like she was incredibly slow. ‘Last time you turned it down.’

‘You told me to turn it down.’ Hermione reminded him.

‘Well, I’m not this time… So, what do you want to do?’ He asked.

‘I think I’d like to come.’ Hermione said. ‘I might nip home for an hour or two on Christmas day to see my parents though… I’ve already sent a home to my parents to ask for their permission to go.’

Draco beamed at her and then frowned as she let out a yawn. ‘Go to bed, you barely slept last night.’

‘Nah, I’m fine.’ She said and then immediately yawned again.

‘Bed. Go. Now.’ Draco laughed as he pushed her up from the couch and left her at the hallway leading to the girl’s rooms.

Hermione changed into her mismatched pyjamas in a daze, let her hair down from its usual bun, brushed her teeth, and flopped into bed. She was asleep in seconds.

_‘AAAAAAHHHHH!’_

Daphne’s eyes snapped open as something soft brushed against her cheek.

She’d put a containment spell around her bed before she’d gone to sleep – she hadn’t been in any rush to break any more mirrors or wake her friends up again.

The force of the scream had been trapped inside the curtains of her bed and whipped the curtains about as if they had been caught in a strong breeze. It was the curtain brushing against her face that had woken her up.

Again, she couldn’t remember the dream that had left her screaming in terror. 

She couldn’t move. 

She couldn’t breathe.

She couldn’t think.

She lay staring at her bed hangings, dwelling in the lingering horror that remained, until the curtains had been still for several minutes.

Once her thundering heart had resumed its normal pace again, she scrunched her eyes shut and focused on her breathing. She felt sick… wrong… like the underside of her skin had a pulsating itch she couldn’t scratch. Her head was pounding.

She moved to pull herself up and tossed another pillow behind her so she could sit up comfortably. 

She was covered in a sheen of cold sweat.

_I need to draw something_. She really didn’t want to though; she knew this wasn’t a normal impulse she was feeling.

Her breathing hitched again as she resisted the urge to pick up her sketchbook from her bedside table.

The pounding in her skull was getting louder… stronger… harder to repress.

With a groan, she gave in to the urge and moments later she had her sketchbook in her lap.

She flipped through the book at an almost inhuman speed until she found the image she needed. 

She had stopped on her most recent sketch, the one of the large bath in the next room. The one she had drawn with red water.

She felt very scared as she picked up her silver pencil, it was as if her hand had a mind of its own as one more small detail was added to the drawing.

The pressure in her mind ceased, as did the unnerving skin-tingling sensation, the second her hand stopped moving. The drawing was complete now.

She looked down at the edited drawing in horror.

A single razorblade now lay on the edge of the bathtub.

She swallowed audibly, her breathing clearly showing how scared she was. The sense of terrible foreboding was so strong that it was making her feel sick. 

She stashed the sketchbook under her pillow and ran for the bathroom. 

Tracey found her there ten minutes later, her head still over the toilet as she heaved up her dinner. 

* * *

* * *

How have we reached the point where I consider a nearly 5k chapter short?

Sorry I've gotten so rubbish at responding to comments, I am still reading them all and love you all very much. I'll go through the last few chapters and reply to you all over the next few days. I've been a busy bee getting ready for my return to work next week.

E x


	78. The Face in the Fireplace

Hermione fisted her hand in Viktor’s hair as she moaned. His head was buried between her legs again.

The fact that they only had until the end of the Triwizard Tournament to be together had left them desperate for physical touch, they kept disappearing down deserted corridors for a quick snog… or to the Durmstrang ship… or a deserted classroom, which is where they were now over lunchtime.

Viktor had picked her up and thrown her down on the abandoned desk as he pushed her skirt up and pulled her knickers off, they were tucked in his pocket for safekeeping now.

Hermione had already given Viktor his orgasm, he’d leant against the desk and she’d kneeled in front of him and taken him into her mouth.

‘Viktor!’ She moaned as he pushed her up to a frantic rhythm with his skilled tongue and fingers. She was finding it impossible to keep still as she orgasmed, she’d already accidentally kicked Krum twice now.

Hermione knew that Viktor wanted to have sex with her, but she just wasn’t ready for that. He was being very nice about it, but she could tell he was getting frustrated. Still, he was getting about three blowjobs a week, he couldn’t complain.

Hermione dropped her head back to rest on the desk as the last tinges of pleasure faded. Krum was already stood up and straightening his clothes.

They were desperate for physical touch with each other, but their end date had rather killed the emotions. Sure, they were very fond of each other, but knowing it wouldn’t go anywhere had ended their emotional connection.

‘I vill see you over dinner?’ Viktor asked once they were back out in the corridor. He bent to give her a kiss and hurried off to his next class. Hermione sighed after him, before turning and walking in the other direction towards her Ancient Runes class.

* * *

‘How has there not been a single lighting storm yet?’ Draco asked in frustration as he sunk down on the couch next to Hermione. 

Hermione put a consoling arm around him for a minute before pushing up and moving to stand in front of the fire. It was particularly cold in the dungeons that day, leaving everyone bundled in layers of their warmest clothes – then throwing a blanket around their shoulders for good measure.

‘It’ll come. It’s Scotland, the weathers always shit.’ She said.

Draco, envious of her warmth from the fire, moved to stand next to her at the fireplace.

‘Sure, it’s drizzly and cold all the time. But a proper lightning storm?’ Draco complained.

Hermione could only smile at his impatience. ‘It’ll happen. Is your potion keeping okay?’ 

Draco nodded. ‘Yup, safe and sound in my wardrobe. I do the spell every day before class. I’m just ready for the fun part now.’ 

Hermione smiled. ‘This is where you turn into something lame like a flobberworm.’

‘Mercy kill me on the bottom of your boot if I do?’ Draco asked with a grin.

‘Of course.’ Hermione said, accepting the duty. ‘I wouldn’t let you go on as something so ridiculous.’

‘I suppose it wouldn’t be bad if I turned into a bug…’ Draco mused. ‘As long as I could fly… that would be cool… and I could spy on people!’

Hermione turned and frowned into the fire. ‘Yeah… you could spy on people…’ 

The door to the common room swung open to reveal Neville and Blaise entering in a hurry, Neville was clutching some parchment.

‘Hermione! We’ve been looking for you for ages!’ Blaise told her.

‘It didn’t occur to you to check the common room?’ Draco asked.

‘Shut up.’ Blaise said to his best friend lightly.

‘What can I do for you?’ Hermione asked the boys.

‘I was wondering if you’d double-check this for me?’ Neville said, holding out the parchment. ‘I’m applying for that term abroad… It’s not like I can’t afford it.’ 

Hermione grinned. ‘That’s fantastic! Of course I’ll check your application!’ 

She had made a few edits for him, but he’d done a wonderful job… she couldn’t have written anything better herself.

‘Oh! Sirius said he’d floo for a chat tonight at about eight if you wanted to come up to the Gryffindor common room and say hi.’ Neville said before he and Blaise left to hand in his application. ‘I told him I’d ask.’ 

Hermione and Draco both nodded. ‘Sounds good. We’ll see you there.’

Neville smiled, then called over his shoulder as they walked out the door. ‘Passwords: Temple!’

* * *

‘Temple.’ Draco said to the portrait of the fat lady, the guard of the Gryffindor Portrait.

She swung open without a word of complaint that she was being forced to let two known Slytherins into her house, she even did a ridiculously low curtsey to them both.

‘Hey guys.’ Draco said as he spotted Harry, Neville, and Ginny all sat on the floor by the fireplace watching Alfred the miniature dragon play in the fire.

‘We’re not too late then?’ Hermione smiled as she watched Ginny chuck the dragon a little chunk of raw chicken.

The fireplace flashed green the second the words left her mouth, and she took a seat on the floor next to Ginny who was now cradling little Alfred. The flames suddenly turning emerald green had startled him a little.

‘How do you guys even have permission to do this again?’ Ginny asked as the flames grew brighter.

‘The ministry wrongly chucked me in jail for twelve years, you’d be surprised what I get away with now.’ Sirius’s voice echoed around the room seconds before his face appeared in the flame. ‘We only have half an hour though.’

The first five minutes of chatter was generally pleasant chitter-chatter: how was school getting on? How were their friends? Any hot gossip? 

Then conversation turned to the news of the day. Hermione had been working on some last-minute corrections to her Ancient Runes essay as she ate, so she hadn’t read that day’s Prophet. 

Ginny turned and grabbed a copy from a protesting first year. ‘Oh hush, you can have it back in a minute.’

Hermione scanned the front page, it was divided into a few articles, but Ginny was pointing to the story about Crouch. 

_Hasn’t been seen in public since November… house appears deserted… St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries decline comment… Ministry refuses to confirm rumours of critical illness… _

‘They’re making it sound like he’s dead or dying.’ Neville rolled his eyes.

‘He can’t be that ill if he managed to get up here.’ Hermione said, and Harry nodded. They’d told the group about seeing him rooting around Snape’s office before the second task.

‘My brother is Crouch’s personal assistant.’ Ginny told Sirius. ‘He said Crouch is just suffering from overwork… stress, that kind of thing.’ 

‘It’s not like Crouch. If he’s ever taken a day off work because of illness before this, I’ll eat Buckbeak.’ Sirius said.

‘Getting his comeuppance for sacking Winky, isn’t he?’ Hermione said as she finished the article and handed the paper back to the stroppy first year. ‘I bet he wishes he hadn’t done it now… bet he feels the difference now she’s not there to look after him.’

Ginny was nodding along. ‘My dad’s always saying “If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals” - Crouch is a dick.’

Hermione’s mind flicked to Draco, a Royal Duke, taking the care to help Winky get a job. 

‘That he is.’ Sirius nodded with a smile at Ginny. Hermione wondered if he’d heard Harry was dating her. She had no doubt Sirius would approve.

‘D’you know Crouch, then?’ Neville asked.

Sirius’s face darkened, the green light of the fire illuminating the anger on his face. It made him look quite menacing.

‘Oh, I know Crouch all right.’ He said quietly. ‘He was the one who gave the order for me to be sent to Azkaban… without a trial.’

‘You’re kidding!’ Harry said, he’d always imagined some faceless Ministry politician being the one who’d made that decision. 

‘No, I’m not. The King, who was barely involved, apologised to me about fifty times and gave me a very generous settlement… Crouch hasn’t even sent me a letter.’ Sirius was plainly, and understandably, not a fan of Crouch. ‘Crouch used to be Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; didn’t you know?’

Harry shook his head. 

‘He was tipped for the next Minister of Magic… He’s a great wizard, Barty Crouch, powerfully magical and power-hungry. Oh, never a Voldemort supporter.’ He said at the look of alarm on their faces.

‘No, Barty Crouch was always very outspoken against the Dark Side. But then a lot of people who were against the Dark Side… well, you wouldn’t understand… you’re too young.’

‘Why do people always say that?’ Hermione said with a trace of irritation. ‘Have you ever permanently scarred Voldemort’s face?’

‘Yeah, try us.’ Neville said. 

Sirius nodded. ‘I suppose you lot are very mature in experience for your age… you seem to be a magnet for danger if I’m honest… But alright, imagine that Voldemort’s powerful now. You don’t know who his supporters are, you don’t know who’s working for him and who isn’t; you know he can control people so that they do terrible things without being able to stop themselves. You’re scared for yourself, and your family, and your friends. Every week, news comes of more deaths, more disappearances, more torturing… the Ministry of Magic’s in disarray, they don’t know what to do, they’re trying to keep everything hidden from the Muggles, but meanwhile, Muggles are dying too. Nobody is safe, from the Muggles all the way up to the Queen – people are terrified for their lives. Panic and confusion. That’s how it used to be.’ 

But Sirius wasn’t done. ‘Well, times like that bring out the best in some people and the worst in others. Crouch’s principles might’ve been good in the beginning - I wouldn’t know, I was a bit busy actually fighting in the war... He rose quickly through the Ministry, and he started ordering very harsh measures against Voldemort’s supporters. Crouch fought violence with violence, I would say he became as ruthless and cruel as many on the Dark Side. He had his supporters, mind you - when Voldemort disappeared, it looked like only a matter of time until Crouch got the top job. But then something rather unfortunate happened…’

‘_Unfortunate_?’ Neville asked with a frown. ‘I wouldn’t call what happened “_unfortunate_”.’ Sirius seemed to have upset Neville with this.

‘Sorry, I meant unfortunate for Crouch.’ He clarified for Neville, who seemed sated with this answer. 

Sirius turned back to the others, though Hermione had already realised what he was about to tell them from Neville’s reaction. ‘Crouch’s own son was caught with a group of Death Eaters who’d managed to talk their way out of Azkaban. Apparently, they were trying to find Voldemort and return him to power… they… er-’ Sirius trailed off.

‘Tortured my parents into insanity trying to get information out of them?’ Neville offered darkly.

‘Yes. That.’ Sirius said awkwardly.

‘So, Crouch’s son got caught?’ Hermione asked.

‘Yep.’ Neville answered. ‘They all did… and they got sent down for it… The King said that when I come of age, I’d get to decide what happens to them… Let them carry on rotting or give them the dementors kiss.’ The room fidgeted uncomfortably at this reminder.

‘So, the King sent them down?’ Ginny asked.

‘No.’ Draco said automatically. ‘Armand wouldn’t have handled such a high public case… and his wife’d just died.’ 

Sirius nodded. ‘He turned the case over to the courts… Nasty little shock for old Barty, I’d imagine.’ 

‘So… his son was a Death Eater?’ Ginny asked. ‘Or was he just going along with them?’ 

‘He was a Marked Death Eater.’ Neville told her.

‘Crouch’s fatherly affection stretched just far enough to give his son a trial. Then he sent him straight to Azkaban…’ Sirius told them.

‘He gave his own son to the Dementors?’ Harry asked in horror.

‘It’s not like he was this young lad who’d made a mistake…’ Neville said hotly. ‘He laughed as my mother screamed.’ 

Hermione remembered with a sickening realisation that when Neville got too close to the Dementor’s he relived his worst memory – in this case – being stowed under the bed by his mother in her final free seconds and then watching them be tortured for hours. Ginny remembered this too and put a consoling hand on his shoulder.

‘I saw the dementors bringing him in… He was screaming for his mother by nightfall. He went quiet after a few days, though.’

‘So, what will you decide?’ Harry asked Neville. ‘Rot or Kiss?’

‘I won’t get to decide.’ Neville told them. ‘Not for him.’

Sirius nodded. ‘He died about a year after they brought him in. Most go mad in there, and plenty stop eating in the end. Crouch and his wife were allowed a deathbed visit. She died herself, shortly afterward… Grief… Wasted away just like the boy. Crouch never even came for his son’s body. The dementors buried him outside the fortress; I watched them do it.’

‘What about the other ones that did it?’ Harry asked.

‘Bellatrix Lestrange, her husband Rodolophus, and his brother Rabastan.’ Neville told them. ‘I think I might leave them to just rot in there.’

‘Crouch lost it all.’ Sirius carried on with his story. ‘Once the boy had died, people started asking how a young lad from a good family had gone so badly astray. His father got the blame. So, Fudge got the top job, and Crouch was shunted sideways into the Department of International Magical Cooperation.’

This did answer a lot of questions for the group. At least, it explained why he’d been so severe on Winky.

‘Moody said Crouch is obsessed with catching Dark wizards.’ Harry told Sirius.

Sirius nodded. ‘Yeah, that’s true enough. He’s gotten a bit manic with it… or so I hear… ‘If you ask me, he still thinks he can bring back the old popularity by catching one more Death Eater.’

‘So that’s why he was in Snape’s office!’ Harry decreed.

‘I’m not sure… But ever since I found out Snape was teaching here; I’ve wondered why Dumbledore hired him. Snape’s always been fascinated by the Dark Arts; he was famous for it at school. Slimy, oily, greasy-haired kid, he was…’ Sirius told them. ‘Snape knew more curses when he arrived at school than half the kids in seventh year, and he was part of a gang of Slytherins who nearly all turned out to be Death Eaters.’

‘He was also a very good friend of one particularly famous non-Death Eater, if you’ll recall.’ Hermione reminded him, thinking of the Lily Evans she’d often seen in Snape’s mind during her Legilimency lessons. ‘Snape’s as much a Death Eater now as I am.’ Hermione said firmly to the group.

‘Snape committed some real crimes during the war, Hermione.’ Sirius told her, before Harry could ask who Snape had been friends with.

‘I know… none of us are angels. You bit a boy’s leg off last year… and Draco stabbed a man at the Quidditch World Cup… and I cursed another…’ Hermione reminded him. 

Sirius couldn’t argue that point. 

There was an awkward pause for a moment and Hermione and Sirius pretty much glared at each other through the flames.

‘Why are Moody and Crouch so keen to get into Snape’s office then?’ Harry asked Hermione.

‘Because he’s a dick.’ Hermione said.

‘Well,’ Sirius began slowly, ‘I wouldn’t put it past Mad-Eye to have searched every single teacher’s office when he got to Hogwarts. I’m not sure he trusts anyone at all, and after the things he’s seen, it’s not surprising… They really mangled him when they killed the Queen… Crouch, though… is he really ill? If he is, why did he make the effort to drag himself up to Snape’s office? What’s he been doing while he should have been judging the tournament? Might be he’s on his deathbed and wants to clear his name before he goes.’ 

Sirius seemed to break off for a moment to think. ‘You say your brother’s Crouch’s personal assistant? Any chance you could ask him if he’s seen Crouch lately?’ He asked Ginny.

She shrugged. ‘I can try.’

‘Better not make it sound like we reckon Crouch is up to anything dodgy, though. Percy loves Crouch.’ Neville said.

Ginny gave him a dry look. ‘You don’t say?’ She said sarcastically. ‘I live with the idiot, remember?’

Neville held his hands up in a mock surrender.

The green flames started to get a bit dimmer. ‘We’re running out of time.’ Sirius sighed and turned to Harry. ‘I want to hear about anything odd… and no sneaking around at night! Not even if you have the cloak and the map. It’s too good an opportunity to attack you… any of you. You’re all prime targets.’

Sirius’ eyes flashed around the fire. Hermione realised he was right.

‘Nobodies tried to do me in except a dragon and some grindylows.’ Harry said.

‘I’m serious. Any of you could be attacked. Someone managed to kill a Priestess, that’s meant to be impossible… there was that King who got struck by lightning… er…’

‘King Brian.’ Draco filled in. ‘Tried to rape the High Oracle and got a bolt of lightning for it. Dropped dead… but that was about three hundred years ago… at the start of the eighteenth century.’

‘Exactly.’ Sirius said. ‘So if someone can kill a priestess and live… you should be careful, that’s all I’m saying.’

‘I’m hardly a target.’ Ginny said.

‘You’re dating the boy who lived.’ Hermione told her. ‘You’re a target… I’m gonna teach you all some defensive spells.’ 

‘That’s a good idea.’ Sirius said, though the flames were getting redder and his voice was getting fainter.

They all said a quick and fond farewell to Sirius before he could completely disagree.

‘Sorry I wasted your time with him arguing about Snape.’ Hermione said to Harry before she and Draco left the Gryffindor common room. 

Harry actually smiled at her. ‘It’s alright. Don’t worry about it, really. Sirius likes you… says you keep him on his toes.’ 

Hermione and Draco had to hurry back down to their common room in order to beat curfew, Hermione’s week of detention had only just ended. 

‘Do you reckon Percy knows all that stuff about Crouch?’ Hermione asked as they hurried down the stairs.

‘Probably doesn’t care.’ Draco said. ‘The scheming I’ve seen over the years… you’d be surprised who people will step on to get to the top.’

Hermione shuddered at the idea of betraying anyone.

‘How’s the Wolfblood research getting on?’ Draco asked her as they neared their common room.

Hermione let out a frustrated sigh. ‘I’ve not found anything very helpful.’ She told him. ‘Most I’ve found was a little chapter in a little book that said that they start out harmless enough, but they become the most dangerous beings alive within roughly fifty transformations.’

Draco did some quick maths as the door to the Slytherin common room swung open for them. ‘That means we have… roughly until we finish Hogwarts to fix him.’

They stepped inside and Draco was instantly roped into a game of chess with Crabbe. He tried to concentrate on the game, but his eyes kept flicking over to Hermione with her nose in her book at every spare second.

‘Are you ever going to ask her out? Or are you just going to drool over her forever?’ Crabbe asked as he captured Draco’s rook.

‘Shut it.’ Draco snapped back as he moved his Queen to put Crabbe in check. 

But Crabbe had lost all patience. ‘Might ask her out myself if you don’t get around to it.’ He didn’t mean it, and Draco knew he didn’t mean it… but he probably should have stopped there while he was ahead.

‘Do you think she’ll let me call her _“Kitten”_ too?’

* * *

‘What happened to your face, mate?’ Theo asked Crabbe the next morning over breakfast.

He had a dark and painful looking black eye. 

‘Nothing.’ He said quickly.

‘He walked into Draco’s fist.’ Blaise told him. ‘Didn’t you mate?’ 

Crabbe shrugged.

Theo frowned. ‘What did Draco hit him for?’

Blaise, seeming to find the entire situation very amusing, turned to Crabbe. ‘Do you want to tell him or shall I?’

Crabbe sighed and when he spoke it was with an unusually small voice. ‘I was winding him up about Hermione… I said… do you think she’d let me call her Kitten too?’

Theo’s eyes widened. ‘Wow… and you only got a black eye?’ 

Blaise nodded. ‘Remember Porkins?’ 

‘His name’s not Porkins. It’s Portenkin’ Theo said with an eye roll.

‘Whatever.’ Blaise waved him off. ‘He smacked Hermione’s bum as she walked past him and Draco dangled him from the Astronomy tower for an hour by a pair of Filch's handcuffs… until Snape caught him.’

Crabbe frowned, he hadn’t heard this story. ‘What happened next?’

‘He told Snape what he’d done…Snape gave him detention and said to leave Porkins with him and he’d let him down.’ Blaise told him.

‘And?’ Crabbe asked.

‘Well…’ Theo said. ‘He did let him down… _eventually_….’

Crabbe looked down the table at the seventh year Portenkin, grandson of the inventor of the Portkey. ‘I was thinking he’d been a bit quiet this year.’ 

* * *

Hermione was sat on the end of Daphne’s bed with her, she was showing her the horrors she’d been too afraid to show anyone in her sketchbook.

‘Why have you drawn a noose in my bedroom back home?’ Hermione asked. She looked very panicked.

‘I don’t know… and the nightmares are getting worse.’

‘It doesn’t sound too bad at the minute… we can fix you.’ Hermione said, her voice was unusually high.

‘I’m not just having nightmares. I’m having these dreams where I literally have to scream myself awake… but I don’t remember what I’m dreaming about, I can only remember how scared I feel… but that’s not the worst thing…’ 

‘What do you mean?’ Hermione asked as she shifted to rest on her knees.

‘…I’m not even sure if I’m ever actually waking up.’ Daphne admitted.

‘I don’t understand?’ Hermione frowned.

‘Do you know how you can tell if you’re dreaming? You can’t read in dreams… For the last few weeks really now… I’ve been having trouble reading. It’s like all the letters look like symbols that don’t make sense.’ Daphne hadn’t been able to read a single letter from home, nor any of her teachers’ notes for days now.

‘What about now?’ Hermione handed her a book.

It was all written in symbols... she sighed in frustration and handed the book back to Hermione. ‘Not a thing… Do you think I’m going crazy?’

‘No. I don’t think you’re going crazy… but I know what you do need.’ The lights began to flicker in their room.

‘What’s that?’ Daphne looked up hopefully at her friend.

She recoiled when she saw Hermione’s eyes had turned fully black, and her beautiful light brown bun had transformed to floor length black hair.

Her jaw dislocated like a snake about to eat its prey, leaving her mouth hanging menacingly open.

‘_You need to wake up!_’ Hermione’s voice was not her own, it was a horrifying shriek.

The ghoulish Hermione lunged for her, hands wrapping tightly around her throat.

_‘AAAAAAHHHHHHH!’_

Daphne sat bolt right up in her bed, her own hands were wrapped tightly around her throat, as if she had been trying to prise the dream-Hermione’s hands from her throat.

The real Hermione was sat at the end of her bed, watching in concern. Her hands were wrapped tightly over her ears, no doubt she’d covered them during the scream. 

She lowered her arms so that they were crossed in stubbornness. 

‘You think I wouldn’t notice a containment charm around your bed?’ She asked. ‘How often are you having these dreams?’ 

‘Every night.’ Daphne admitted.

‘Get your dressing gown on. We’re going to see Madam Pomfrey.’

* * *

* * *

Hey guys, if you want to see someone really rudely insulting this story rather than offering valid criticism, check out the comment section on chapter 38.   
No updates for a few days. I'm too pissed off to write.


	79. Madness and Memories

The news that Daphne Greengrass had been removed from the school was the prominent story of the week. 

Every day, Hermione had to fend off nosy students – most of whom neither she nor Daphne had spoken to in their lives – coming up to ask her the most ridiculous things.

‘Is it true she went psycho and tried to kill you with a hammer?’

‘Is it true she’s crazy?’

‘Is it true she’s run off and eloped with a Durmstrang?’

Hermione had begun to threaten people with curses if they didn’t leave her alone… they were all smart enough to take her at her word.

This, however, only meant that they turned to Draco for answers, his rank as Daphne’s oldest friend meaning that surely, he must be in the know.

‘Your Grace, I’m sorry your friend was carried off by the Giant Squid.’

‘Duke! Er – sir, I was wondering if it’s true your friend is a banshee who tried to kill all of Slytherin with her scream?’

‘Drake! Old lad!’ (this came from a pretentious Gryffindor by the name of McLaggan in his fifth year - Draco had never spoken to him in his life.) ‘I was visiting the Minister over Christmas and…’ He continued showing off his connections for a few minutes before getting to the point. ‘Anyway, is it true that foxy Greengrass girl… you know, the one with the dead sister? Her. Is it true she lost her mind and tried to kill the King?’

McLaggan had remained rather timid for the next few days after referring to Draco’s sister-in-bond as: ‘that foxy Greengrass girl,’ and, ‘the one with the dead sister.’ 

He was timid to the point that if he saw Draco coming down the corridor he would turn and run in the other direction… any time Draco saw him he placed his hand on the hilt of Excalibur and watched in pleasure as the pompous boy squirmed.

Hermione sat in the common room after dinner reading a “Modern History of the World”. It began with the reign of Draco’s Great-Grandfather, King Cedric Brian Malfoy.

‘Did you know he supported Grindelwald?’ Hermione asked, showing him the book.

‘Yeah… he was a big fan… until Grindelwald turned around and said we should get rid of the monarchy. My family is full of idiots.’ 

Hermione flicked to the next page. ‘Wow!’ She said staring at the picture. She was looking down at a very handsome man in a stylish tweed suit, he was posing for a picture with King Cedric and the then Prince of Europe Abraxas. ‘It’s a young Dumbledore!’ 

Tracey broke off from her conversation with Theo on the next couch to come and have a look at the picture. ‘He’s hot!’ She decreed before returning to Theo.

‘I wonder when he made the move from stylish robes to medieval wizarding wear?’ Draco mused as he looked down at the stylish young man shaking hands with his very old great-grandfather, and his very young grandfather. 

‘He probably found traditional robes were easier to fight in during the war.’ Hermione said as she flicked through the book, there was a marked difference in their Headmaster’s wardrobe following Voldemort’s rise to power.

Hermione flicked through the book to read more about Draco’s grandfather. ‘He… Muggle-born… the Minister of Magic?’ 

Draco, knowing what she had just read turned to her to explain. ‘It was just that one muggle-born he had issues with… he put a muggle-born on his council.’

Hermione nodded. ‘What was his issue with that Minister?’

Draco shrugged. ‘Dunno, but I’ve seen Armand having to put up with Fudge… if he was anything like him, he probably just snapped.’ 

‘That’s enough modern history.’ Hermione tossed the book down on the nearby coffee table. ‘I’m gonna head to the library.’ She said, standing up.

‘Which one?’ Draco asked.

‘Hufflepuff.’ Hermione told him; it was the best place for Divine research… which is what Hermione had now turned to in desperation to find out what was wrong with Daphne.

‘I’ll come down with you.’ Draco said. ‘I fancy a swim… wait for me while I get changed?’

A few minutes later and Draco had returned wearing his swimming trunks under his robes, they made their way down into the secret tunnels together at top speed to avoid the patrolling Aurors’.

Draco had gone down one of the other four tunnels, heading for the large pool, with the promise of coming to pull Hermione out of her books when curfew was nearing. Hermione was very much missing the days when teachers wouldn’t care if she remained in the library until three am.

Hermione went straight for the designated “Gods” shelf. 

She was never able to resist the pull she felt toward _The Prophecy of Triad_, and she pulled it down from its spot to admire the ancient symbols inside… the symbols none alive today could read. 

Only one person in Wizarding history had ever been able to translate the ancient tome, a High Oracle who lived about six hundred years ago… even then only about four editions of her translations still existed, and according to Draco they all came with the disclaimer that they weren’t exact translations.

Even with this in mind, Hermione knew she was probably willing to sacrifice… perhaps not an arm or a leg… but maybe several toes, to get her hands on one of those translations.

She was still a long way from finishing all of the books in Hufflepuff’s library, and she placed _The Prophecy of Triad_ back on its shelf before she pulled down a promising looking book: _Divine Creatures – by the High Oracle._

Hermione rolled her eyes. _Which High Oracle? Getting rid of their names isn’t exactly helpful._

She flipped to the inscription page and saw the book had been written by the same High Oracle who must have crowned King Armand I – it was dated for the year nine hundred and ninety-four, only one year before his coronation.

Hermione flicked through the table of contents. _Dusman, Lion Turtle, Mermaids…_

Though she was doing important research on Daphne, she knew deep down she wasn’t going to figure it out – she was just too close to the matter to look at it logically – so she settled on reading some new information on Mermaids.

_The True Mermaid, a rare and wonderful creature is made through the intervention of Atune. _

_The Queen, whenever I ask how she was made, always laughs and says: “but Oracle, surely an all seeing one as yourself can see that?” The fact I cannot see the creation process, despite numerous attempts and rituals, leads me to believe I am not meant to see… I will not pursue the matter further if it is not what the Gods’ decree for me._

_My limited knowledge of the Mermaid shall remain at this – there are no Mermen. Queen Blythe tells me that they are denied transformation. _

Hermione smiled and made a note to show Draco this book, the rare recorded words of his ancestor would no doubt please him. 

Normally, any records of ancient Kings and Queens are just of records of formal speeches they had given. This book was showing Queen Blythe to be rather cheeky… with the High Oracle no less.

‘Kitten?’ Draco called. 

Hermione sighed and stowed her current book back on the shelf as Draco stepped into the library, his hair was still slightly darker and damp from his swim.

‘I’m coming.’ She said, wrapping her cloak tightly around her. Now that was wasn’t sat in a cosy armchair in front of a roaring fire the cold chill of the castle could be felt despite the heated floors of the tunnels.

‘Want to go to the kitchen?’ Draco asked. ‘I’m starving.’

‘I don’t want anything, but I’ll come with you.’ Hermione said… unlike Draco she hadn’t worked up an appetite with fifty lengths in a frankly ridiculously sized pool.

‘We might run over curfew.’ Draco muttered as they walked along Hufflepuff’s tunnels. ‘What if we bump into some Aurors’... or a murderer?’ 

‘If we see an Auror we’ll get a week of detention… let’s not think about the murderer… you can just stab them with Excalibur… or I’ll just try and blow them up?’ Hermione said.

The house-elves gave them a very cheery welcome as they stepped through the concealed entrance. Bowing, curtsying and bustling around as they hurried around to make Draco some food and made Hermione a pot of tea.

Dobby had, of course, rushed forwards to serve his master.

‘Dobby, where’s Winky?’ Draco asked before he took a bite out of his cheeseburger. (He had naturally asked for the greasiest food they could make him.)

‘Winky is over there, sir.’ Dobby said quietly, his ears drooping slightly.

‘Oh dear.’ Hermione said as she spotted Winky.

She was sitting on a stool by the fire, and she was beyond filthy. So much so that she was hardly distinguishable from the smoke-blackened brick behind her. Her clothes were ragged and unwashed and she was swaying rather alarmingly on her perch. Hermione and Draco both noticed she had a tight grip on a bottle of butterbeer. 

‘How much is she drinking?’ Draco asked Dobby seriously.

‘Winky is getting through six bottles a day now, sir.’ Dobby whispered to Draco.

‘Butterbeer’s not strong alcohol… it barely is alcohol!’ Draco was frowning, unable to see how six bottles render her as drunk as she was.

‘It’ll be strong for a house-elf.’ Hermione said. ‘They’re only little.’ 

Winky let out a loud hiccup that strong it jolted her entire body. The other elves in the kitchen were giving her disapproving looks.

‘Winky wants to go home… she still thinks that Mr Crouch is her master.’ Dobby told them sadly.

Draco pushed aside his empty plate and moved to stand over Winky as Hermione knelt down in front of her.

‘Winky.’ Hermione began gently. ‘What can you tell us about Mr Crouch? Do you know why he might’ve stopped turning up to judge the Triwizard Tournament?’ 

‘Master Crouch has stopped coming?’ Winky gasped as she swayed in her seat.

Hermione nodded. ‘Nobody has seen him since the first task, the Daily Prophet’s saying he’s ill.’ Hermione decided not to tell her that she and Harry had seen Crouch’s name on a secret Map, and that he had apparently been ransacking Snape’s office.

‘Master is ill? Master is needing Winky!’ Winky soon became inconsolable as thick sobs came from her – which didn’t help her lack of stability on her little stool.

‘Most people manage just fine without a house-elf, Winky.’ Draco said gently. ‘I’m sure his house will be fine.’

This did not console Winky one bit. ‘Winky is not only doing housework for Master!’ She said through her drunken tears. ‘Master is trusting Winky with… with his most important secret!’ 

Hermione and Draco waited on baited breath for her to elaborate, but she did not.

‘What secret?’ Draco asked gently.

But Winky only shook her tiny head that fiercely she nearly threw herself from her stool. ‘No! Winky keeps her master’s secrets! You shouldn’t be nosing!’

Dobby didn’t like that one bit. ‘Winky will not address Master Draco like this!’ He argued, seeming ready to launch himself at the other elf. ‘Master Draco is a Royal Duke! He is not nosy!’ 

‘Thank you, Dobby.’ Draco said, gently pushing Dobby away from the scene and away from the other elf. 

‘Winky keeps her masters secrets.’ Winky cried. 

Her eyelids began to droop and without warning, she slid off her stool and onto the hearth. She’d passed out. 

A swarm of house-elves descended, looking disgusted. One of them picked up the now empty bottle of Butterbeer and vanished it, while the others all set about covering Winky with a large tablecloth. 

‘We is sorry you had to see that!’ One of the elves squeaked, he bowed to them both and shook his head at the lump on the floor.

‘We is hoping you will not judge all of us by Winky!’ Another said with a matching low bow.

Hermione, champion of elf rights, did not look pleased at this. ‘She is very unhappy. You should be helping her, not hiding her.’ She said firmly, pointing at the tablecloth lump now unmoving in front of the fire.

The little group of elves turned to hurry away from Hermione, none of them responded to her comment.

‘Dobby?’ Draco said.

‘Yes, sir?’ Dobby asked.

‘I want you to keep a closer eye on Winky, please. Try and help her… if you can.’ He said.

Dobby looked uncomfortable at this task but he bowed to his master. ‘Of course, sir…. Dobby would do anything for Master.’

* * *

‘I heard back from Percy.’ Ginny said, dropping down next to Hermione on the Slytherin table – Daphne’s seat was still vacant.

‘What did he say?’ Hermione asked. Giving the look on Ginny’s face, she wasn’t very happy.

Ginny took the letter from her pocket and pressed it into Hermione’s hands, then stole the slice of buttered toast from Draco’s plate and took a large bite out of it.

‘Hey!’ Draco protested.

Hermione ignored their scuffle as she turned to read Percy’s letter. 

_As I am constantly telling the daily Prophet. Mr Crouch is taking a well-deserved break.  
_ _He is sending me regular owls with instructions._  
_No, I haven’t seen him in person, but I think I can be trusted enough to know my own superior’s handwriting. Even the King didn’t trust me on that when he spoke to me! I had to show him Crouch’s notes from over a year ago and compare them to the letters before he would let me go._  
_I am very busy at the moment trying to quash the ridiculous rumours about my boss. Please don’t bother me again unless it’s something important._  
_Though, I did hear you have begun a relationship with Harry Potter – this is a very smart decision for your future. His association will aide you in later life. _  
_Happy Easter._

‘Wow.’ Hermione said, handing the letter to Draco to read.

‘Did you see the bit about my boyfriend being a “smart decision” that would help me out… pompous twat doesn’t understand basic human emotion.’ Ginny fumed. 

‘Did you show Harry this?’ Draco asked as he returned the letter to her. 

Ginny sighed. ‘Yeah, he made some joke about how at least he had my family’s approval… but I think it upset him a little bit.’ 

Hermione looked around the Great Hall. ‘Where is he?’ 

‘Sulking in bed.’ Ginny said. ‘I just came down for some breakfast and then I’m gonna go back.’ Ginny finished off the slice of toast she’d stolen from Draco and left as quickly as she had come.

‘Do you think she meant to tell us that they’re apparently sharing a bed?’ Draco asked, amused.

‘Nope.’ Hermione said. ‘Her brother sleeps in that room too… they must be using some pretty good concealment charms.’

Draco’s eyes widened. ‘What? Do you reckon they’re…. you know?’ 

Hermione thought on it for a minute but then shook her head. ‘Nah… not yet anyway. Ginny’s one of the youngest in her year, she’s not even fourteen yet.’ 

‘Hmm. I guess. But I reckon they’ll be the first of us down the aisle isle.’ Draco said as he began to butter himself a new slice of toast.

‘I’m not sure… all the girls – minus Tracey – are Purebloods… their fathers might marry them off.’ Hermione mused. ‘Millie’s going to be big in the fashion world… that ought to increase some interest in her… Daphne’s the only heir to the Greengrass fortune, the offers are going to start pouring in for her now… Not to mention she’s a renowned beauty and very accomplished.’

‘And Pansy…’ She continued. ‘Well, she’s already engaged, isn’t she?’ Hermione said quietly. 

‘I’m not marrying her.’ Draco said. ‘She knows that… what more, I severely doubt she wants to marry me either… from what I’ve seen, her parents are pretty much controlling her every action.’ 

‘We might have to face the fact that you can’t get out of it…’ Hermione muttered. Then she shrugged. ‘The Official Mistress of the Duke of Abbington doesn’t sound too bad to me these days… I could still work on the side.’

‘No.’ Draco said firmly.

‘No?’ Hermione asked.

‘No, you won’t be a mistress.’ Draco was very unmovable on this stance. ‘I thought you’d be getting a letter a week with proposals, now that you’re a Lady of the Realm.’ Draco mused.

‘Oh, I do!’ Hermione said. ‘I send them all back with a jinx.’

Draco grinned but then that grin faded. ‘I don’t think Daphne is such a hot commodity at the minute… everyone knows what ward she’s on.’ 

It was an uncomfortable truth that Daphne was currently being housed on the ward of St. Mungo’s for those who had magical damage to their brains… they hadn’t known where else to put her apparently. 

Draco had gotten some snippets of information from Tonks that Daphne was having daily tests performed on her by a range of healers. 

‘Happy Easter, Kitten.’ Draco said to her finally, there was nothing else to say.

‘Happy Easter…’ Hermione trailed off.

But then something occurred to her.

‘Whatever happened to the Easter Garden parties?’ She asked Draco.

‘The what? Oh, the garden party…’

Hermione nodded. ‘I got invited in second year but then that snake tried to do me in… never got another invite after that?’

‘There hasn’t been one since then. The King has been busy putting out fires every Easter, I suppose.’ Draco told her. ‘Like this Easter he’s on a ship hunting a Leviathan in the Pacific… Shame really, he always used to say the garden party was his favourite of the year.’ 

‘Yeah… there was something in Percy’s letter about the King…’ Hermione mused as she recalled the letter.

‘Yeah, I caught that. He’s broken off his Leviathan hunt on the other side of the world to come and see what’s going on.’ Draco said. ‘He was on Vanuatu last I heard, so that’s quite the way to come just to speak to Percy Weasley.’ 

Hermione nodded, then frowned. ‘Wait – you Uncle’s been gone for a while now…’

‘Well, yeah. Can’t leave a Leviathan running – or swimming even – around, can he?’ Draco frowned at her.

‘Not that.’ She shook her head. ‘Just that - who’s doing all his King stuff?’

‘Oh.’ Draco said. ‘Matilda is being acting Monarch, I think.’ 

‘So, she’s basically The Queen while Armand is away?’ Hermione asked.

Draco nodded. ‘It wouldn’t surprise me if he gave her The King’s Ring before he left, you can do anything with the authority of the King if you’re wearing it… one of Armand I’s original laws.’

It was then Hermione realised what danger the King was facing; he’d given away his power to his daughter in the knowledge that he might not be returning from his hunt of the most dangerous near-mythical creature to ever inhabit Earth. 

* * *

Their small Easter break was soon over, and classes soon resumed with such an increased workload that Hermione felt like pulling her hair out._ My NEWT exams aren’t even this year! _

The beginning of the summer term usually meant that the Quidditch players in her life would disappear for days on end for lengthy practices… however this had been taken away this year, and the third task began to loom.

Hermione was spending most of her evenings now teaching Harry a range of curses and defensive spells to help him get through whatever this task might throw at him. 

_I’m so lost._ Cedric wrote to her during their potions lesson. They had moved on from Snape proving how difficult brewing Truth-potion could be.

‘Granger.’ Snape called. 

Hermione’s head snapped up before she could write an explanation out to Cedric.

‘Sir?’ She asked.

‘Explain Golpalott’s third law to this bunch of idiots.’ Snape grumbled.

Hermione took a quick glance around the room, it seemed not many had been following Snape’s explanation.

‘Golpalott’s Third Law states that the antidote for a blended poison will be equal to more than the sum of the antidotes for each of the separate components. – that is, a poison created by mixing several other poisons together — cannot simply be created by finding the antidotes to each separate poison in the blended whole and mixing them together.’

Snape nodded. ‘Carry on.’ 

Hermione realised the class was writing down her every word. _Huh, I quite enjoy this teaching business._

‘The potion maker must find that single ingredient which, when added to the blended antidotes, transforms them into a combined whole which will counteract the entire blended poison… a true antidote to a blended poison is more than the sum of its parts… but…’ She trailed off.

‘But?’ Snape prompted her.

‘Well, it doesn’t work for a lot of things… and if someone has been poisoned, you’re not going to waste time brewing up an antidote while they choke to death.’ 

‘What would you do, then?’ Snape asked her.

‘I’d stick a bezoar down their throat.’ Hermione told him.

Snape nodded. ‘She’s right, of course. Twenty points to Slytherin…’

Snape moved to stand at his desk, on which stood several vials. ‘Today, you will be pretending you don’t have a bezoar to hand and will be finding an antidote to these common poisons… I have enough for one each.’

Snape began to call his NEWT students up one by one and handing them a vial. 

‘I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that you should be using Scarpin’s Revelaspell to correctly identify the potion’s ingredients.’ Snape told the class as the final student collected their vial.

The hustle and bustle of brewing filled the classroom. 

‘Did you hear the High Oracle is in the country?’ Cedric chatted with her as he chopped his Mandrake leaves.

‘Anyone know why she’s here? Or is it secret Priestess stuff?’ Hermione asked as she added a sprig of the long leaf from an Athelas plant to her own brew. Snape had no doubt given her the most difficult poison, it seemed to her that he had stabbed something with a cursed blade – probably a tree – and collected the resulting ooze. 

‘She’s probably here to see the King.’ Cedric told her as he stirred counter clockwise.

‘No. He’s still in the Pacific, Vanuatu last I heard.’ Hermione told him without thinking.

‘What’s he doing there?’ Cedric asked, reminding her that they had managed to keep the public from knowing about two deadly sea creatures having it out at the cost of several wizarding lives.

‘Er…’ She said. ‘Your potions over bubbling.’ She pointed out.

Cedric was distracted from further questions as his antidote had turned into a tar like substance and was oozing over the top of his cauldron.

‘This is ridiculous.’ Hermione muttered as she added her fiftieth ingredient. ‘If you didn’t have a bezoar, you’d spend last time apperating to an apothecary than you would brewing this.’ 

‘A bezoar wouldn’t help against a cured blade, Granger.’ Snape said as he breezed past.

‘Simple solution then, isn’t there? Don’t get stabbed by a cursed blade.’ She muttered to his retreating back.

Snape didn’t hear her sass though; he was too busy critiquing Roger Davies foul smelling disaster.

‘I wouldn’t feed this to my worst enemy, Davies!’ Snape had ordered him to write ten inches by Monday since he clearly hadn’t understood the task.

‘Granger. We’re going ingredient hunting tonight… I’m going to show you how to harvest Kingsfoil.’ Snape told her as the rest of the class filed out – only a few students had managed to brew an antidote that wouldn’t make someone even more ill. ‘I’ll come and get you at about seven o’clock after dinner.’ 

Hermione nodded and that night she went to dinner in a pair of thick leggings, her outdoor boots, a jumper, and her thickest cloak. In other words, she went ready to spend the night in the woods. 

‘Why Kingsfoil?’ Draco asked as he lathered butter onto his corn on the cob.

‘Want some corn with your butter?’ She asked with raised brows. ‘You’re going to eat your way into an early grave.’ 

Draco raised the corner of his t-shirt, revealing his toned abs. ‘I think I’m alright… why Kingsfoil?’ He asked again.

‘Oh, Davies used Snape’s entire supply up trying to brew an antidote in class earlier… I’ve never gathered it, so I suppose he thought it would be a good opportunity. Any news on Daphne?’ She asked.

Draco shook his head. ‘Not one. Tonks said they’re bringing in some foreign expert to come give her a look over.’ 

Hermione and Draco shared a look, and then Snape was stood over her. ‘It’s time.’ He said. 

Hermione took one last bite of her quiche before following Snape out of the Hall and then towards the woods.

Hermione gasped as they walked by the Quidditch Pitch, or rather, what was once the Quidditch Pitch. 

‘What have they done with it?’ She gasped. She could already picture the horrified expressions on her friends’ faces. 

It was no longer smooth and flat, it looked as though somebody had been building long, low walls all over it that twisted and crisscrossed in every direction.

‘Why are they building a maze on it?’ She asked him as they walked past.

‘It’s for the third task… I believe the Champions are being told of it later tonight… Come on now, enough dawdling, I need to have you back early or the Auror’s will roast me alive.’ 

Hermione grinned. ‘I’m surprised you got permission to take me into the Dark Forest with a murderer on the loose.’

‘Permission?’ Snape raised a brow at her. ‘I’m a Professor, I am not asking some pretentious Auror barely out of training permission to take you into the woods.’

Hermione rolled her eyes. ‘Where’s this Kingsfoil then?’

They stepped through the border of thick trees.

‘Right, it grows near the… droppings… of the Mooncalf.’ He said as they walked through the trees. ‘They’re only a XX rated beast so don’t worry.’

‘Don’t they only come out of their burrows on a full moon?’ Hermione asked as they walked deeper into the forest, rolling her eyes at the idea she wouldn’t know what a Mooncalf was.

Snape nodded. ‘Which is why we’re going a few days before the moon. It takes a few weeks for the Kingsfoil to grow and bloom.’

They journeyed very deep into the forest, at least half an hour of walking and tripping over tree roots, before they came to the Mooncalf burrows.

It was easy to spot, not because of the few holes in the ground, but by the flourishing plant life. Mooncalf dung was an excellent fertiliser. 

‘Kingsfoil.’ Snape pointed the plant out, where it was growing amidst a group of bold yellow plants Hermione knew from her brewing lessons to be Bird's-foot Trefoil.

Hermione could see where Kingsfoil got the “King” part of the name from. The centre of the plant was a shiny silver, but the flowers were a shimmering gold set around the silver bud that looked rather like wearing a crown. 

‘Now, with Kingsfoil it is important to only take the head off the plant, if you pull it up from the roots it will poison itself and be useless.’ 

They made quick work of harvesting the plant, and soon Snape decreed they had enough to comfortably top up his store room. 

‘And the use of Kingsfoil?’ Snape quizzed her as they walked back through the woods. 

‘It’s a common ingredient in most antidotes.’ She said.

Snape nodded. ‘Yes, which is why that idiot Davies though tipping my last bag of it into his cauldron was a good idea.’

‘He’s not an idiot.’ Hermione laughed. ‘Isn’t he currently the prime candidate for Head Boy next year?’ 

Snape grumbled. ‘That just makes it official then.’ 

Hermione laughed at that one. ‘I take it you weren’t Head Boy then?’

‘No, I was too involved in the Dark Arts by that point.’ Snape said honestly. ‘James Potter got the badge.’

‘Yeah, I never understood that… wasn’t he in detention every other week?’ Hermione asked.

‘You’re in detention every other week.’ Snape said. 

‘Well, I’m not going to be head girl, am I? I’ll have finished by then.’ 

‘True, I suppose. You could be if your Masters takes more than a year, which is common… but I doubt you’ll take more than a year.’

‘I don’t really see the point in making me a Prefect.’ Hermione said as he helped her climb over a particularly large tree root in their path.

‘Why is that?’ He asked, the school was coming back into view now.

‘Well, if I do finish my Masters in a year, you’ll have to pick a new Prefect to replace me in seventh year… you might as well give the badge to Tracey next year and cut me out.’ She said.

‘Or, I could make Tracey a Prefect in her seventh year.’ Snape said. ‘Suck it up, you’re being a Prefect.’ 

They spent the last few minutes of their walk bashing Rita Skeeter. Hermione had been getting a few owls dropping hate-mail on her because of that ridiculous article Skeeter had put out about

Hermione despite it being originally overshadowed by the news of the new Royal relationship. 

‘Well, I’d say Potter is managing his heartbreak reasonably well…’ Snape said. ‘Why, just this morning I came across him and Miss Weasley trying to eat each other’s faces in a corridor.’

Hermione snorted. ‘What did you do?’ 

‘Gave them both detentions, of course.’ Snape said. ‘and docked them twenty points apiece… honestly, the behaviour of young people these days.’

‘Oh yeah, because Hufflepuff parties weren’t a thing in your day.’ Hermione said sarcastically, then shuddered at the idea of her School-Dad participating at said parties.

‘That doesn’t mean I went about sucking on people’s faces like a leech in the corridors.’ Snape shot back at her with a frown.

‘Why are you looking at me all judgy?! I don’t do that?’ She said hotly.

‘Yes, you do!’ Snape said just as hotly. ‘I’ve literally found you and Krum snogging in the corridors twice now!’

Hermione was very thankful he’d never come across what they did in deserted classrooms if he took such issue with her just kissing Krum.

‘We don’t go at each other like leeches is my point.’ She said firmly.

‘I beg to differ. Your glamour charms leave a lot to be desired.’ He said, pointing at her neck where a dark hickey was showing.

‘Oh, I’m not using glamour charms… I don’t see the point.’ Hermione said.

‘For my sake.’ He pleaded. ‘Start using them.’

‘Looks like the Champions are done.’ Hermione pointed out to her Professor as they stepped out of the woods.

‘Hmm.’ Snape said, clearly not very interested in this.

‘I’m going to go and say hi.’ Hermione said.

Snape sighed. ‘Give me your Kingsfoil, I’ll go down and put it in the potions cupboard.’ 

Hermione handed the silver and gold plant over before turning and walking over to the champions who were now walking away from the Quidditch Pitch.

Fleur turned and walked away from the other champions first, probably heading back to her blue carriage… and Cedric had waved at her but he looked to be heading towards the lake, Hermione noticed Cho was sat there -no doubt waiting for him.

That left her with Harry and Viktor.

‘Hello, dear.’ Viktor bent down to give her a quick kiss.

‘Hey Hermione.’ Harry said. ‘Have you seen the maze?’ 

‘Hmm.’ Hermione said with a nod. ‘Looks like you’ll all be facing creatures and other defences in there.’ She had already begun planning a checklist of things to teach Harry the moment her eyes had landed on the maze.

‘Vat do you think vill be the goal?’ Viktor asked her.

Hermione shrugged. ‘No idea… could be anything from finding your way out the other end, or finding some treasure.’

‘Reckon we could get away with taking a Niffler in with us?’ Harry asked with a grin.

Hermione had heard at length over dinner about the amazing first lesson Hagrid had given upon his return to teaching. 

The fluffy creatures had gone down very well, and the entire fourth year class had a competition to see whose Niffler could dig up the most treasure. Ron’s had won, and he’d been given a large slab of Honeydukes chocolate. To everyone’s surprise, he’d then given the chocolate to his sister. (Hermione suspected Ron felt guilty for the times he’d hit his sister, as according to Ginny, their oldest brother Bill had taken him to see a mind healer over summer for his anger issues.)

‘I very much doubt it.’ Hermione said. 

‘Mr Bagman said that Hagrid was providing a number of creatures.’ Harry shuddered. ‘Hagrid thinks that _dragons_ are just “misunderstood” creatures… what in Merlin’s name does that man find dangerous?’

This news seemed to make Viktor uncomfortable as well.

Hermione could only shrug. ‘They won’t put anything in there that can kill you… not when there can’t be a team of specialists off to the side like there were with the dragon.’

‘Oh, for Merlin’s sake.’ Harry suddenly groaned.

Hermione and Viktor turned to see what Harry was groaning at, Ludo Bagman was hurrying over to them on the pathway.

‘Oh no.’ Viktor said.

‘Let’s go.’ Hermione said. ‘Over here…’

Hermione led the two boys from the path, she loudly started telling them about harvesting Kingsfoil with Snape as they walked towards the trees. A quick glance back showed that Bagman had given up and was walking back up the pathway towards the castle.

‘Good thing for you being here, dear.’ Viktor smiled.

‘Let’s give it a few minutes before we follow him up… otherwise he might turn around and talk to us.’ Harry said.

They carried on until they passed Hagrid’s cabin and the illuminated Beauxbatons carriage. They reached a quiet stretch of ground a short way from the giant flying Beauxbatons horses’ paddock by the time Bagman disappeared from view. Hermione was still talking about her trip into the forest with Snape as they went, though now at a more reasonable volume.

‘What do you and Snape even talk about? He’s so…’ Harry trailed off.

‘He’s not so bad.’ Hermione said. ‘We were talking about Prefects… and that bloody Skeeter article.’

Viktor went quiet at the mention of that.

‘What?’ Hermione asked him as he twiddled with his thumbs.

‘Vell, you two do spend a lot of time together…’ He said.

Hermione rolled his eyes, but Harry seemed a bit annoyed at this. ‘We’re just friends.’ Hermione said.

‘I’m with Ginny… I’m not a cheat.’ Harry said firmly.

Viktor held his hands up, though he seemed slightly happier. ‘I’m just saying vhy that Skeeter woman might think you are a couple… I do not know how she hears half the things she does…’

Hermione nodded at this. ‘I think she might be doing something illegal-’

But something moved behind them in the trees, Hermione and Harry, who’d both had experience with the things that lurked in the forest – giant spiders for Harry, Voldemort for Hermione – both moved quickly.

Harry had grabbed Viktor and pulled him around before he’d reached for his wand. Hermione had instantly aimed her wand at the source of the sound and was scanning the treeline for foes.

‘Vot is it?’ Krum asked, reaching for his own wand to aim at the trees.

Suddenly a man staggered out from behind a tall oak. He was that dishevelled that nobody could really tell who he was for a moment.

Harry frowned, then gasped. ‘Mr Crouch?’ 

He looked as if he had just climbed out of a gutter… or like he’d gone ten rounds with a Leviathan. His robes were ripped and very bloody in places, and he was unshaven and grey with exhaustion.

His strange appearance, though, was nothing compared to how he was behaving. He seemed to be having a conversation with a tree by the looks of it, he was muttering and gesticulating wildly as he spoke.

Hermione and Harry shared a concerned look.

_This is the man that broke into Snape’s office?_ Hermione thought to herself in disbelief.

‘And when you’ve done that, Weatherby, send an owl to Dumbledore confirming the number of Durmstrang students who will be attending the tournament…’ Mr Crouch told the tree.

Harry stepped forwards. ‘Mr Crouch?’ He asked gently.

‘Be careful, Haz.’ Hermione said quickly. ‘He doesn’t look right; he might be under some spell.’ 

Harry nodded, but carried on stepping forwards.

Mr Crouch’s eyes were budging alarmingly as he spoke wildly. 

‘Mr Crouch?’ Harry asked again.

Hermione glanced at Viktor, he looked just as freaked out she felt. ‘Vot is wrong with him?’ He asked quietly.

Hermione shook her head. ‘No idea… he looks like he’s been put through a blender.’ She said, noticing a large gash on his cheek.

Mr Crouch was still not paying Harry any attention as he stepped closer and closer. 

‘We should get someone.’ Harry said.

‘Dumbledore!’ Crouch shouted suddenly, as if he was experiencing a moment of clarity. 

He moved very quickly, seizing hold of the front of Harry’s top and dragging him closer, though he fell to his knees as he did this. 

He seemed to have noticed Harry’s scar and it had pulled him from his trance. ‘I … need … Dumbledore!’ 

‘Okay.’ Harry said quickly. ‘If you get up, we can go up to the castle.’ 

But Mr Crouch seemed to have lost his strength, he couldn’t get up. He looked utterly mad. His eyes were rolling and bulging, and a trickle of blood was sliding down his chin. It looked as if every word he spoke was wounding him further, and perhaps it was.

‘Must tell… Dumbledore… I’ve done… stupid thing.’ His raspy breathing punctuated each pause. ‘Warn… Dumbledore…’

Harry was still trying to help Mr Crouch up. ‘Get up, and we’ll take you to the castle!’ He pleaded, though he seemed to be realising that Crouch wouldn’t be standing up.

A dazed sheen was crossing his face and his eyes unfocused as he looked at Harry. ‘Who… you?’

‘I’m Harry…’ He said.

This didn’t seem to mean much to Crouch. ‘Dumbledore’s?’ He asked nervously.

Harry nodded. ‘Yes, that’s right. Dumbledore’s.’ He said firmly, though he didn’t really understand.

His ragged breathing was beginning to get alarming, it sounded like he was choking. ‘I escaped… it’s all my fault… Bertha… dead… my son… all my fault… the Potter boy… the Dark Lord… stronger… in danger…’

Hermione, who had been rather frozen in shock, was snapped out it by these words.

‘Harry, you’re a fast runner, go and get Dumbledore. Right now.’ She said quickly, stepping forwards to help him detangle himself from Mr Crouch’s grip.

Once he was free, Harry set off at a sprint.

‘Mr Crouch?’ She asked, taking his now free hand. ‘Do you know me? It’s Lady Granger.’ 

She introduced herself this way with the hope he might recognise her - he didn’t. He’d begun speaking nonsense again. 

‘Now, if you could bring me that memo from the King, I think I will have time to draft a response.’ He said absently at the air.

‘How can I help?’ Viktor asked, stepping forwards to Hermione.

‘Just look for Harry coming back.’ She said quickly, pulling her wand out to try and heal some of Crouch’s nastier cuts as he rambled away seemingly unaware of his surroundings. ‘It’s dark, you’ll have to wave them down.’

‘Right.’ Viktor said, turning to look at the castle where Harry had just disappeared inside.

A moment later there was a streak of red light, and Krum hit the ground heavily.

Hermione looked up from her healing in shock, frowning through the dark to see where the source of the curse had come from, her wand elevated and ready to defend herself.

She gasped when she saw the figure emerge from the trees. ‘You?’ 

The figure smiled menacingly. ‘Me.’ 

Then he brandished his wand.

* * *

Harry ran through the corridors with such speed that his lungs hurt from exertion. He was hurtling toward the stone gargoyle that stood halfway along an empty corridor.

‘Sherbet lemon!’ He panted at it. This had been the last password he’d heard for Dumbledore’s office, but the stone gargoyle did not spring to life and jump aside, but stood frozen, glaring at Harry malevolently. His heart sank. 

‘Move!’ He roared desperately at the statue. But nothing at Hogwarts had ever moved just because you shouted at it; he knew it was no good.

There was nothing for it. ‘Professor! Dumbledore! Help!’ He shouted desperately, praying to any God that might be listening that Dumbledore would hear him through the heavy stone wall.

His prayers were answered. The stone wall slid open and Dumbledore was standing there, wearing long green robes and a mildly curious expression. ‘Is there a problem?’

‘Sir!’ Harry panted in relief. ‘Mr Crouch is here, sir! He’s down by the forest… he wants to speak to you!’ 

Dumbledore, thankfully, took Harry seriously. ‘Lead the way, Harry.’ 

The two set off at a brisk pace back down the corridor. 

‘What has Mr Crouch said, Harry?’ Dumbledore asked as they walked swiftly back down the marble staircase.

‘It was all really jumbled – he’s not in a good way – he was saying he wanted to warn you… said he’s done something terrible. He mentioned his son, and Bertha Jorkins… I think he said she was dead… then he said that… that Voldemort was getting stronger.’ 

The urgency that Harry was currently feeling was indescribable. His heart was pounding audibly in his ears as he and Dumbledore raced through the corridors, they were attracting many interested looks as they hurried by packs of students.

‘He’s not right at all.’ Harry said as they made their way at top speed through the entrance hall. ‘I don’t think he knows where he is. He thought he was talking to Percy Weasley when we found him.’ 

‘When we found him?’ Dumbledore asked. They were stepping through the front doors now. In the five minutes he had been inside, it had gotten completely dark.

‘I was with Hermione Granger and Viktor Krum… Hermione told me to come and get you since I was faster than her, she was trying to heal his wounds when I left.’ Harry said quickly.

‘He’s wounded? How badly?’ Dumbledore asked sharply. Somehow, he began to take even longer strides. The two were now running through the grounds.

‘Just some cuts. I think he’d been wondering through the Dark Forest.’ Harry panted as he ran to keep up with the hundred-year-old Headmaster.

‘Where are they?’ Dumbledore asked, squinting through the darkness as they neared the Beauxbatons carriage. 

‘Over here.’ Harry led him nearly blind through the darkness, the only light coming from a not quite full Moon as it peaked out from the cloudy sky.

Something was wrong, he knew it as soon as he realised that he couldn’t hear Mr Crouch’s voice any more… _Maybe he’s passed out__?_ That would be the best-case scenario.

‘Hermione? Viktor?’ He called out once they were past the Beauxbatons carriage. They should have been right there… But nobody answered.

‘They were here.’ Harry said quickly to Dumbledore. 

‘Lumos Maxima!’ Dumbledore said, a ball of light erupted from the end of his wand – both of them gasped when the scene was illuminated. 

It looked like a bomb had gone off. Trees had gouges taken out of them and some had even been knocked over, there were chunks of earth blown feet away from where they should have been – it was a miracle neither Dumbledore or Harry had tripped over on their approach.

Then they saw the two bodies on the ground.

Dumbledore rushed over to the two unmoving figures and checked they were both breathing. 

There was no sign of Mr Crouch.

‘Stunned.’ Dumbledore said softly after he’d examined the pair at his feet. 

‘Should I go and get Pomfrey?’ Harry asked as he looked at the unconscious Hermione, she looked quite banged up, he really didn’t like the angle her wand arm was resting at.

‘No.’ Dumbledore said. ‘Stay where I can see you.’ He raised his wand into the air and pointed it in the direction of Hagrid’s cabin. Harry saw something silvery dart out of it and streak away through the trees like a ghostly bird.

Dumbledore bent over Krum again, he was stood closest to him, he pointed his wand at him and muttered a spell. ‘Rennervate.’ 

Krum opened his eyes, he looked dazed. When he saw Dumbledore, he tried to sit up, but Dumbledore put a hand on his shoulder and made him lie still. Krum moved his head to follow Dumbledore as he crouched over the unconscious Hermione.

‘He attacked us!’ Krum muttered, putting a hand up to his head. ‘The old madman attacked us! I vos looking around to see vare Potter had gone and he attacked from behind! Vhy does she look so hurt?’ He asked, noticing how injured Hermione was compared to him.

‘Looks like she put up a fight.’ Harry said. 

‘Rennervate.’ Dumbledore said, pointing his wand at Hermione.

She bolted upright with a violent gasp. She began breathing heavily as she took in her surroundings in a panic. She swayed a bit, then turned on her side and vomited onto the grass at Dumbledore’s feet.

Dumbledore said nothing of this, he simply vanished the sick.

Hermione was gasping, she looked to be very distressed.

‘Lie back, please.’ Dumbledore said.

‘What happened?’ She gasped at him.

‘Crouch attacked us.’ Viktor told her.

Hermione frowned at him. ‘Mr Crouch?’ 

Harry and Viktor shared an alarmed look. Dumbledore instantly started waving his wand over her head. 

‘Follow my finger with your eyes.’ He said gently as he took hold of her chin with one hand, and began moving a finger back and forth between her eyes.

He waved his wand a bit more before he seemed to come to a decision. ‘You’ve been obliviated.’ 

This only seemed to distress Hermione more. ‘I – what?’ 

‘What’s the last thing you remember?’ He asked.

‘I – er…’ She looked around in a panic again, as if she was trying to remember how she had come to be here. ‘I was in the forest with Snape. We were harvesting Kingsfoil… is he hurt?’

‘Snape went back up to the castle when you came over to us.’ Harry told her.

Dumbledore sent another silvery bird from his wand, it disappeared back up to the castle.

‘Aggghhh!’ Hermione shrieked, she’d just noticed her broken arm… luckily though, Dumbledore seemed to have numbed it before he woke her up.

The sound of thunderous footfalls reached them, and Hagrid came panting into sight with Fang at his heels. He was carrying his crossbow.

‘Professor Dumbledore!’ Hagrid said in alarm, his eyes widened as he took in the scene. ‘What the?’

‘Hagrid.’ Dumbledore said firmly. ‘I need you to fetch Professor Karkaroff, tell him his student has been attacked and send him here… then I need you to go and alert Professor Moody-’

‘No need, Dumbledore.’ Came a wheezy growl. ‘I’m here.’

Moody was limping heavily towards them, putting a lot of weight on his staff, he was wearing a thick travelling cloak that he had had wrapped around himself tightly. 

His magical false eye was spinning quickly in its socket as if it was trying to take in all the damage. He had his wand lighting his way, though he extinguished it as he walked into Dumbledore’s bright ball of light.

‘What’s happened?’ Crouch asked. ‘I heard some students saying you went running out of the castle with Potter.’ 

‘Mr Crouch-’ Dumbledore began.

‘Crouch?’ Hagrid said blankly. 

‘Hagrid, Karkaroff!’ Dumbledore said sharply. 

Hagrid turned and disappeared into the dark as he headed back up the tree line, heading towards the lake and the great ship resting on it.

Dumbledore turned to Moody again. ‘Barty Crouch was here. I need him found.’ 

Moody nodded and re-lit the end of his wand. ‘I’m on it.’ He growled, then limped off into the forest.

Dumbledore set about healing Hermione as good as he could, there was a sickening crunch as he set her broken wand arm. Then he picked up her wand. ‘Do you mind if I see your last spell?’

Hermione nodded; she was looking a bit grey – as if she might be sick again. Harry knelt next to her and rubbed reassuringly at her back.

Dumbledore straightened up and pointed her wand away from the group, at one of the felled trees. ‘Prior Incantato.’ 

It was as if a small bomb erupted from the end of her wand, it was only an imitation of her last spell – so nothing actually happened – but it became clear to all those on the scene exactly how the trees had been ripped from their roots.

Dumbledore handed the wand back to Hermione; his expression gave nothing away. 

‘Looks like you were fighting for your life.’ He said gently.

Hermione’s eyes had widened in alarm at the sight of the spell and she stared down at her wand in shock.

Hermione turned away from Harry and was vomited once more onto the grass, Harry – the good friend he was – grabbed her hair and held it back for her. Last time he’d seen her she’d had her hair bound up in its usual bun, it must have come out in the fight… or perhaps when she fell with enough force to break her arm. 

Dumbledore vanished the sick again. 

‘But I’m not dead.’ Hermione pointed out.

Harry looked up at Dumbledore in concern. ‘Has her mind been effected?’ 

Hermione shook her head. ‘No, I mean… if I was fighting for my life… I lost, why am I not dead?’ 

Dumbledore shook his head. ‘I do not know… whoever did this covered their tracks though, it looks like you’ve lost about half an hour of memory.’ 

They heard the unmistakable sounds of Hagrid and Fang returning. Karkaroff was hurrying along behind them. He was wearing sleek silver furs, and he looked pale and agitated.

‘What is this?’ He cried when he saw Krum on the ground and Dumbledore and Harry beside him, then took in the still banged up state of Hermione. ‘What’s going on?’

‘I vos attacked!’ Krum answered, sitting up now and rubbing his head. ‘Mr. Crouch -’

‘Crouch attacked you!?’ Karkaroff roared. ‘The Triwizard judge?’ 

‘Igor.’ Dumbledore began in a calm voice. 

But Karkaroff had drawn himself up, clutching his furs around him, looking livid. 

‘Treachery!’ he bellowed, pointing at Dumbledore. ‘It is a plot! This is not an equal competition! First you sneak Potter into the tournament, though he is underage! Now one of your Ministry friends attempts to put my champion out of action!’

‘One of my own students has also been attacked, and as you can see, she is in a far worse condition.’ Dumbledore pointed out gently.

By Karkaroff continued his rant as if he couldn’t see Hermione cradling her arm on the floor.

‘I smell double-dealing and corruption! You, Dumbledore, with your talk of closer international wizarding links! Here is what I think of you!’

Then he spat onto the ground at Dumbledore’s feet.

In one swift movement, Hagrid seized the front of Karkaroff’s furs, lifted him into the air, and slammed him against a nearby tree… one of the ones that Hermione had not knocked over.

‘Apologise!’ Hagrid snarled; he looked every bit the part-giant now.

Karkaroff gasped for breath as his feet dangled in mid-air. 

‘Hagrid! No!’ Dumbledore shouted. Hagrid released Karkaroff at once and he fell to his knees gasping.

‘Kindly escort Harry and Hermione back to the castle - the Hospital wing, I think.’ He said, nodding to the bruises now forming on Hermione that he had not healed – plus the fact that while he had set her wonky arm, it was still very much broken. 

Hagrid gave Karkaroff a glowering look. ‘Maybe I’d better stay here, Headmaster…’ 

‘You will take them back to school, Hagrid.’ Dumbledore repeated firmly. ‘Take Hermione to Madam Pomfrey and then take Harry right up to Gryffindor Tower.’ Dumbledore said. ‘And Harry, I want you to stay there.’ 

Harry nodded; he’d already thought of writing to Sirius at his temporary flat – it could wait.

Then came another set of footsteps. ‘Sorry,’ Snape panted, ‘I was down in my store cupboard when I got your message.’

Then he took sight of Hermione sat on the ground. ‘Are you okay?’ He asked her urgently.

‘She’s been obliviated.’ Dumbledore told him, then made a quick list of her injuries. ‘Hagrid’s going to take her to the hospital wing, I want you to go into the woods – Moody is already in there – and try and find Crouch.’

Snape nodded, and with one last concerned look at Hermione, he too hurried into the forest.

‘I’ll leave Fang with yeh, Headmaster.’ Hagrid said with an added glare at Karkaroff, who was still on the floor. ‘Stay, Fang. C’mon, you two.’

Hagrid lumbered forwards and helped Hermione off the ground. She felt incredibly weak. 

As they walked away from the scene, Harry slid an arm around her waist to support her weight for the walk up to the hospital wing.

‘How dare he.’ Hagrid growled as they made their way back up to the castle. ‘How dare he accuse Dumbledore… as if Dumbledore wanted yeh in the tournament in the first place. I dunno when I seen Dumbledore more worried than he’s bin lately. An’ you!’ 

He rounded on Harry, looking so livid that Harry was alarmed.

‘What were yeh doing, wandering off with ruddy Krum? He’s from Durmstrang, Harry! Coulda jinxed yeh right there, couldn’t he? Hasn’t Moody taught yeh nothing?’

‘Viktor’s not bad!’ Hermione said back to Hagrid, just as angry as he had been.

_My money’s on Hermione._ Harry thought to himself, picturing the torn-up scene they had just left behind.

Hagrid grumbled. ‘The less you lot have ter do with these foreigners, the happier yeh’ll be. Yeh can’t trust any of ’em.’ 

‘You were getting on all right with Madame Maxime.’ Harry pointed out, fairly annoyed. Krum had been nothing but decent to him and his friends.

‘Don’ you talk ter me about her!’ Hagrid barked, and he looked quite frightening for a moment. 

_Okay… maybe my money’s on Hagrid._ Harry corrected himself.

‘I’ve got her number now! Trying ter get back in me good books, trying ter get me ter tell her what’s coming in the third task. You can’t trust any of ’em!’ Hagrid seemed to be working himself into a frenzy. 

Harry was glad the corridors were all deserted at this late hour as Hagrid would be drawing quite a lot of attention. Although, the Auror’s on patrol of the castle soon descended on them.

‘What happened?’ One of the Auror’s Harry had seen a few times now asked as he took in the battered Lady of the Realm.

‘Dumbledore’s out by the edge of the Forbidden Forest, by the Beaxbatons’ carriage.’ Harry said quickly. ‘He’ll probably want your help; Mr Crouch was there.’

The two Auror’s that had approached them turned and ran out of the castle, heading in the direction Harry had told them.

Hermione thought she was about ready to pass out by the time Harry had dragged her to the front doors of the Hospital wing and her eyes began to droop. 

She felt two new, warm arms wrapping around her.

‘What happened to her?’ She heard a worried voice asking close to her ear, but her eyes were too heavy to open much, she just saw a speck of blond.

‘We don’t know.’ Another voice said back. 

‘What’s going on here?’ Another, high-pitched voice asked.

This was the last thing Hermione was aware of though, she sagged into whoever was holding her.

* * *

‘Mmhhh.’ Hermione groaned and opened her eyes; she winced at the bright morning light. She wasn’t in her own bed she was in.

After a moment, she managed to fully open her eyes. She was in a bed in the hospital wing, she was in a hospital gown under the covers.

‘Miss Granger.’ Pomfrey said, noticing she was awake and hurrying to her side. ‘How do you feel?’

‘Sick.’ Hermione said, ‘and dizzy… What happened?’ 

‘You don’t recall walking here?’ Pomfrey asked.

Hermione shook her head, though the motion made her feel sick.

‘And the last thing you remember?’ Pomfrey asked as she waved her wand over Hermione.

‘Er… I was harvesting Kingsfoil in the woods with Professor Snape… did I fall and hit my head or something?’ She asked, aside from a throbbing head she felt mostly alright.

‘You came out of the forest and met up with Harry Potter and Viktor Krum.’ Pomfrey told her. ‘You went for a walk with them, something about avoiding Ludo Bagman? At the edge of the forest, you came upon Mr Crouch who was apparently deranged and Mr Potter ran to get Professor Dumbledore. When they got back both you and Mr Krum were unconscious and you were quite banged up.’ 

Hermione felt unusually calm as she was told this… she suspected Madam Pomfrey might have forced some calming draught on her before she’d woken up properly – she could still taste the distinctive lavender extract Snape always added to the mixture. 

‘Mr Potter and Hagrid carried you up here on Dumbledore’s orders, where they met Mr Malfoy.’

‘Draco was here?’ She asked.

‘Yes.’ Pomfrey told her. ‘Though I don’t know how he knew you were in danger.’ 

Hermione glanced down at the mark on her wrist, the mark she shared with Draco._ I do._

‘Then you fainted.’ Pomfrey told her.

‘Shouldn’t I remember the walk up here?’ She asked as she raised a hand to her throbbing temple.

‘Not necessarily. Obliviate is a tricky spell. You might find yourself being a bit forgetful over the next few days, but I’ve given you a full check-up, you’re fine.’ She said. ‘It looks to me like it was performed on you in a hurry.’ 

‘So what?’ Hermione asked as she sat up in her bed. ‘My mind’s going to keep resetting?’ 

‘It shouldn’t.’ Pomfrey said, ‘not now you’re awake and time has passed.’

Hermione nodded and swung her feet over the edge of the bed. ‘Am I allowed to go?’

‘Absolutely not. You were quite badly injured… I’m going to keep you in until lunch.’ 

Hermione nodded, accepting the decision as she really did feel quite sick – also it meant she would miss Alchemy which was an added bonus. 

There was a banging at the door.

Madam Pomfrey sighed. ‘That boy has been insisting to see you since I threw him out last night… Are you feeling well enough for visitors?’

Hermione nodded and Pomfrey walked to the door, a moment later Draco was at her side.

‘How are you feeling? Harry told me what happened!’ Draco pulled her against his chest for a tight hug.

‘I’m fine… fill me in then, what don’t I know?’ She asked, laying back on her pillows.

Draco ignored the chair set besides her and sat on the bed at her side. 

‘Well everyone’s seen what happened…’ Draco said. ‘You kind of blew up several trees when you were fighting…’

Hermione felt a little bit sick as she tried to force the memory – but there was just nothing there.

‘I just went to see Moody with Harry before breakfast.’ Draco said. ‘Snape went into the forest too… so did quite a few Auror’s… nobody found Crouch.’ 

Hermione nodded; she didn’t expect anyone would have found him. ‘Was Harry hurt at all?’

‘No. He’s fine.’ Draco told her. ‘So’s Viktor… though Karkaroff is on the warpath – he’s lodged a formal complaint with the Ministry and one with the King – though it’s Matilda dealing with it… I got a letter from her telling me when I woke up and asking if you were alright.’

‘What did Moody have to say?’ Hermione asked.

Draco sighed. ‘That there wasn’t anything we could do – the Ministry is apparently mounting a full search for Crouch now…’

Hermione shook her head. ‘They won’t find him… I very much doubt it anyway… how did you know to come to the Hospital wing last night?’

‘I didn’t.’ Draco said. ‘But I got this like, gut-wrenching pain that you were in serious trouble… my mark felt like it was on fire… but I had no idea where you were… the last I saw you; you were setting off with Snape. So, I came to the Hospital wing to see if you were there, I was just about to head out into the Dark Forest after you when Harry came dragging you around the corner while Hagrid ranted about Madam Maxime.’ 

Draco was soon sent from the Hospital Wing by Pomfrey for his first lesson of the day, he said if she hadn’t been released by lunch he’d come and visit her again. 

She shut her eyes for a moment after Draco had gone, and then Pomfrey was gently waking her up and telling her it was lunchtime.

‘Do you recall why you are here?’ Pomfrey asked.

Hermione nodded. ‘Crouch, attack, obliviated? Right?’

Pomfrey nodded. ‘And how are you feeling?’

‘Tired… but otherwise fine? Am I allowed to go?’ She asked.

Pomfrey nodded. ‘No classes today though, there’s no need to overwork yourself.’ 

Her first stop was the kitchens for a bite to eat, and the instruction for Dobby to send Draco a note telling him she’d been discharged, and then she went down to the dungeon and collapsed onto her bed. As she shut her eyes, she could feel the calming draught beginning to fade from her system.

Her eyes snapped open about an hour later – afternoon lessons would be getting out soon. 

Hermione let out a shaky breath, the calming draught had completely left her system. 

_I need to go for a walk._ She thought to herself, she felt very shaky and stuffy in her bedroom. 

She pulled on a cloak and a pair of boots and absently set off without a destination in mind. She was finding her eyes becoming misty as she walked.

She wasn’t really aware of it, but she made her way down into Hufflepuff’s secret tunnel, if she was going to freak out – she’d rather do it in privacy.

None of the rooms called to her though as she walked down the twisting labyrinth of stone tunnels.

Her breathing was becoming audibly more distressed as the panic set in… _beaten in combat… obliviated…_

Tears began to stream down her face and she opened the next door she came across, slamming it shut behind her.

She was in the bathroom. It was a modern affair (Hermione suspected the house-elves had renovated) and somehow it was exactly what she wanted. Hermione kicked her shoes off and hung her cape up before she turned the shower on.

* * *

‘Hey, Trace?’ Draco asked the first girl to enter the common room after dinner. ‘Granger’s still not made an appearance, could you go make sure she’s not dead please?’ 

Tracey nodded and set off down the girl’s corridor, she returned seconds later.

‘She’s not in there.’ She told him.

Draco frowned. _Where is she? _

Draco stood up and descended down the boys’ staircase for a moment to collect his warmest cloak. _That stubborn girl’s gone back into the forest._ He grumbled to himself, getting ready to go and search for her into the night.

He made it as far as the dungeon corridor before it occurred to him there was another place she might have gone.

He marched over to the portrait of the flute player on the fields of Regia. ‘Has Hermione come down here today?’ He asked.

The flute player nodded. 

‘Ostium.’ Draco said, and the portrait creaked open to reveal the staircase. 

He hurried back._ At least I don’t have to hunt through the forest for her… wish she hadn’t hidden in a labyrinth though. _

He started his hunt with the most likely places – the library and the Temple. Then the less likely locations – the swimming pool and the ballroom… he was about to start searching all of the sitting rooms when he heard the sound of running water and felt the heat of steam coming from behind one of the doors.

He opened the door and found Hermione.

She was sat, nearly fully clothed under the pouring water from the modern shower. She was hugging her legs to her chest and sobbing uncontrollably.

She looked up, her very red eyes landing on Draco. ‘I just need a minute!’ She said between sobs.

Draco didn’t speak. He kicked off his own shoes, and hung his cape next to Hermione’s. Then he joined Hermione under the water.

He took her in his arms and she buried her head in his chest as she cried.

‘You’re okay.’ He said as he stroked her soaking wet hair.

His clothes were quickly becoming drenched under the shower.

‘I failed...’ She sobbed. ‘I’m meant to be this amazing witch and I got beat!’ 

Draco carried on holding her tightly under the water as she let her tears out. He took one of her hands and noticed how wrinkly her fingers had gotten. _She must have been here for over an hour…_

‘Everyone gets beat at some point.’ He said to her. ‘Even Merlin didn’t win every fight.’ 

Realising she didn’t need answers, just consoling, Draco changed his tune. ‘It’s alright. I’ve got you.’ 

He held her tighter as Hermione cried into his now soaked shirt.

* * *

Hermione remained a little bit on the quiet side for the next few days, but slowly, she became herself again with the help of her friends – and a few extra duelling lessons with Flitwick. 

The news that Daphne had been released from the hospital, and would be returning to the school any day now went a long way in cheering her up.

Draco and Hermione had been breakfasting at the Gryffindor table for a change when a tawny owl landed in front of Harry.

_Harry -_  
_What do you think you are playing at, walking off into the forest at night… _  
_I want you to swear, by return owl, that you are not going to go walking with anyone else at night, even if it is Hermione Granger with you. _  
_There is somebody highly dangerous at Hogwarts and anyone can be killed. I cannot begin to list powerful members of the group who fought the first war that were struck down. Marlene McKinnon was killed along with her entire family, and she was one of the most gifted witches I’d ever met. _  
_It is clear to me that they wanted to stop Crouch from seeing Dumbledore and you were probably feet away from them in the dark. You could have been killed! _  
_Your name didn’t get into the Goblet of Fire by accident. If someone’s trying to attack you, they’re on their last chance. _  
_Stay close to your friends, do not leave Gryffindor Tower after hours, and arm yourself for the third task. Practice Stunning and Disarming. A few hexes wouldn’t go amiss either. _  
_There’s nothing you can do about Crouch. Keep your head down and look after yourself. I’m waiting for your letter giving me your word you won’t stray out-of-bounds again._  
_Remus says hello. _  
_\- Sirius_

‘Hypocrite!’ Harry tossed the letter down on the table, where Ginny picked it up to read. ‘Who’s he to lecture me after all the rubbish he and my dad did at school?’ 

‘He’s just worried about you.’ Ginny told him. ‘He’s right, you could have been killed.’

‘Look – I clearly wasn’t the target, was I? They waited for me to go up to the castle before they attacked.’ Harry said.

‘It’s not possible to make it look like an accident if they murdered you in the forest.’ Hermione told him. 

She’d moved on from the upset of her defeat, to being pissed off she couldn’t remember the fight – how could she improve if she didn’t know where she’d gone wrong? Hagrid had spent the next few days neatening up the lawn she’d demolished and dragging away the fallen trees – he’d fashioned them into a new paddock for the Beauxbatons’ horses. 

Draco nodded. ‘Yeah, if you die during a task it’s another story, isn’t it? Just a tragic accident.’ 

‘Why not just stun me when they attacked you and Krum?’ Harry asked.

‘Probably didn’t want to be so heavily outnumbered.’ Ginny offered. ‘I reckon if Hermione had been the one to run for help that you’d have been stunned right with Krum.’

Hermione sighed. ‘He is right though, Sirius. We need to crack on with your training for the third task.’

‘Can you teach me that explosion spell you used?’ Harry asked excitedly.

‘It didn’t do me much good, did it?’ Hermione grumbled. ‘No, we’ll do what Sirius said…Practice your Stunning and Disarming. And a few hexes…’

Soon after Hermione had finished her cereal, Cedric came to collect her from the breakfast table to head to Ancient History together. 

Harry groaned. ‘I can’t be bothered with Divination.’ 

‘At least Firenze doesn’t tell us we’re going to die every lesson.’ Draco said lightly. ‘Do you know why Dumbledore hired him?’ He then said with a grin.

‘Why?’ Harry and Ginny both asked.

‘There’s this Ministry witch, Umbridge or Umbringe… something like that. She keeps trying to bring in all this anti-half breed legislation and every time she does my uncle has to take the time to get rid of it… I think this is his and Dumbledore’s idea of showing the Ministry where they stand on the idea.’ 

Harry grinned. ‘Brilliant! That would explain why Firenze said the King had asked him to come here as a personal favour!’

All the girls – or at least a lot of them – appeared to have a crush on their new teacher. 

‘I don’t know why they all think a Professor, never mind the fact that he’s a horse, would want to go out with them.’ Ginny frowned as Parvati sat curling her eyelashes around her wand and examining the results in the back of her spoon.

‘He’s not a horse, he’s a centaur!’ Lavender Brown protested, sounding shocked.

‘Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to eavesdrop?’ Ginny grumbled. ‘And horse of centaur, he’s still got four legs.’

Harry had dropped a kiss to Ginny’s forehead before he and Draco left for their class.

They were in classroom eleven now, and everyone was very much enjoying not having to trek up a tower for class now. 

Classroom eleven was situated in the ground-floor corridor leading off the entrance hall on the opposite side to the Great Hall. It was one of those spare rooms that until recently, had been used mostly by horny students sneaking off for a snog.

But it had now been transformed for its new Professor. It now resembled the middle of a forest clearing. The classroom floor had become springily mossy and trees were growing out of it; their leafy branches fanned across the ceiling and windows, so that the room was full of slanting shafts of soft, dappled, green light.

The students who had already arrived were sitting on the earthy floor with their backs resting against tree trunks or boulders. For the first few lessons the class had seemed a little nervous around the centaur, but they were all used to him now… and everyone was sat chatting with their friends as Firenze stood in the middle of the room awaiting the arrival of the rest of his class.

Firenze had white-blond hair like the Malfoy’s, and had astonishingly blue eyes… a muscled torso was attached to the body of a palomino horse.

The final students entered just as the bell rang.

‘Let us begin.’ Firenze said. They were still talking on the matter of stars.

He swished his long palomino tail, raised his hand toward the leafy canopy overhead then lowered it slowly, and as he did so, the light in the room dimmed, so that they now seemed to be sitting in a forest clearing by twilight, and stars emerged upon the ceiling.

‘Please lie back on the floor.’ He said. ‘and observe the heavens. Here is written, for those who can see, the fortune of our races.’

Harry repressed a yawn… he was already tired and laying on his back in a nice soft field wasn’t helping him much. He focused his eyes on the twinkling red star that winked at him from overhead.

Firenze burnt sage and mallowsweet on the classroom floor and told his class to search for certain shapes in the sky – he’d said this was only an introduction and that they would begin to tackle this more seriously next year.

But the pungent fumes were taking hold of Harry, and his eyes drifted shut…

He was having a pleasant dream. Flying over an old, ivy-covered house sat on a hillside… the wind in his face was very exhilarating.

But then the dream shifted… it took on a startling clarity… there was a chair, sat facing away from him… there were two forms on either side of it.

Harry gasped as he made the figures out – he stood in the corner of the room observing the scene despite his dear – one was a huge snake, the other was a man Harry knew and hated. It was Peter Pettigrew.

‘You are in luck, Wormtail.’ Came a cold, high-pitched voice from the chair.

Pettigrew was sobbing.

‘You are very fortunate indeed. Your blunder has not ruined everything. He is dead.’ Continued the unnerving voice. ‘Nagini, you are out of luck, I will not be feeding Wormtail to you, after all… don’t look so downcast my friend, there is still Harry Potter.’ 

Harry gulped and hoped the group wouldn’t notice that he was stood in the corner as the snake hissed.

‘- perhaps one more little reminder why I will not tolerate another blunder from you…’ The voice said. 

‘But you didn’t punish _him_ for his blunder!’ Pettigrew cried desperately.

‘_He_ cleaned up his mess decisively… you, on the other hand, did not.’ Voldemort said coldly.

‘But – there’s Auror’s at the castle now! All because of his error!’ Pettigrew was quite hysterical now.

‘It is no matter. They will not change the plan… if anything, their presence will lull them into a false sense of security.’ Voldemort said, his lack of patience with his servant becoming clear.

Pettigrew began to beg and plead through his tears, but faceless voice on the chair didn’t care for it. A wand emerged from the side of the chair, pointed at Pettigrew’s face. 

‘Crucio!’ 

Wormtail screamed, screamed as though every nerve in his body were on fire, the screaming filled Harry’s ears as the scar on his forehead seared with pain; he was yelling too... Voldemort would hear him, would know he was there… he felt a sharp pain and his head snapped to the side.

‘Harry!’ 

His eyes snapped open. He was still on the floor of Firenze’s classroom… but everyone was looking at him with expressions of shock and horror. Draco was leaning over him with his hand raised… he understood how his head had snapped to the side in his vision – Draco had slapped him, presumably to try and wake him up.

He couldn’t really focus on this though, or be embarrassed that he had started screaming in the middle of class… his scar was burning so badly that it was making his eyes water.

‘I need to go.’ He said.

Firenze nodded. ‘Draco Malfoy, take Harry Potter to where he needs to be.’ 

Draco and Harry stood up quickly and set off out of the classroom without a word. But Harry did not head for the Hospital Wing.

‘Where are you going?’ Draco asked. ‘Hospital Wing’s this way mate.’ He said gently.

‘I’m not going to Pomfrey.’ Harry said quickly. ‘I’m going to Dumbledore.’ 

He marched down the corridors, thinking about what he had seen in the dream… and how much it frightened him. He ran over the details in his mind, trying to make sure he could remember them.

_Voldemort was accusing Wormtail of messing up… but it had been fixed… someone was dead… Harry was going to be fed to a snake…Someone else had made a mistake, but it had been fixed… Voldemort torturing Pettigrew…_

Harry and Draco stopped at the stone Gargoyle that guarded the Headmaster’s rooms. 

Harry turned to Draco. ‘Don’t suppose you know the password?’ He asked hopefully.

‘Er…’ Draco trailed off in thought… he’d heard Tonks saying it the other day. ‘Cockroach Cluster?’

The gargoyle sprang to life and jumped aside.

‘Cockroach Cluster?’ Harry asked. ‘That’s disgusting.’ 

Harry hurried through the gap in the walls and Draco followed him closely. Harry noticed that Draco was walking with his arms slightly ahead of him, as if he thought Harry might collapse.

They stepped onto the foot of a spiral stone staircase, which moved slowly upward as the doors closed behind them, taking them up to a polished oak door with a brass door knocker.

Both boys hesitated though, when they heard raised voices from inside the offices and they paused for a moment to see if they could tell who was inside.

‘That’s Fudge.’ Draco whispered. ‘And my cousin!’ 

‘Come on!’ The Princess was sounding angry. ‘Even you must see the disappearances of Crouch and Jorkins are linked!’

‘Even Me?’ Fudge shouted back. ‘May I remind you to whom you are speaking?’ 

‘May I remind _you_ to whom you are speaking!’ The Princess snapped back.

‘Can we wrap up this discussion?’ Came a new voice, Moody.

‘Yes, let’s go down to the grounds, then.’ Fudge said.

‘No, it’s not that… Potter and Malfoy are outside your door, Dumbledore.’ Moody said to the room.

The office door swung open. The Princess and the Minister for Magic both seemed quite red in the face, Dumbledore had a tired expression, and Moody almost seemed amused.

‘Come in.’ Dumbledore said.

Cornelius Fudge was standing beside Dumbledore’s desk. ‘Ah! Draco and Harry!’ He said lightly in greeting. 

Then he turned to Harry in particular. ‘It was you who found him, was it not?’

‘Yes.’ Harry answered quickly. ‘But I wasn’t there when he went missing again.’

‘And you still won’t consent to me interviewing Mr Krum or Miss Granger?’ Fudge rounded on Dumbledore and the King.

‘No.’ Dumbledore said firmly.

‘Lady Granger.’ The Princess answered at the same time.

‘It would be pointless.’ Dumbledore said. ‘Viktor Krum was stunned from behind, and Hermione Granger was obliviated.’ 

‘We might be able to salvage something from her mind!’ Fudge said.

‘What? At the cost of her sanity?’ Draco snapped. ‘How about no.’

The Princess winked at Draco behind the Minister’s back. ‘You will not savage the mind of a member of court.’ She said firmly to Fudge. Draco spotted she was indeed wearing The King’s Ring that normally graced the hand of his uncle.

‘We’re about to go for a short walk on the grounds, boys, it you’ll excuse us.’ Fudge said.

‘I needed to talk to you, sir.’ Harry said quickly to Dumbledore. ‘It’s important.’ 

Dumbledore nodded. ‘And you, Mr Malfoy?’ 

‘I just came with Harry.’ Draco said.

‘Wait here for me, Harry.’ Dumbledore said. ‘Our examination of the grounds will not take long.’

‘Come on, Draco.’ Princess Matilda said. ‘We’ll drop you off at your class on our way out.’

‘That’s alright. Divination will be finishing off now – I’ll just head to my next class.’ Draco told his cousin.

The door swung shut behind them, and Harry was alone in Dumbledore’s office… well, nearly alone.

‘Hello, Fawkes.’ He said fondly to Dumbledore’s Phoenix on his golden perch beside the door. The size of a swan, with magnificent scarlet-and-gold plumage, he swished his long tail and blinked benignly at Harry.

Harry had seen the scar on Draco’s bicep from the Basilisk venom, he found it amazing that this bird had quite literally saved the life of one of his best friends.

Harry sat down in a chair in front of Dumbledore’s desk. For several minutes, he sat and watched the old headmasters and headmistresses snoozing in their frames, running his fingers over his scar. 

It had stopped hurting now. He felt much calmer, somehow, now that he was in Dumbledore’s office, knowing he would shortly be telling him about the dream. 

Harry looked up at the walls behind the desk. The patched and ragged Sorting Hat was standing on a shelf. A glass case next to it held a magnificent silver sword with large rubies set into the hilt, the sword of Gryffindor. 

Bored after a few minutes, he turned in his chair and noticed a sliver of silver-white light. It was shining brightly from within a black cabinet behind him, the doors hadn’t been shut properly. 

Harry hesitated, glanced at Fawkes, then got up, walked across the office, and pulled open the cabinet door. A shallow stone basin lay there, with odd carvings around the edge: runes and symbols that Harry did not recognize.

He wished Hermione was with him, she’d known exactly what this was.

The silvery light was coming from the basin’s contents… he couldn’t tell whether it was liquid or gas… it was like nothing he had ever seen before. 

He wanted to touch it, to find out what it felt like, but nearly four years’ experience of the magical world told him that sticking his hand into a bowl full of some unknown substance was a very stupid thing to do – he could already hear Hermione or Ginny, or both, lecturing him in the hospital wing “you stuck your hand in what?!”.

To avoid this, he pulled his wand out from his pocket and prodded the surface of the basin with that instead. 

The surface of the silvery stuff inside the basin began to swirl very fast upon contact with his wand. Harry bent to have a closer look, his head right inside the cabinet. 

The silvery substance had become transparent; it looked like glass. He looked down into it, expecting to see the stone bottom of the basin — and saw instead an enormous room below the surface of the mysterious substance, a room into which he seemed to be looking through a circular window in the ceiling.

The room was dimly lit; he thought it might even be underground, for there were no windows, merely torches in brackets.

He was leaning further forwards now, trying to peer into the underground room. His nose was a mere inch away from the glassy substance. He could just about make out rows of witches and wizards sat on what looked like benches rising in levels. 

They were all peering down in interest at an empty chair that stood in the very centre of the room. Harry felt very uncomfortable at the sight of the chair, it was wrapped in thick chains – as though its occupants were usually tied to it. 

The crowd seemed to be waiting for something, they were all glancing at the chair and then off to the side at what looked like a heavy door.

He leaned down more, tilting his head, trying to see into the corners of the room. The tip of his nose touched the strange substance and his world gave an almighty lurch.

Harry yelped in surprise as he was thrown forwards into the basin and as he fell through the cold substance it held.

Then, Harry found himself sitting on a bench. He looked up instantly at the stone ceiling, expecting to see the circular window he had fallen through, but there was nothing there but solid stone. 

There were at least two hundred witches and wizards in this square hall, and to his shock, none of them seemed to have noticed him falling through their ceiling. 

Harry turned to the old wizard next to him to ask what the hell was going on, only to give a cry of surprise when he saw that he was sat next to Albus Dumbledore. 

‘Professor!’ He gasped, ‘I’m sorry – I was just looking at that basin in your cabinet! Where are we?’ But Dumbledore did not acknowledge Harry at all.

In fact, he ignored him completely.

Like every other wizard on the benches, the Headmaster was staring into the far corner of the room at the heavy door. 

Harry realised what was going on quickly. It was only two years agon he had been sucked into Tom Riddle’s Diary – he could still remember the shock on Hermione’s face when he told her about it the next day. Unless he was mistaken, he was in someone’s memory. 

Harry raised his right hand, hesitated, and then waved it energetically in front of Dumbledore’s face. Dumbledore did not blink, look around at Harry, or move at all. And that, in Harry’s opinion, settled the matter.

The Dumbledore sat next to him was very similar to the present-day Dumbledore, but he was missing one or two wrinkles from around his eyes. It couldn’t be that long ago…

At the head of the room on a raised bench sat Mr Crouch, his hair was dark, his face was much less lined, he looked fit and alert.

Much to Harry’s shock, just to the left of him on a lower bench sat King Armand.

_Shouldn’t the King be sat in the top spot?_ Harry wondered. The King’s hair hadn’t started to turn grey yet, it was just as vividly blond as Draco’s – and he didn’t have any frown lines yet. Despite looking about ten years younger, he looked very ill. He was pale – with large bags under his eyes, and he looked rather thin.

This sight of the great King looking so unlike himself dated the memory for him. The Queen had just been killed – and Princess Matilda (who he had just seen all grown up about ten minutes ago, so that was a little odd) was in the Hospital fighting for her life given by how twitchy Armand looked, he appeared ready to run from the hall at a moment’s notice.

He was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of thundering footsteps. The heavy dungeon door in the corner was thrown open.

There were two dementors flanking a man and pushing him towards the centre of the room and the chair that was waiting for him. Their dead hands were wrapped tightly around each of his arms. The man they were dragging looked about ready to pass out.

_I don’t blame him_. Harry shuddered as he remembered the cold effect the dementor had on him and his friends.

The crowd recoiled at the dementors as they chained the man to the chair before turning and gliding backwards out of the room. The door swung shut behind them and Harry joined the rest of the crowd in turning to look at the man now chained tightly to the centre chair.

It was Igor Karkaroff.

Unlike Dumbledore, Karkaroff looked much younger; his hair and goatee were black. He was not dressed in sleek furs, but in thin and ragged robes as Sirius had been when he escaped from Azkaban.

He was shaking. Even as Harry watched, the chains on the arms of the chair glowed suddenly gold and snaked their way up Karkaroff’s arms, binding him there.

‘Igor Karkaroff.’ Mr Crouch spoke from the Kings seat. ‘We need to make this quick – the King has more important places to be right now than dealing with the likes of you.’

Everyone in the room suddenly shot Armand a sympathetic glance, but he was too busy looking at Karkaroff with disgust. 

‘You have been brought from Azkaban to present evidence to the Ministry of Magic.’ Crouch said in a cold voice. 

Karkaroff straightened himself as best he could, tightly bound to the chair. 

‘I have, sir.’ He said timidly. ‘I wish to be of use to the Ministry… and to His Royal Highness…’ Then he bowed his head to the King.

‘Filth.’ Harry heard a familiar grumble from his side, he turned to see Moody and nearly fell out of his seat in alarm.

If the Queen had only recently been killed, then Moody had only just been mangled. His face was black and blotchy with horrific scabs covering the missing chunk of his nose. Clearly, he hadn’t gotten his magical eye yet, he was simply wearing a black eyepatch over the wound.

‘Crouch is going to let him out.’ Moody growled in Dumbledore’s ear. ‘Done a deal with him… Took my team weeks to track him down and Crouch is going to let him walk if he has good enough names.’ 

_Weeks? The war has been over for weeks?_ Harry adjusted his timeframe. Matilda must have been released from the hospital by now – but only just… the King was probably antsy to get back to his ten-year-old daughter at Regia. 

Then he looked at Moody in horror once again, if this is what he was looking like a good month after the attack, what the hell state had the Death Eaters left him?

‘Get his information, then throw him back to the Dementor’s.’ Moody finished his rant. 

Dumbledore made a grunt in response, and Harry wasn’t sure if he agreed or not.

‘You say you have names for us.’ Crouch prompted.

Karkaroff nodded eagerly. ‘Yes, sir… It was always very secretive; we never knew the names of every one of our fellows - He alone knew exactly who we all were.’ 

‘Get on with it.’ Crouch barked, clearly this was a speech everyone in the room had heard before. ‘Your names?’

‘These were all important supporters, people I saw with my own eyes doing his bidding… I give this information as a sign that I fully and totally renounce him, and am filled with a remorse so deep I can barely-’

‘THE NAMES!’ The King suddenly roared.

Half the room jumped in shock at this outburst, Karkaroff recoiled in his seat. For the first time, Harry was scared of King Armand. 

‘Yes, sire! There was Antonin Dolohov - I saw him torture countless Muggles.’ Karkaroff said with a shaky voice.

‘And helped him do it.’ The King said coolly back to him. ‘We have already captured Dolohov.’ 

‘I am delighted to hear of his arrest!’ Karkaroff said, though he didn’t sound delighted. ‘I have other names… Evan Rosier!’

‘Rosier is dead.’ Crouch said. ‘He refused to surrender.’ 

‘No more than he deserved!’ Karkaroff nodded, though he was starting to sound panicked now that none of his information so far could secure his release. 

‘There was… Travers! He was there when Marlene McKinnon died!’ Harry noticed Dumbledore twitch in his seat uncomfortably and wondered if he had been there too. Harry remembered Sirius mentioning the powerful witch in his letter to Harry – of course Dumbledore would have known her.

‘Mulciber - he specialized in the Imperius Curse, forced countless people to do horrific things! Rookwood, who was a spy, and passed He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named useful information from inside the Ministry itself!’

This time, Karkaroff had struck gold. The watching crowd was all murmuring together.

‘Rockwood?’ Mr Crouch asked, nodding to a witch sitting in front of him, who began scribbling upon her piece of parchment. ‘Augustus Rookwood of the Department of Mysteries?’

Karkaroff nodded eagerly. 

‘Very well.’ Mr Crouch said. ‘We already have Travers and Mulciber… you will be returned to Azkaban while we decide-’

‘- No!’ Karkaroff pleaded. ‘I have more! … Severus Snape!’

‘He has been vouched for by Albus Dumbledore.’ Crouch said. 

‘No!’ Karkaroff shouted. ‘I promise! He is a Death Eater!’

Dumbledore stood up besides him and spoke calmly. ‘I have given evidence already on this matter… Severus Snape was indeed a Death Eater. However, he re-joined our side before Lord Voldemort’s downfall and turned spy for us, at great personal risk. He is now no more a Death Eater than I am.’

Moody was shaking his head behind Dumbledore’s back with a look of deep scepticism, as was King Armand. 

‘You have been of assistance, Karkaroff.’ Mr Crouch said. ‘I shall review your case…’

The vision was fading around him. Morphing…The dungeon faded in smoke only to return just as strong a moment later.

He was sitting on the other side of the hall now, still sat next to Professor Dumbledore. The King wasn’t present at all this time, Crouch was remaining in the top box.

The atmosphere seemed quite different: relaxed, even cheerful. The witches and wizards all around the walls were talking to one another, almost as though they were at some sort of sporting event rather than a trial.

Mr. Crouch looked more tired and somehow fiercer, gaunter.

The door in the corner opened, and Ludo Bagman walked into the room. 

This was not, however, a Ludo Bagman gone to seed that Harry and his friends were familiar with, but a Ludo Bagman who was clearly at the height of his Quidditch-playing fitness. 

Bagman looked nervous as he sat down in the chained chair, but it did not bind him there as it had bound Karkaroff. Bagman, perhaps taking this as a good sign, glanced around at the watching crowd and waved at a couple of them.

‘Ludo Bagman, you have been brought here in front of the Council of Magical Law to answer charges relating to the activities of the Death Eaters… We have heard the evidence against you, and are about to reach our verdict. Do you have anything to add to your testimony before we pronounce judgment?’

Harry frowned. _If Ludo Bagman is a Death Eater, I’ll eat my pillow._

‘Well… I know I’ve been a bit of an idiot…’ 

A few members of the jury smiled down at Bagman. Mr Crouch was not smiling though.

‘You call passing information to known Death Eaters “being a bit of an idiot” do you?’ Crouch asked.

‘I had no idea!’ Bagman protested. ‘Old Rookwood was a friend of my dad’s! It never crossed my mind he was in with You-Know-Who! He worked for the Ministry for Merlin’s sake! And Rookwood kept talking about getting me a job in the Ministry later on… once my Quidditch days are over, you know... I mean, I can’t keep getting hit by Bludgers for the rest of my life, can I?’ 

Harry was frowning at Crouch. _You didn’t know old Rockwood was a Death Eater either, did you?_

‘Your fate will be put to a vote.’ Mr Crouch said coldly. ‘The jury will please raise their hands… those in favour of imprisonment?’

No hands were raised at all. Not one. 

Many of the witches and wizards around the walls began to clap.

The smoke was back, the dungeon began to fade once again.

There was a notable shift in tone now as the dungeon resurfaced. 

He and Dumbledore were sat closer to Crouch now – closer to the King who had returned. He had a little more colour and fullness to his cheeks now – Matilda must have been given the all clear now. Though he still looked very tired, and Harry remembered that he would still be in mourning for his Queen.

The King was sat to the side, Crouch still had the top box. Although Harry had already seen in Karkaroff’s trial that the King could still do as he pleased no matter where he sat.

The dungeon was so silent it was eerie, the only occasional breaks came from a woman sat sobbing into a handkerchief besides Crouch.

Rather thank the King looking ill, it was now Crouch that looked pale and thin.

‘Bring them in.’ Crouch said, his voice echoed around the hall.

The door in the corner opened yet again. Six dementors entered this time, flanking a group of four people. Harry saw the people in the crowd turn to look up at Mr. Crouch. A few of them whispered to one another. The dementors placed each of the four people in the four chairs with chained arms that now stood on the dungeon floor.

There was a thickset man who stared blankly up at Crouch; a thinner and more nervous-looking man, whose eyes were darting around the crowd; a woman with thick, shining dark hair and heavily hooded eyes, who was sitting in the chained chair as though it were a throne; and a boy in his late teens, who looked nothing short of petrified.

Harry realised what trial this must be. 

The youngest boy was shivering, his hair was all over his face, he was somehow even paler than Crouch – his father.

Crouch stood up, clearly the trial had already taken place – it was time to find them innocent or guilty.

He looked down upon the four in front of him, and there was pure hatred in his face. ‘You have been brought here before the Council of Magical Law,’ he said clearly, ‘so that we may pass judgment on you, for a crime so heinous-’

‘Father! Please!’ The young boy begged.

_“He laughed as my mother screamed.”_ He recalled Neville saying. _He puts on a good show._ He thought as he watched the boy cry and beg.

But Crouch was speaking over the boys begs. ‘We have heard the evidence against you. The four of you stand accused of capturing the Auror Frank Longbottom and subjecting him to the Cruciatus Curse, believing him to have knowledge of the present whereabouts of your exiled master, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named…’ Crouch said coldly, though a nerve twitching on his forehead gave him away.

‘I didn’t!’ Little Crouch begged. ‘I swear!’ 

_“He laughed as my mother screamed.”_

‘You are also accused, of using the Cruciatus Curse on his wife, Alice Longbottom, when he refused to give you information. You planned to restore He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named to power, and to resume the lives of violence you presumably led while he was strong. I now ask the jury -’

‘Mother! Don’t let him give me to the dementors!’ The boy turned to the sobbing witch sat beside Crouch.

‘I NOW ASK THE JURY!’ Crouch roared over the pleas of his son. ‘Raise their hands if they believe, as I do, that these crimes deserve a life sentence in Azkaban!’

Every hand shot up, next to Crouch, the King also raised his hand (though Harry knew he was not a part of the jury.)

The crowd around the walls began to clap as it had for Bagman, their faces full of savage triumph.

The dementors were gliding back into the room. The boys’ three companions rose quietly from their seats; the woman with the heavy-lidded eyes looked up at Crouch. 

‘The Dark Lord will rise again, Crouch! He will rise again and will come for us, and he will reward us!’

The King stood and the woman fell silent. 

‘Perhaps he will return… but you won’t be there to see it, Bellatrix.’ He said. The group of four all gulped. ‘You have done worse than killing two of the greatest people of our society. You have left their son an orphan… I decree, when he comes of age, he shall decide your fate.’ 

‘Your meaning, sir?’ Crouch asked the King, he was trying to appear calm but his voice shook.

‘When Neville Longbottom turns seventeen – he will decide if these four get the dementors Kiss.’

There was gasps around the room and people applauded the decision. A few people called out for them to be Kissed immediately, right there in the courtroom. The sobbing witch beside Crouch gave a great gasp and slumped in her seat. She had fainted.

The crowd was jeering, some of them on their feet, as the woman and the two older men were swept out of the dungeon, and the boy continued to struggle.

‘I’m your son!’ He screamed up at Crouch. 

‘You are no son of mine!’ Crouch roared back. ‘Take him away!’ 

Harry watched as the young boy kicked and screamed as he was dragged away by the dementors.

‘Harry, I think it is time we returned to my office.’ A quiet voice said in his ear. 

There was an Albus Dumbledore sitting on his right, watching Crouch’s son being dragged away by the dementors and applauding the sentence with everyone else - and there was an Albus Dumbledore on his left, looking right at him. The left Dumbledore wrapped his hand around Harry’s elbow and Harry felt himself rising in the air and the dungeon dissolved around him.

He felt rather like he’d done a somersault, and he handed flat on his feet in Dumbledore’s office once again.

The stone basin was shimmering in the cabinet in front of him, and Albus Dumbledore was standing beside him.

‘I’m so sorry, sir!’ Harry gasped. ‘The cabinet door was open and I just…’

‘It’s quite alright, Harry.’ Dumbledore said. ‘Curiosity is not a sin.’

He lifted the basin, carried it over to his desk, placed it upon the polished top, and sat down in the chair behind it. He motioned for Harry to sit down opposite him. Harry did so, staring at the stone basin. The contents had returned to their original, silvery-white state, swirling and rippling beneath his gaze.

‘What is that thing?’ Harry asked. 

‘It is called a Pensive.’ Dumbledore told him. ‘I find it useful to review old thoughts… when you reach my age, you find your memory is not as flawless as it once way… there’s just too much crammed up there.’

Harry stared at the Pensive.

‘I was using the Pensive when the Princess and the Minister arrived… I put it away in a bit of a rush, no doubt.’ Dumbledore added after a minute.

Harry wasn’t sure what to say.

‘So, Harry.’ Dumbledore said conversationally. ‘Before you got lost in my thoughts, I believe you wanted to tell me something?’

‘Yes.’ Harry said, recalling the urgency with which he had dragged Draco up here. ‘I was in Divination and I fell asleep… and I – er… I had a dream about Voldemort.’ 

Dumbledore nodded and gestured for him to continue.

‘He was torturing Peter Pettigrew… Voldemort got a letter from an owl. He said something like, Wormtail’s blunder had been repaired. He said someone was dead. Then he said, Wormtail wouldn’t be fed to the snake — there was a snake beside his chair. He said — he said he’d be feeding me to it, instead. He said – Pettigrew – Pettigrew said that someone else had made a mistake and not been punished even though it meant all the Auror’s were here at Hogwarts now… but Voldemort said it didn’t matter – that we would have a false sense of security…Then he did the Cruciatus Curse on Wormtail — and my scar hurt…’ Harry said. ‘It woke me up, it hurt so badly. It felt like I was burning.’ 

‘I see.’ Dumbledore nodded. ‘Did you see anything else in this vision?’ 

‘He mentioned Bertha Jorkins… but that’s it.’ Harry told him.

Dumbledore put the tip of his wand to his temple and as he pulled it away something silvery came out of his head. Dumbledore batted the silver thread down into the Pensive and Harry saw the surface take the shape of his own face.

‘Why is my scar hurting?’ 

Dumbledore looked very intently at Harry for a moment, and then said, ‘It is my belief that your scar hurts both when Lord Voldemort is near you, and when he is feeling a particularly strong surge of hatred… you are both connected by the curse that failed to kill you.’

‘So… did that dream… that really happened?’ Harry asked.

Dumbledore nodded. ‘Probably… Did you see Voldemort’s face?’

Harry shook his head. ‘Just the back of his chair… but… he doesn’t have a body, does he? How was he sat in a chair without a body? I don’t understand how he could hold his wand…’

‘How indeed…’ Dumbledore nodded. ‘We keep hearing that he is getting stronger. Gaining some form of physicality must be a part of that… the years of Voldemort’s rise to power were defined by mysterious disappearances… there have been three notable disappearances this year – Bertha Jorkins, Mr Crouch, and a muggle named Frank Bryce who lived in the village where Voldemort’s parents came from.’ 

It was hard to imagine someone like Voldemort having parents… whenever he though of mothers his mind always gave him pictures of his mother – who had died for him… and Alice Longbottom, who had hidden her son rather than save herself.

‘You heard the Princess and Fudge arguing when you came here… King Armand and Princess Matilda agree with me that these missing people are linked – but the Ministry is disagreeing.’

Harry nodded. He thought they were connected to. Any Muggle that disappeared in the village that Voldemort’s parents had come from should have been investigated by Auror’s, in Harry’s opinion.

Harry’s mind flicked back to what he had seen in the Pensive… in particular, the memory of Igor Karkaroff.

‘What made you believe Snape really stopped supporting Voldemort, sir?’ He asked, unable to resist the temptation.

‘Professor Snape… I’m afraid that is a matter between him and I.’ Dumbledore said.

Harry nodded… he didn’t really suspect Snape was still a Death Eater at heart – you couldn’t have such a famous Muggle-born like Hermione as your protégé and believe in blood superiority.

Harry stood, seeing that his meeting was over… but one name was floating in his mind.

‘Yes, Harry?’ Dumbledore asked, seemingly seeing the question in his mind.

‘Karkaroff mentioned a woman that was killed by… Travers?’ Harry asked. ‘It seemed to make you uncomfortable… did you know her?’ 

Dumbledore visibly hesitated at the mention of this. ‘Marlene McKinnon… yes, I knew her.’ Dumbledore sighed. ‘I fought with her during the war… she was a scarily powerful witch, easily the smartest person I’ve ever met. She was promised to the sisterhood of Vutris at the outbreak of the war. Her death caused something of an outrage. The High Oracle came over to England to oversee Travers trial herself.’

‘What happened?’ Harry asked. ‘Did Travers kill her?’

Dumbledore shook his head. ‘No… I don’t think I should tell you this, you are very young.’

‘I know what they are capable of, sir.’ Harry said, though he was bracing himself for the horrors Dumbledore was about to tell him. 

‘She was captured by Death Eaters and tortured for nearly a year. She managed to escape… she was free for about a month before they found her again – Voldemort came with them, he thought she knew a critical piece of information… and she did. But she looked in Voldemort’s eyes and lied about it… and then she killed herself rather than be taken by them again.’

Harry’s eyes widened… the relatively quick deaths of his parents seemed to be a mercy compared to the fate of other people in the war. Marlene McKinnon and Neville’s parents had known hell. 

‘Did they get the information?’ Harry asked. ‘The information Marlene knew? 

‘No.’ Dumbledore said. ‘The secret remained safe… I believe there are only three – perhaps four now – people alive that know what he was after.’

‘And who are they?’ Harry couldn’t help asking.

‘The King and I are two of them.’ Dumbledore said. ‘Then the High Oracle, she sees everything… and Professor Snape has figured it out I think.’

‘And the information is safe with Snape?’ Harry couldn’t help frowning.

‘Professor Snape… yes. It is safe.’ Dumbledore said firmly. ‘And before you ask me any more – that secret shall be going with all of us to the grave if I have my way… Voldemort could still do massive amounts of damage if he gets a hold of a single word of the secret.’

Harry nodded; he wouldn’t ask… though it would annoy him for a few weeks no doubt as he tried to guess. His number one theory – formed in about two seconds - was that if Marlene McKinnon was promised to the Sisterhood… she could have been protecting one of those powerful Godly artefacts like Draco’s sword.

Dumbledore was standing over the Pensive now, his face illuminated from below with the silvery light. It struck Harry how old and weary Dumbledore actually looked in that moment.

Then he sighed and gave Harry a small smile. ‘I won’t keep you, Harry.’ He said, and Harry knew Dumbledore had dismissed him. ‘Oh, and good luck with the third task.’

Harry left the Headmasters office by the time classes were getting out for lunch… he’d been in the Pensive for longer than he’d thought, it was lunchtime now. _I was in there for over an hour!_

He headed straight for the Great Hall – he wanted to tell Ginny and then his friends what had happened.

* * *

‘How worried should we be?’ Draco asked Hermione as they sat in front of the fire that night after the rest of their friends had gone to bed.

‘Well… I don’t know? Voldemort’s getting stronger…’ Hermione sighed. ‘And Dumbledore’s memories – thank Vutris that Harry is so nosy… they were very interesting.’

‘I can’t shake the feeling that something terrible is going to happen…’ Draco said.

‘Tell me about it.’ Came a new voice from the doorway.

It was Daphne.

‘Daph!’ Draco grinned as he leapt up from the couch. He was pulling her into a tight hug a moment later.

Hermione was close behind him and wrapped her arms around her other best friend as tightly as she could.

‘When did you get back?’ Hermione asked as she stepped back.

‘About an hour ago… I’ve been in with Dumbledore and Snape.’ Daphne told them.

‘Did they…’ Draco trailed off, not quite knowing how to phrase the question.

‘Diagnose me?’ Daphne asked.

‘Yes, that.’ Draco said.

‘That they did, or well, the expert did… I’m a “true banshee” … I sense death.’ Daphne said. ‘I hear things before they happen, like the rain I keep hearing.’

‘So… when you keep hearing rain?’ Hermione prompted.

‘I think something terrible will happen when that storm hits. It’s like this gut feeling of horror.’ Daphne nodded, she looked very scared at this idea. 

‘But… It rains all the time here Daph, you can’t dwell on this waiting for something to happen.’ Draco pointed out, trying his best to console her.

Daphne shook her head. ‘No. It’s not soon, it’s still in the distance. The girl they had me speak to was like me, she said it’s when it’s right in my ear that it’s imminent. It’s why I want to scream too, it won’t kill anyone, it’s to help me drown out every other noise and help me hear better and understand.’ 

‘What about the drawings?’ Hermione asked. 

‘Some of them will be pieces of the future. Like the knife I kept drawing was used to kill Madam Sybil.’ Daphne nodded.

‘And the dreams?’ Draco asked.

‘The other Banshee said she used to get them too. I’m dreaming the future but I’m not “developed” enough to remember them. But I get so freaked out that I try and wake myself up – but my body is still paralysed from sleep. So… it gets even worse… it doesn’t make much sense really.’

‘So? What did she say to do?’ Hermione asked.

Daphne snorted. ‘Oh, she was so helpful. Apparently, I just have to take a deep breath and not wake up… then the vision will clear and I’ll see the future… Like it’s that easy to stay calm…’

There was a pause for a moment as a first year appeared for a night-time glass of water from their little kitchenette. 

Once the first year turned and hurried back down the corridor Hermione turned back to Daphne.

‘And the reading?’ She asked. ‘The symbols you keep seeing?’ 

‘That wasn’t something she’d experienced… Banshee’s are effected in different ways apparently… but this is a very frustrating one… I’ve got a language in my head I can’t speak.’

The trio were making their way into the kitchenette and Draco prepared them all some Hot Chocolate, as Daphne told them all about the different tests she’d undergone and how an “expert” had come in and told everyone exactly what she was in under a minute. 

‘Does this mean you’re related to those awful normal banshees’ that kill us with their scream?’ Draco asked as he handed Daphne her mug.

‘No… I bloody hope not anyway… although I suppose it would be cool to be taking down enemies with a scream.’ Daphne mused.

‘You can take down Skeeter for me if you can.’ Hermione said as she sipped from her own mug. Gods, it was good to have Daphne back.

* * *

* * *

Hey guys, some of you might have seen – I had quite a rude comment on chapter 38 of my story the other day.  
Now, I am too old (and the fact I only write this for fun and don’t consider it a serious work) to be really upset by it. It just got me a little angry… but a comment like that to someone younger who doesn’t know how sucky people can be could really upset them and maybe even put them off writing their story anymore.   
Just to say – if you don’t like someone’s story there is no need to insult it on your way out. Always try and be aware that there is a person on the other side of your screen.   
Thanks for all the lovely messages I've received over it!  
Okay, rant over. 

Took quite a lot of this chapter straight from the book for the obvious reasons. TBH I'm quite looking forwards to fourth year finishing so I can properly kick off my own story lines and plot. I think you'll all enjoy the last chapter of fourth year... it's going to really set up the rest of the story.

A happy belated birthday to of_fire_and_blood. 

Loving you all,  
E x


	80. Artefacts 101

‘Ooofff. Sorry!’ Hermione said as she turned the corner and slammed into someone, causing both of them to drop their books.

Then she saw who she had run into and internally groaned.

‘Sorry, Pansy.’ She said quickly, she really wasn’t in the mood for an argument or cruel prank. All her available time was now being dedicated to preparing Harry for the final task and she was getting very tired by the time she flopped into bed at night.

But instead of receiving a biting remark, or a bucket of Flobberworm mucus to the head, Pansy merely scooped low to pick up her books.

‘No worries.’ She said quickly and quietly, and then she was off again – she disappeared around the corner without a single insult.

_Well… that was out of character. _Hermione couldn’t help thinking… only it wasn’t. Pansy had been incredibly quiet all year long now, she’d gone from hitting Hermione in first year to completely ignoring her. Any time she sat with the group or hung out with Draco; she was near silent... she was looking rather pale and thin too now that Hermione thought about it.

Hermione was wondering about Pansy’s possible motives as she walked into the Great Hall for lunch.

‘Hey, Hermione?’ A voice called from behind her, it was Neville. He must have been waiting for her to appear.

‘Hey, Nev. What’s up?’ She asked with a smile to her friend, he looked a little nervous.

‘Well… you know I said that I’d tell you when I was ready for company? You know… on the full moon?’ He asked, twiddling his thumbs and looking up at the false sky instead of looking at Hermione.

‘You want me to come with you?’ Hermione asked, fairly surprised. ‘I thought you were never going to ask…’

‘Yeah, well… it’s nearly been a year, I think I’m pretty to grip with it all now.’ Neville said. ‘So… what do you say?’ He asked. ‘You don’t have to if you don’t want.’

Hermione cut him off by putting a reassuring arm to his shoulder. ‘Of course, I’ll come with you… just tell me where to meet you.’

Neville let out a breath of relief and his shoulders released a fair amount of tension. He smiled brightly at her. ‘Well, I go and get my potion from Snape at like, eight… want to meet me there?’

Hermione smiled at him. ‘Of course, I’ll see you there.’

‘I’ll see you later then.’ Neville smiled before they went to sit with their friends.

Hermione ate a quick lunch, listening to her friends all panic about the upcoming end of year exams due to start next week, before she turned to Harry.

‘Right. Come on then, we’ve got half an hour left.’ She said.

Harry grumbled. ‘Can’t I have one lunch time off?’ He asked hopefully.

‘No. You can’t.’ She said, standing up. ‘Final task in two weeks, come on.’

Harry sighed and stood up, they had moved on to duelling and Harry was getting very fed up of having his wand constantly blasted out of his hand. ‘What’s on the menu today?’

‘Impediment Curse.’ Hermione said. ‘We can practice outside.’

A large clap of thunder met her words.

‘But it’s raining.’ Harry moaned as she dragged him outside.

* * *

‘Granger.’ Snape said in surprise as she stepped into his private brewing rooms. ‘Did we have a session scheduled?’

‘No, sir.’ She said as she noticed the steaming cauldron sat in the corner of the room. ‘I’m just meeting Neville.’

‘You’re dripping on my floors.’ He said, taking in the fact that she was soaking wet.

‘I was practising with Harry after dinner.’ Hermione waved him off.

‘There’s this thing, it’s called a drying charm.’ Snape reminded her.

‘Pointless, I’m going right back out with Nev.’ She said.

‘You’re going to go with him as he turns?’ Snape seemed to realise, though he didn’t seem very panicked.

‘Hmm.’ Hermione nodded as she stepped forwards to examine Snape’s brewing Wolfsbane.

‘I assume you will be doing so as a wolf?’ Snape said.

‘No, I was going to stand next to a Werewolf as a human.’ She said sarcastically.

‘Less of that.’ Snape said. ‘If you end up in the Hospital Wing again this year – I’ll finish you off myself, understood?’

He spoke as if he was bored, but Hermione could see the concern in his eyes. ‘I’ll be fine. Want me to come here when it’s over so you can see I’m still alive?’

Snape nodded. ‘Yes, bring Mr Longbottom, I’ll give him a Pepper-Up potion.’

There came a quiet knock on the door.

‘In!’ Snape called, knowing it to be Neville.

‘Good evening, sir.’ Neville said, he’d grown rather pale since Lunch – he was quite twitchy.

Snape didn’t return the greeting, he turned and walked around to the cauldron and spooned a carefully measured amount into a goblet, thick smoke began to rise from it.

‘Take it directly.’ He said to Neville as he handed it over to him.

‘Yeah, I know.’ He sighed. He pinched his nose and knocked the foul potion back in one go.

He gagged and let out a little shudder. ‘I wish someone could invent something nicer.’ He said as he handed the still smoking goblet back to the potions master.

Snape looked to the clock on the wall. ‘You should hurry off, now. Unless you want to be roaming the castle on your paws.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Neville said. ‘Still coming, Hermione?’

She nodded. ‘See you later, sir.’ She said to Snape before she pulled Neville from the room.

They made quick progress through the castle and out onto the grounds, into the heavy rain.

‘Where to?’ She asked.

‘The shack.’ Neville raised a brow. ‘Where else?’

‘The woods?’ Hermione said.

‘There’s a murderer out and about.’ Neville said.

‘Yeah, and you’re about to turn into a Werewolf.’ She reminded him.

‘But – the shack is safer for the public.’ Neville said.

Hermione frowned. ‘Wait, are you saying they’ve been making you change in that depressing building even though you’re on Wolfsbane?’

Neville paused. ‘Er – no… it’s just where I’ve been going.’

‘We can go there if that’s what you want?’ Hermione said, beginning to head towards the Whomping Willow.

Neville put a hand on her arm. ‘No… I think I’d like to try the woods… if something goes wrong and I don’t – you know – stay in control… you’ll keep me away from everyone, right?’

Hermione nodded. ‘Right.’

He began to walk to the woods just beyond Hagrid’s hut.

‘How deep shall we go?’ Hermione asked. She could hear the herd of Centaurs off in the distance. The rain wasn’t as bad once they were under the cover of the trees, but they were still soaking wet.

‘Quite deep, if you don’t mind.’ Neville said.

They walked for another ten minutes until Neville began to shake too violently to continue.

‘You should change.’ Neville said through gritted teeth.

Hermione concentrated on the image of her wolf form and felt her body shudder.

She began to kneel down as she morphed into the massive wolf with brown fur and the scar on the flank.

Neville looked at her new form. ‘I think I prefer your wolf to mine.’ He smiled weakly.

Hermione wagged her tail. Neville shrugged out of his t-shirt and jeans and placed them over the nearest tree root, he was stood in just his underwear now. But he was in too much pain to be embarrassed about Hermione seeing him in his boxers.

Hermione could see his muscles bulging and twitching unnaturally under his skin.

Then a burst of moonlight through the thick trees bathed them in light. Neville, who was already trembling, was now shaking fully.

He scrunched his eyes shut in pain and gasped as his limbs began to shake – began to break and change.

He cried out in pain at one particularly loud snap that came from his leg and he fell to the ground in a heavy heap. Hermione watched on in helpless horror as she watched Neville’s bones shatter and reform.

With a sickening crack, Neville’s head began to lengthen and blood began to rush down from his nose as it began to change into a snout.

His fingers were curling and lengthening as Neville cried out in pain. Blood was gushing down his wrist and arms from his fingers – his Werewolf claws were pushing his human nails out. It looked like pure agony.

Hair was sprouting visibly on his face, his hands, and his body.

Neville’s cries of pain were becoming howls now and suddenly were cut off. The transformation was complete.

Hermione forced herself to remain calm as she found herself face to face – or in this case, snout to snout – with a large Werewolf.

Neville – the Werewolf – remained still for a moment… then he raised a clawed hand – or paw – and waved at Hermione.

_Still Neville. _Hermione thought to herself in amusement. Seeing a vicious Werewolf waving at her was the strangest thing she had ever seen.

Together, they set off to wander around the forest for the next few hours.

* * *

The moon had long since disappeared from view when Neville’s wolfish features began to shrink back down. This process didn’t seem as painful this time, perhaps bones going shorter was better than them growing longer.

_Oh, scratch that. _She thought as Neville let out a pained cry as his limbs cracked again and the thick fur fell out. He fell, naked, to a heap on the floor.

Hermione focused on her human form and transformed back, she turned and disappeared for a moment to retrieve Neville’s clothes. They had been heading back to their starting place for a while now, they were only two trees away.

Neville was curled in a ball on the cold mud when she returned, his body was still shaking from the pain.

Hermione pointed her wand at him. ‘Sine dolore.’

Neville fell still, his breathing slowed. ‘Cheers.’ He said, his voice was hoarse.

Hermione averted her gaze as he pulled on his pants and top.

‘Need a hand walking back?’ She asked, offering her arm to put his weight on.

Neville shook his head. ‘I’m fine, I feel better for walking it off usually.’

Hermione nodded and the two began to head back towards the castle.

‘I didn’t realise it was so painful.’ Hermione said quietly.

‘Hmm.’ Neville said. ‘Snape said it’s because of the Wolfsbane potion, normally the wolf takes over the second the shuddering starts – so I shouldn’t remember the pain at any rate, not all of it anyway – but because I keep my mind…’

‘You keep the pain.’ Hermione finished for him.

They walked in silence for a few more minutes until the castle loomed back into view – the sun was beginning to rise over the lake now.

‘Do you think if I cast Sine dolore on you once the shuddering starts, it would help’ Hermione asked.

‘No.’ Neville said instantly. ‘Snape explained it all to me over summer. If I take anything or cast any spells – it could interfere with the Wolfsbane potion.’

He raised his arm to wipe the sweat from his brow and Hermione caught sight of a fresh cut on his arm, it was where his arm had broken during the change.

‘Shouldn’t that have healed?’ She asked, pointing to the wound.

Neville shook his head. ‘There’s always something that doesn’t heal properly… can’t heal it magically either, bloody annoying. That ones not too bad, last month I had to have Pomfrey bind my ribs because one of them didn’t heal after it snapped.’

Hermione shuddered at the thought. ‘You walked back to the castle from the Shrieking Shack with a broken rib’

Neville nodded. ‘Didn’t hurt as much as transformation does.’

Hermione nodded. There was something on the tip of her tongue, the school year was nearly over – her window of research closing – and she still hadn’t found anything on the Wolfblood curse.

It was time to tell him.

‘Nev… there’s something you need to know.’ She said as she came to a stop in front of the lake.

She gave him a sorrowful look.

‘Is this about all Wolfblood’s eventually going insane?’ Neville asked.

Hermione gaped at him. ‘You knew?!’

‘You’ve been discussing it with Draco in the Great Hall… I have super hearing, remember?’ He reminded her.

Hermione was still staring at him open mouthed. ‘Why didn’t you say anything?’

‘Why didn’t you?’ He shot back.

‘I wanted to find a solution before I worried you!’ She said.

‘Which I overheard… I guess I was hoping that you would find something, so I didn’t say anything… but you haven’t, have you?’ He seemed resigned to this.

Hermione began to get rather misty eyed. She shook her head. ‘I’m not giving up though. There are loads of other places I can look!’

‘I know you won’t.’ Neville said. ‘I’ve had a few months now to get my head around it… and… I should have died when Lupin bit me.’

‘Don’t say that!’ Hermione gasped through her tears.

‘Not like that!’ Neville said. ‘I mean, I’m already living on borrowed time… it’s like, every day I get to live after surviving that…’

‘You’re going to die an old man if I have my way. Don’t count yourself out just yet.’ Hermione said firmly, she took a deep breath and wiped at her eyes.

‘I don’t want to hurt anyone Hermione.’ Neville said firmly. ‘The second I start to… turn savage… I’ll – I’ll do something to stop myself.’

_He’s going to kill himself. _Hermione realised.

‘I will _not_ hurt anyone, Hermione.’ Neville said firmly.

They were back inside the castle now, and heading down to the dungeons.

‘I promise, even if it bloody kills me, I will find a cure.’ She said to him.

‘You can’t heal everyone, Hermione.’ Neville said gently. ‘I’m just going to live everyday to the full while I can… I heard back from that school in Brazil.’

Hermione was still wiping at her eyes. ‘What did they say?’

‘That I’ve been shortlisted. They take five students a year, I’m on the final list of ten.’

Hermione smiled at him despite being horribly upset. ‘That’s great news.’

Neville nodded, seeming content not to discuss the fact he might be killing himself in a few years. ‘Yeah, I got a letter of recommendation from Sprout, I think it’s helping me stand out.’

‘No, your own excellence is doing that for you.’ She said before knocking on the door to Snape’s brewing room.

He opened the door in seconds and let out a shaky breath of relief upon sighting her. Then his stern mask was back in place.

He handed Neville a Pepper-Up potion and then frowned at Hermione and her red eyes, then he handed Hermione a Pepper-Up as well.

She knocked it back without complaint, she really didn’t want to worry about Neville’s possible imminent demise right now. She’d worry about it later.

‘Thanks, sir.’ Neville said and he let out a yawn. ‘I’m going to go and have Pomfrey bind my arm, see you at breakfast.’ He smiled cheerfully to Hermione and disappeared from the room.

Hermione turned to Snape and noticed the bags under his eyes. ‘Have you not slept?’ She asked.

‘What? You think you could be off wandering to woods with a Werewolf and I’d just go tuck myself into bed?’ Snape frowned at her. ‘Off to bed with you, breakfast is in three hours.’

Hermione nodded. ‘Off to bed with you too.’ She said. ‘Can’t have you falling asleep during class.’

Snape rolled his eyes. ‘You can’t fall asleep in class either.’

Hermione was stepping back into the corridor. ‘I have History of Magic first.’ She told him. ‘I’ll grab a good hour there and nick Cedric Diggory’s notes.’

The door shut behind her before Snape could protest this plan of hers.

Daphne was sat at the end of her bed when she got back to the dorm.

‘Where have you been?’ She asked as she set the notepad down.

Hermione flopped down onto her bed with a groan. ‘Out with Neville for the full moon.’

Daphne fell silent and Hermione turned to look at her, she looked like she was about to be sick.

‘What is it?’ Hermione asked.

Daphne looked back down at her Sketchbook for a moment sadly before handing it over the gap of their beds to Hermione. ‘I just drew this – it woke me up – I had to get it down on paper… but I don’t understand it.’

Hermione did.

Daphne had drawn Neville; he looked a little more rugged and older than he did now – like he was in his late teens. He would look very handsome if it wasn’t for the wild look in his eye, and the fact that his human hand had sharpened claws that were dripping with blood that was not his own – a faceless, mauled body lay lifeless at his feet.

* * *

‘How’s Sirius?’ Ginny asked Harry over breakfast the next day.

Harry handed his letter from his Godfather over to his girlfriend.

Hermione, who was sat across from him with Draco at the Gryffindor table, had her head in her arms and was fast asleep. Fred was stacking slices of toast on top of her head; he was at seven slices now. Draco kept telling him to stop, but he was also trying not to laugh.

‘He’s fine.’ Harry said as Ginny scanned the letter. ‘Auror training is taking up all his time. He was right about not having a single day off – he’s worked every day since the end of November.’

Ginny handed the letter – which was telling him all about his training and living in the temporary flat with Lupin – back to Harry. ‘Does he still think he’ll be done in a year?’

‘About thirteen-ish months, he reckons… so he’ll be finishing up just in time for Christmas, or maybe a week after.’ He said with a smile.

Neville took that moment to join them, his arm bound in a tight bandage. He, like Hermione, had thick bags under his eyes.

‘Morning beautiful.’ George greeted him.

Neville gave him a returning glare. ‘How about I break every bone in your body and we’ll see how you look the next morning?’ He snapped.

Then he, like Hermione, put his head in his arms and shut his eyes.

Hermione’s head snapped up after a few flashes of lightning, knocking the toast pile onto the floor. She glared at Fred for a second but then she looked in excitement at Draco.

‘Lightning storm.’ He said, returning her excitement.

But the lightning didn’t sound again, it wasn’t a full lightning storm.

Draco pouted and began to rip apart his pancakes in frustration, Hermione put her head back in her arms.

‘Don’t worry, there’ll be a storm soon.’ Hermione said with a yawn.

‘I got a letter from my uncle this morning.’ Draco said quietly to her. Everyone was involved in their own conversations now.

‘Hmm?’ Hermione hummed.

Draco put his head on the table next to hers, feigning equal tiredness so he could whisper to her.

‘He’s in French Polynesia at the minute. But he’s coming home.’ He said.

‘Have they caught… it?’ She whispered back.

Draco shook his head. ‘The trails gone cold, everyone’s pretty sure that it’s dived back down to the depths for several hundred more years.’

‘That’s good, I suppose… what happened to the Lion Turtle?’ She asked and yawned again.

Draco shrugged. ‘It should have torn that Leviathan a new one… Armand thinks it might have been trying to keep the nearby wizards safe from the fight as best as it could…’

‘It got hurt?’ Hermione asked sadly.

Draco nodded. ‘Not horrifically, just a nasty gash on its face. Apparently, it stayed on a beach in the Pacific for a few weeks while its injuries healed and then went back to the water and vanished.’

‘I’d love to see a Lion Turtle one day.’ Hermione mused.

‘Armand said it was the same size as Regia.’ Draco smiled at her.

Hermione tried to picture the Divine creation… she couldn’t do it justice in her mind’s eye though, and gave up.

‘What are you going to do today, then?’ Draco asked her.

‘Impossible Alchemy class first, then I was going to spend lunch downstairs working on my Ancient History coursework.’ She told him.

‘I’ll bring you some toast down so you don’t starve.’

* * *

There came a knock on the door of Hufflepuff’s Library before the door was pushed open.

‘Toast delivery.’ Draco said with a smile as he stepped into the room. In his hand he carried a plate with a frankly ridiculous stack of toast.

Hermione was sat in one of the armchairs by the fireplace, not that it was lit in the late spring heat, writing the introduction to her essay on Artefacts.

Draco handed her the plate, her fingers brushed against his cold Duke’s ring as she took it from him. She placed the plate down on the coffee table by her side before picking up the top slice of buttery toast.

‘Are you staying?’ She asked.

‘Nah, I promised Blaise a fly over the maze.’ Draco said.

‘Sounds romantic.’ Hermione smirked at him.

Draco gave her a dry look followed by an intense eye roll. ‘We’re trying to spot the cool dangerous stuff in there. We’re hardly flying off into the sun.’

Hermione snorted. ‘You do realise they will have protected against that, right? You’ll just get a good view of some fog.’

Draco shrugged. ‘Oh well, we’ll have a race then.’

Hermione smiled in understanding, the boys – and several girls – were missing Quidditch this year. Countless members of all school teams could often be spotted taking a quick flight over the castle or the lake to blow off steam.

‘Have fun.’ She said, he offered her a wave over his shoulder and then he was gone.

Hermione turned back to her essay, her main source for it was a fabulous little book she had found titled: _Artefacts of Legend and the Powers they Held._

Hermione picked up the relatively new book – the date inside listed it as being written some three hundred years after Hufflepuff had died. No doubt, some over lucky student to find these tunnels had left it behind for future students. Hermione began to wonder what book she could leave behind for future explorers – perhaps some famous Muggle Literature?

  * _Object: The German Mirror Trap  
Invention date: Unknown  
Description: If you are so unlucky as to touch one, traps you in a mirror world with no magic which you must escape under seven minutes or you will be trapped forever. Escape through another reflection.  
Famous Case: The Wizard - Otto the Fearless – was tricked by his brother-in-law into touching a cursed hand-mirror and was never seen again.  
Famous Case: The Witch – Helga the Lucky – touched the same mirror as her father Otto in an attempt to find him – returned in the time limit unable to find her father’s body._
  * _Object: The Persian Quick-Rug  
Invention Date: 500 BC  
Description: You will sink in and suffocate unless you can pull yourself out.  
Famous Case: These rugs have been used many times through the Persian Wizarding Empire. To this day, Iranian Wizards can often be found placing smaller versions of these rugs by their front doors to stop thieves._
  * _Object: The Emrys Nesting Doll  
Invention Date: 1050 AD (disputed – this is the first recorded date of appearance.  
Description: Allows you to trap your enemies in layers upon layers of doll and enemy.  
Famous Case: Merlin often used one to capture his enemies. By the time of his death, he had gathered 75 Witches and Wizards inside of one doll alone. All 75 were released 200 years later – none had aged a day in their confinement – and were all then sent to Azkaban._
  * _Object: The Prewett Dolls House  
Invention Date: 1100 AD  
Description: Allows you to shrink people down and trap them in a small object such as a dollhouse. Their magic shrinks too, making it impossible to escape and they are forced to spend time in the prison.  
Famous Case: Used by Cecil Prewett to trap his wife after she took a lover without sterilisation. He was ordered to release her after ten years._
  * _Object:_ _List of the Damned (or The Kings List)  
Invention Date: 995AD  
Description: This object was created and presented to King Armand I at his coronation._ _A list that only the King can summon into his outstretched hand, it is a list of all those condemned by those given the power to do so.  
Famous Case: Unknown – the list is seen only by the King and those deemed worthy. Kings throughout history have been seen with the list in hand several times, and it is not a secret that it exists._
  * _Object: The Stone of Truth  
Invention Date: Mid-Elvan  
Description: A rare stone, set into a bracelet. The stone changes colour when lies are said in its presence.  
Famous Case: Gifted to the Royal Family by the last surviving Elf, it has since been passed down to several Queens. _
  * _Object: The Deathly Hallows  
Invention Date: Unknown, possibly mid 1200’s.  
Description: Little is known about these objects.  
Famous Case: One seen with the Peverell family in the late 1200’s, not been seen since, possibly destroyed._
  * _Object: The Heart of Atlantis  
Invention Date: Early-Elvan  
Description: A blue crystal with the power turn people into statues. Not seen since the sinking of Atlantis_.  
_Famous Case: Thought to be entrusted to the Dusman by the Elves._
  * _Object: Seeing Stones  
Invention Date: Late-Elvan  
Description: A group of Onyx stones with a hollowed out mid-section for looking through – Allows you to see into the Invisible World of the Demons and fairies. Created for Wizards by the final Elves in order to see the true world.  
Famous Case: King Armand I used a Seeing Stone to sleigh the Demon of Agincourt in 1010 – he used the Sword of Vutris. _
  * _Object: Gods Swords  
Invention Date: Unknown. Pre-Elf.  
Description: The Three Swords alone each wield awesome power, when used together they can summon a Divine Force. It is unknown why the Godly artefacts are in the mortal world.  
Famous Case: The Sword of Vutris is kept in the Royal Vault and used to Coronate all Monarchs.  
Famous Case: The Sword of Atune – also called Excalibur – used in battle by King Arthur but disappeared shortly after his death.  
Famous Case: The Sword of Ledur was present at the coronation of Armand I, it has not been seen since and no description of it exists. _
  * _Object: The Fairy Star:  
Invention Date: Pre-Elvan.  
Description: A White stone that contains a “stars light”. An ancient gift, and certainly one of the oldest known artefacts known to exist, from the Fairies before they departed for the Invisible World. It can light the way for the holder and be used as a weapon as the light and heat can disintegrate enemies.  
Famous Case:_ _Used at the Battle of Atlantis – the obliterating light could be seen for several surrounding miles. Not seen since the sinking of Atlantis. _
  * _Object: (Name disputed) The Elemental Ring of the High Elves /The Ring of Vatara.  
Invention Date: Pre-Elvan  
Description: The most powerful artefact known to exist. Often mistakenly known as The Ring of Atune. It possesses a Godly power. Known abilities bestowed: Lightning-riding, telekinesis, and the control of the four elements. _  
_Famous Case:_ _The ring is worn by the High Oracle- guarding the ring is a part of their Holy Duties._
  * _Object: The Elvan Staff of Morningstar  
Invention Date: Mid-Elvan  
Description: This wooden staff has incredible blasting powers. Ownership currently unknown, suspected to be held in the Royal Vault.  
Famous Case: Seized from Morgana at the time of her defeat and gifted to the King. _
  * _Object: The Ruby Ring of Furor  
Invention Date: Circa 300BC  
Description: Wearing this ring poisons whoever is unfortunate enough to put it on. A blackness will spread from the ring up the arm – death is recorded at between minutes or months.  
Famous Case: The Ring is kept in the “Dangerous Collection” section of the Royal Vault so that it cannot harm any more wizards._
  * _Object:_ _The Spear of Aresor_  
_Invention Date: Pre-Elvan  
Description: One of the most powerful Elvan weapons ever forged.  
Famous Case: Used to sink Atlantis over a day and night of utter misfortune. The relic has not been seen since. _

* * *

To say that Professor Binns had enjoyed her artefacts essay was an understatement. He’d read it out in front of the entire class and sent it off to be published in a historical publication – Hermione had fist pumped in joy when she had heard the news she was going to be published, it would look amazing on her CV.

The book had been exactly what she needed. She’d decided pretty quickly to do her coursework on the Elvan Artefacts present at the Battle of, and the Sinking of Atlantis – though she had debated for a while over doing it entirely on the High Oracle’s ring, it looked pretty cool.

Her paper had been printed in _The Historical Wizard_, and Hermione had received fifty points for Slytherin along with many letters of congratulations – even one from the King!

She didn’t really have time to relish in the limelight though, she was spending every free moment helping to train Harry for the imminent final task and sitting her end of year exams.

‘Miss Granger?’ Professor Binns called her to wait behind as he dismissed the rest of the class.

Hermione, thinking he wanted to discuss her published paper, hung back calmly and walked to his desk.

‘Next year, the class takes a trip to the Temple of Ledur.’ Binns said.

Excitement began to surge through her, Ledur was the only God whose Temple she had never been in.

‘You will need parent permission to leave the castle. The rest of the class will all be of age in their final year, obviously… there is a permission form for you to take home over summer at the end of the desk there.’ Binns said.

Hermione desperately hoped that the tour of the Temple would not be done by the Professor – he made the ancient Elves all wizards were descended from and the sinking of Atlantis sound boring. Although, Ledur was the God of Death and Binns was a Ghost, so perhaps it would be cool to get a tour from him.

Hermione picked up the scrap of paper from the end of the desk and tucked it into her planner.

‘Good luck in your exam tomorrow.’ Binns said before he turned and floated away through the wall instead of the door.

Ancient History was the one exam she wasn’t worried about – she was published – she knew her shit. She was thankful to all three Gods that there was no Alchemy exam – she really didn’t want to fail a Hogwarts test.

* * *

‘Come take a break from revision.’ Daphne said after dinner the next night, the first day of tests had gone amazingly well for Hermione.

‘I need to revise for my Herbology test tomorrow.’ Hermione said.

‘That’s not till the afternoon, and you know you’re as prepared for it as you’re going to be.’ Daphne said. ‘Come paint with me, it’s finally stopped raining.’

The rainy weather had been a great annoyance to Draco, who was currently sulking in his bed. He was still awaiting a lightning storm to drink his potion, there had been several flashes of lightning that morning. But alas, no full storm.

It hadn’t taken much further persuasion to draw Hermione to the side of the lake with a palette in hand and an apron over her summer dress. Despite the rain, it was annoyingly stuffy.

‘It’s rainy, not snowy.’ Daphne laughed as she saw Hermione’s painting.

‘Meh.’ Hermione said, she was drawing Hogwarts in winter. It was always her favourite time of year purely to see the castle and the grounds coated in a thick layer of snow… well, it was the most visually pleasing time of year – she wasn’t a great fan of the bitter Scottish cold.

Daphne signed her completed painting – Hogwarts during a very dramatic storm – and came to view Hermione’s painting as she added some fine detail to the castle.

‘Wow, Hermione.’ Daphne said. ‘It looks amazing!’

Hermione rolled her eyes. ‘It’s nothing compared to yours.’ She signed the picture in the bottom corner as: “L.G”.

‘Lady Granger?’ Daphne smirked, noting the signature.

Hermione shrugged. ‘Seemed a good way people wouldn’t instantly connect it to me, people are just going to assume it’s some girl called Lucy or something.’

‘No, they’re not.’ Daphne laughed. ‘I don’t think you realise how famous you are… you’re constantly pictured with the Royal Family dear.’

Hermione shrugged. ‘Nobodies going to see it anyway, so it doesn’t matter… shall we head back?’

Daphne nodded. ‘You go ahead, I’ll come back in a bit… I’ll sort the paintings if you take the easels back?’

Hermione nodded and took both the collapsible easels in hand and disappeared back through the castle doors.

Daphne waved her off as she turned for a last look at the front door, then when she was sure of being alone, she turned with both painting and headed for the Owlery.

Her own painting, she sent with two owls back to her house. Then she turned to two school owls and held up Hermione’s painting.

‘Could you take this to the Daily Prophet offices, please?’ She asked.

The owls each took a corner of the still slightly wet canvas and flew off into the darkening sky.

Daphne was smiling as she began to walk back to the castle, a happy skip in her step. There was no way that Hermione’s painting wouldn’t end up in the society section, Hermione deserved to know how good she was at something non-academic.

But as she passed back towards the castle, the smile faded from her face as a buzzing filled her ears.

‘No.’ She moaned as the sound grew louder.

She glanced around quickly to confirm that it was not in fact, the worst thunderstorm she had ever seen in her life – it wasn’t even spitting.

A crash of thunder rang in her ears – she was listening to the worst storm Hogwarts had faced in twenty years.

It grew deafeningly loud and Daphne clamped her hands tightly over her ears in a desperate attempt to drown out the storm – it did not work.

‘Gah!’ She gasped in pain as the thunderous rain pounded against the inside of her skull.

_‘The scream drowns out the noise. It will allow you to see.’ _The words of the only other sane True Banshee flashed in her mind.

The storm in her mind was deafening – her head was pounding. She was swaying where she stood, both hands clamped over her ears.

She took a deep breath.

The high-pitched, piercing scream of a Banshee echoed across the school grounds. The water on the lake rippled, the windows of the greenhouses shook, and there came answering howls from the woods. But Daphne didn’t notice any of this, she wasn’t seeing Hogwarts any more.

_A door was opened. Cloaked figures coming in. A flash of green. A woman’s scream. _

Daphne’s eyes snapped open.

She was in a bed in the Hospital Wing.

Hermione was stood over her. ‘I heard your scream and found you passed out on the grass, you kept muttering about an open door.’

Daphne frowned at her. ‘I – I don’t remember that?’

‘Thought not. You weren’t exactly with it.’ Hermione told her.

Daphne noticed it was now completely dark outside and she rubbed at her eyes as she propped herself up on an elbow. ‘How long was I out?’

‘It’s only been two hours… how do you feel?’

‘Thirsty.’

Hermione poured her a glass of water from the jug on her bedside table and handed it to her – Daphne greedily gulped down the water, and Hermione poured her another.

‘Is everyone alright?’ Daphne asked once her throat didn’t feel quite as dry. The Banshee’s Scream had left her rather parched.

Hermione nodded. ‘Yeah, Dumbledore came down to see you when you were first brought in, he said he’s checked in everywhere and nobodies hurt or anything.’

Daphne nodded at this, not seeming surprised. ‘No, it’s not yet.’

‘What’s not yet?’ Hermione asked, trying to hide how worried she was.

Daphne tried to put into words what she had seen, which wasn’t really that much. ‘I only really saw shapes; it was so dark… that storm I’ve been hearing? When it hits… A door will be opened and someone will die, a woman, I heard her screaming.’

‘You should tell Dumbledore,’ Hermione said quickly.

‘No need, I am here.’ Came the voice of the Headmaster from the door behind them.

He strode quickly over to Daphne’s bed. ‘You are excused from the rest of your final year tests; I’ve spoken with your Professors – you’ll receive your predicted grades. Madam Pomfrey wants to keep you in for the rest of the week.’

‘No.’ Daphne said quickly. ‘I – er – mean. No, thank you. I feel completely fine, and I want to carry on as normal.’

Dumbledore seemed to consider her for a moment. ‘Very well… I have just heard back from the Ministry; everything is fine there too. Nobody is hurt and nobody has reported any break-ins.’

Daphne shook her head. ‘It’s not yet. There’s going to be a storm, it’s going to be like, the worst storm in Hogwarts history. That’s when it will happen.’

Dumbledore nodded. ‘We will stay on alert then, when a storm hits. There aren’t any predicted until the very end of the school year now, so I want you to keep calm. Madam Pomfrey wants to keep you overnight here, no complaints, you’ll be released before breakfast.’

Daphne let out a frustrated sigh and nodded.

‘Goodnight then.’ Dumbledore nodded to the two girls and then he strode back from the Hospital Wing. ‘Come along, Miss Granger. Let’s leave Miss Greengrass to her rest.’

Hermione nodded. ‘I’ll see you in the morning.’ She said to Daphne before following the Headmaster out.

Daphne sat there, on the uncomfortable hospital bed, staring out the window into the darkness for many hours.

What was the point in her having these powers? All they were was frustrating… and disappointing. She had felt it as her little sister died, but not before. Astoria had died without her there because of her subpar Banshee powers… and now she was being tormented by some rain.

Daphne drifted to sleep that night to the sounds of a distant storm, and flashes of green light.

* * *

‘In your test today, you will be identifying whatever potion I put in front of you, and writing me an essay on it.’ Snape said to the class.

There were some groans at this news, it meant that partners wouldn’t be able to copy off one another. Not that Hermione had a partner in any of her classes for the two weeks of exams – Cedric was excused from all end of year tests since he was a Champion.

Snape set a potion from his collection down in front of her before moving onto the next person behind her.

‘Once you have finished your essay, which you will have an hour to do. You will brew your potion… try not to cause another explosion with your great levels of incompetence Davies.’ Snape finished.

Snape’s eyebrows had only just grown back following Davies last brewing disaster. Hermione had offered to draw them on for him through her laughter, and been docked ten points for her trouble.

Once everyone had a vial in front of them, Snape returned to his desk. ‘I will give you a ten-minute warning for your essays. You will remain silent as I collect them. Then you will all remain silent still as you set up and brew your potions. Talking means facing my displeasure.’ But once you’ve seen a man have his eyebrows singed off, it’s rather hard to fear them again.

Everyone had a bowl set in front of them too.

‘You may begin.’ Snape said, looking down at his watch.

Hermione uncorked her potion and poured it into her little bowl.

The potion was giving off a distinctive mother-of-pearl sheen, and had steam rising in characteristic spirals.

This would have been enough for Hermione to identify the potion.

But it was the seductive scent coming from it that really confirmed what that pretty liquid was.

Amortentia.

Hermione couldn’t stop herself from leaning forwards in her stool and breathing in the wonderful smell. It was the flowery water from the taps at Regia, green apples, new parchment, and her hair potion.

She was breathing slowly and deeply. The delightful fumes of the potion were filling her up like a stiff drink, leaving her feeling warm and calm.

She smiled and leaned back in her seat. Then, drunk on the fumes from the worlds most powerful love potion, she dipped her quill into her ink. She was going to get full marks on this one and she knew it.

* * *

* * *

Wow, 80 chapters! Thanks for sticking with me this long!

Thought I’d write out an entire page of a textbook for you all. I’ve filled notebooks with all these world details and most of them won’t find a way into this story – so I decided to force some of them on you like this. Also, we’re very obviously going to be seeing some of those Artefacts, and it might not be the ones you’d think!

Out of curiosity, how do you guys search for stories on here? Do you go searching for the longest works, or the newest? Or do you go by the tags?

E x


	81. The White Flame

The days leading up to the final task were, for lack of a better word, hectic.

Hermione had to juggle: helping Harry, her end of year tests, having a Banshee for a best friend, her Wolfblood research, and the fact that her winder landscape had ended up on the front page of the Daily Prophet thanks to the aforementioned Banshee.

‘She’s very well rounded.’ One seventh year boy said as she walked to the Slytherin table for a pre-Transfiguration exam breakfast.

Hermione shot a glare in the general direction that comment had come from, and the voices fell silent.

‘Sorry.’ Daphne mumbled as she sat down next to her, she had noticed a renewed male interest in dating Hermione – which was being received with much frustration.

Hermione forced a smile. ‘It’s alright, it was nice to see something I painted in the paper.’

‘I just thought people should know how good you are.’ Daphne said, sulking into her bowl of cereal.

Hermione rubbed at Daphne’s back for a moment. ‘It’s honestly fine, they’ll all leave me alone again when that final task happens.’

‘Is Harry ready?’ Draco asked, sliding into his seat on her other side.

Hermione nodded. ‘As ready as he’s going to be. Thankfully a maze of horrors is something he’s already experienced in first year with the Philosophers stone, so it can’t be harder than that.’

Draco nodded. ‘And he came down to the Chamber of Secrets fully ready to fight a Basilisk he couldn’t even see in second year.’

‘And he fought off all those Dementor’s last year.’ Hermione said.

‘Well, I helped with that one.’ Draco said, pouring himself a large glass of milk.

Hermione snorted. ‘It was like, your first time casting that spell, you got rid of like ten of them.’

‘My Patronus is a bloody massive Dragon… I got rid of at least eleven.’ He said with a grin.

Hermione tried, and failed, to hold her laughter back at his silly comments.

‘Oh, post’s here.’ Draco said, as he looked up at the magical ceiling – it was showing clear skies for the first time in days.

The Daily Prophet arrived first; her picture still being displayed in the Society section. Her idea of signing it as “L.G” as a kind of pseudonym had utterly failed. A picture of her having the Hattie tiara placed on her head by Armand was sitting next to her painting.

‘Freddie looks like he’s going to pass out from that.’ Draco said, pointing out her faithful bird. ‘Are you still getting nerdy fan-mail from History Professors?’

Hermione glared at him, though she couldn’t deny she had indeed received about twelve letters from various people around the world following the publication of her paper in The Historical Wizard. The coolest of them was from the Head of the WHS, the Wizarding Historical Society, praising her findings and asking what book she had referenced so he could give it a read.

But she hadn’t received any academic post for a few days now, Hermione sighed in frustration as Freddie crashed in front of her with a stack of letters.

‘Good boy.’ She said, stroking his beak. ‘Have some chicken and a drink before you go.’

Freddie instantly turned to the plates in front of him and began nibbling from them.

Hermione tore open the first letter.

_Lady Granger,  
I am the Head of Magical Transportation in France. I am pure-blood, forty-seven, and I earn an above-average salary in which to provide for a wife and any children.  
You have more than made up for your lack of pure-blood by your skills and connections to the Royal family and I would like to offer you my hand in marriage.  
There will, of course, be no need for you to finish your education at Hogwarts if you come to me over summer as my wife. You will never need to work.  
Looking forwards to hear from you,  
Francis Du Plessis_

Hermione stuffed the letter onto the table and opened the next one, it was much of the same rubbish.

The entire stack was full of rubbish proposals from strangers, except one.

She noticed her fathers handwriting and grinned, she tore that letter open happily.

_Dear Hermione,  
We’re all well, your mothers finally shook that cold off.   
That annoying boy who used to pull your hair at school, Robbie Fenwick, bit me during his appointment the other day. I had to get ten stitches! He had to get a new dentist. I wish you could use your healing magic on your poor Muggle parents – I’ve had to take two weeks off work while it heals!  
Your mothers set me a frankly ridiculous list of jobs to get done around the house while I’m off though, so that should keep me busy. Although how she expects me to do the gardening with one hand I don’t know.  
We saw your painting in the newspaper you sent us! Well done! It’s wonderful dear. We’re very proud. We’ll go out for dinner when you get home to celebrate, anywhere you want.  
If Armand(Strike that out) the King has invited you again for Christmas you can go if you want. Your mother and I were thinking about going skiing with the neighbours – their son has just gotten into a spot of bother for fighting again, I’ll tell you all about it when you get home, it’s quite a juicy story – speaking of, the neighbours’ son (I’ve forgotten his name) was asking a lot of questions about where you go to school the other day, we might need to be careful around him.  
Your mother sends her love.  
Good luck with your exams dear.  
Dad xxx_

Hermione smiled and handed the letter to Draco, pointing at the line she wanted him to read.

‘You can come for the whole week?’ He whispered in excitement.

Hermione grinned and nodded back. ‘I’ll write to Armand later and accept.’

Draco was practically bouncing in his seat now. ‘It’s going to be so much fun! I can’t wait!’

The news that her nutter neighbour who once attacked a girl for her eyes looking the wrong colour to him was a bit distressing, but any letter from her dad always cheered her up. There was no denying it, she was a daddy’s girl through and through.

‘What are you going to do about your suitors?’ Draco asked, pointing at the stack of letters from gross old men.

‘I’m going to go to the Greenhouses and get some undiluted Bubotuber pus… actually, I might just give them to Fred and George to deal with – they’re getting a bit antsy with all these tests.’

She grinned as she pictured the pranks Fred and George could pull on these men, she almost felt sorry for them. Almost.

* * *

Hermione’s Ancient Runes test was a piece of cake. Okay, so she might have mistranslated one little symbol and flown into a blind panic… and maybe Fred and George had needed to shake her back to reality and calm her down as she ranted that she was going to fail everything and be homeless… and maybe she’d had a little cry about it in the shower… but apart from that it was a piece of cake. (She passed with ninety-eight per-cent)

Draco flopped down onto the couch next to her, and she offered him a custard cream which he eyed wearily. ‘They’re not Weasley biscuits, I had Dobby get these for me.’ She said.

Draco happily took a biscuit after this, ‘you know, when I said you could use my servant, I didn’t think you’d have him sneaking you custard creams.’ He said with a cheeky smile.

‘You know I barely ever summon him.’ Hermione batted his arm. ‘All this stress is giving me cravings. I was about to ask him to get me some sweets when you came in.’

Draco smiled at this.

They sat for the next few minutes scoffing the entire pack of biscuits quickly and having a little catch-up, they hadn’t seen much of each other with all the tests and revision taking up their time.

‘Tonks is going to start pulling her hair out if they don’t find anything soon.’

‘It’s been months since Madam Sybil was killed, I severely doubt the killer will be caught now.’ Hermione said.

‘Armand and Matilda are saying that the Auror’s have to stay at the castle until they’re caught.’ Draco said. ‘I reckon they’re all feeling like overpaid babysitters.’

‘One little clue, that’s all they need.’ Hermione sighed.

But Draco perked up at this. ‘Then let’s get them a clue!’

Hermione looked at him as if he had grown a second head. ‘I’m not following.’

‘Hermione! There’s an ancient Temple downstairs! Let’s ask for a clue!’ Draco said.

‘But we’d be asking about a death, that’s Ledur’s domain. We can’t just go into the Temple of Atune and talk to another God.’ Hermione pointed out.

‘I don’t think so.’ Draco said. ‘They’re married, right? It can’t annoy him that much that we use his wife’s temple… and we did a ritual for Astoria down there, she was in his domain.’

Hermione considered this. _There’s quite a difference between a common death ritual and asking the God of Death for a favour though._

‘Alright, we’ll go down. Let me grab my cloak… If we piss off the God of Death and drop dead, I totally blame you.’

Hermione went down into the girl’s room and returned in her black cloak; her wand tucked up the sleeve of her blouse.

Draco was still wearing Excalibur on his belt – they could use that to cut their hands. Hermione was imagining that the God of Death would want more blood offered than his wife.

‘He’s not just the God of Death.’ Draco reminded her as they made their way down into the Hufflepuff tunnels.

Hermione nodded. ‘Yeah, he also runs the afterlife.’

‘And, he’s the God of protection and mercy… and wealth.’ Draco said as he lifted the door covering the rickety ladder down into the temple.

‘And of Autumn and Spring.’ Hermione said to Draco as he climbed down first.

As usual, Draco’s fingers came to rest tightly on her waist as he lifted her down the last few steps.

‘I always wondered that, cause Atune is the Goddess of summer. But we’ve never heard who has winter.’ Draco said as he released her from his grip, though his fingers did feel like they were lingering as they brushed against her waist.

‘Must be Vutris.’ Hermione mused. ‘Or maybe it’s Atune again and they each have two seasons.’

They walked to the alter and Hermione held her hand out.

Draco took Excalibur in his hand and slid the blade over Hermione’s arm – they had agreed on using a little more blood. Ledur usually asked for an animal sacrifice and neither of them felt up to killing any fluffy bunnies.

Hermione yelped in pain as the blood spurted from the fresh wound, but she allowed the blood to flow down her arm and onto the empty alter.

Draco followed suit and cut his arm; he pressed a little bit deeper on his own arm – drawing more blood.

‘Royal blood.’ Draco mused as he let his blood generously drip onto the alter. ‘Can’t hurt to give him the good stuff, can it?’

‘Are we going Latin or English?’ Hermione asked as Draco retreated his wounded arm and pressed down with his free hand onto the wound to stem the blood flow.

‘He’s the shadow God of Death… let’s go Latin.’ Draco said.

‘Right… asking for information… maybe we should direct this question at all of them actually.’ Hermione mused as she ran through all the rituals she had read about.

‘Why?’ Draco asked.

‘Well – Atune is the Goddess of life, she can’t like it when people get murdered… and Vutris is the Goddess of Prophecy, she has all the Oracle’s doesn’t she?’ She prompted.

Draco nodded. ‘Makes sense… in that case, more blood.’

He pressed the tip of his sword into his other arm until it was equally bloody, the bright red liquid ran from the cuts on both of his inner forearms down his wrist and dripped down his fingertips onto the alter.

Then, when the alter was suitably painted in their blood, he laid the Sword of Atune down upon it. ‘That ought to get their attention.’ He said.

‘You’re not getting dizzy are you?’ She asked. He’d just put quite a lot of blood out.

He waved her off, though he did look a little paler than usual. ‘Let’s just get on with it so we can be healed.’

‘Right… all three of them so I can do it in any language… let’s go English, it’s easier.’ She said.

She held her blood-soaked hand out to him, and he took it in his own, their blood mingled together on the palms of their hands. ‘Last time we mixed blood, we ended up bonded.’ He reminded her.

‘Well, we’re already bonded, so it can’t hurt can it?’ She said.

Then she took a deep breath.

‘Holy Triad, we are looking for answers. Madam Sybil was slain and we seek justice. We humbly ask for your insight.’

The Royal Blood did appear to help, or perhaps it was the Gods Sword on the alter. The surface of the stone alter burst into a brilliant pure white flame. A sweet-smelling smoke filled the room, and Hermione felt a tickle on the back of her neck and had the sense that she was being watched.

‘Holy Triad. Give us the sight so that we might seek justice.’

The stone on the Sword of Atune began to glow that brightly that it was visible through the bright white flames.

‘A sister of Vutris, a Prophet was taken, and we seek answers.’

The marks on their wrists skipped the pleasant tingle that usually happened and instantly they felt very hot – but it did not hurt. The white flames left the alter and began to border every inch of the room, Draco shot Hermione a worried glance as the flames began to creep towards them.

‘Holy Triad, help us to find the truth.’

The white flames licked at their skin, and through they both gave a little jump in shock, they felt no pain. Instead, it was the most pleasant feeling Hermione had ever experienced in her life.

‘Great King and Queens, we are your servants. Help us to serve you in this matter.’

The entire room was on fire now – Hermione felt no pain, but her clothes were starting to singe a little bit. The eyes on the statue of Atune and the murals in the room lit up all a brilliant white like the flames.

‘Holy Triad, help us in our cause.’

A high-pitched buzz began to fill both of their ears, but it somehow wasn’t annoying. It was like a music they couldn’t quite make out – flowing and beautiful music… but they couldn’t make sense of the words. The Gods were among them, and they were speaking in the Divine Language.

It was getting very hard to concentrate now what with literally being on fire and the beautiful buzzing in their ears.

‘Holy Triad. Give us sight.’

Hermione and Draco both hit the floor as one, they had been pulled into unconsciousness.

What happened next gave Hermione a great sympathy for Daphne, they were both given a vision in rather confusing flashes and they couldn’t really make anything serious out – but they did hear the most wonderful voice singing in their ears.

_‘The mouthpiece dies at the hands of the faithful servant. The one who brews his way into the trust of others will rise the enemy again.’_ It was the same voice that had whispered to them before. It was wonderful, and terrifying.

Hermione could just about make out three blurry figures arguing in her vision.

A new voice filled her ears, still the voice of a woman – it must have been Atune. Her voice was beautiful like birdsong. ‘_The secret will be revealed. The Heir should beware.’_

One of the blurs pulled out a knife and took a step towards Hermione, who found she could not move a single muscle.

A final voice filled her ears. Smooth and low – it was strong and seductive… and overwhelming. ‘_Three Swords, Three Orbs. Great Powers shall rise from the depths once again.’_

The two other blurs were shouting… or were they begging? She couldn’t hear them properly. They were scared through. Hermione thought she saw a flash of red hair.

The blur with the knife snapped something at them. Then Hermione realised with horror what was about to happen – the Gods had indeed given her the sight – this was the last thing Madam Sybil had seen.

The main blur lunged at Hermione with the knife.

Hermione’s eyes snapped open; she was laying on the Temple floor. The flames were gone now, her bleeding arm was completely healed.

Draco’s eyes fluttered open as she prodded his thigh. Both of their clothes had been badly burnt away.

They weren’t left naked… not quite.

Both of their top layers of clothes had been burnt away leaving them both in their underwear, both of their wands were somehow resting on the middle of the alter… and that isn’t all that was there.

There were three large white hand prints now filling the alter. Hermione gasped at the sight of them. The Gods had indeed been with them.

* * *

Hermione was very thankful that Draco had already seen her in a bikini in the secret swimming pool, otherwise she would be very embarrassed to be seen in her pink knickers and red bra. Draco was in black boxers.

‘Please tell me you can whip us up some clothes.’ He said hopefully.

‘I have nothing to transfigure.’ She said. ‘Even my cape was burned away.’ She said sadly.

‘I’ll get you a new one.’ He said as he moved to examine the magical handprints left behind on the alter. ‘Wow.’ He said, placing his hand over the central handprint. Both of his hands could have very easily fit into it with room to spare.

‘It never occurred to me how big they must be.’ Hermione said.

‘They always appear to people as being our size, but they’re not at all.’ Draco mused, then he pulled his hand away as he felt Hermione’s eyes scanning his scarred back.

Hermione was conscious of her own scar – the vicious wound on her hip that Viktor Krum still couldn’t bring himself to touch.

Then she remembered exactly where they were. ‘The Wardrobe!’ She declared.

‘The what?’ Draco frowned.

Hermione had pulled him from the Temple – he had gone up the ladder first, obviously – and led him three left turns and a right.

‘I am not wearing any of this.’ Draco said firmly.

The clothes in the Hufflepuff wardrobe had probably been worn by the founders… they were medieval in the extreme.

‘We don’t need to put the robes on.’ Hermione said, though she would bloody love to if she was being honest with herself. The desire to play dress-up wasn’t something that she usually felt… perhaps it was the history of the clothes down here? ‘Just grab a cloak.’ She told him.

The room was split in half, men’s robes on one side and women on the other.

‘I might keep this one.’ Draco said as he pulled on one dark green cloak. It had a crowned serpent on its breast.

Hermione nodded. ‘Yeah, you suit it… I quite like this one as well. And the castle did burn my last cloak…’

She had pulled on a dark blue cloak embroidered with an underwater scene. It was a work of pure talent. Hufflepuff was a woman of great taste.

Once Draco could no longer see her knickers, she felt much more comfortable and both of their blushing cheeks began to fade back to normal.

Draco had held the door open for her as they walked out of the wardrobe, and they took the library route back to the concealed entrance.

‘Did you have the same vision as me?’ She asked as they approached the rear of the flute players portrait.

‘Three people arguing and then I got stabbed.’ Draco said. ‘Is the coast clear?’ He asked the portrait.

The flute player nodded and they swung the portrait open and stepped back into the dungeon corridor.

Draco helped her step out; her cloak was a little bit too long for her.

Draco shut the portrait door just as Hermione began to walk back towards the common room, and her cloak opened the tiniest fraction. It wouldn’t have mattered, but it was at that precise moment that Snape rounded the corner.

‘Bloody hell!’ He cried and slapped his hand over his eyes.

She gasped and hastily pulled the cloak shut around herself tightly, her cheeks flushing red in embarrassment. ‘You can open your eyes now.’

Snape warily removed the hand shielding his vision, he wasn’t looking at Hermione though, he was glaring at Draco with enough force to burn a hole straight through his head.

‘What. The. Hell. Are. You. Two. Doing?’ He asked slowly, as if he didn’t really want to hear the answer. ‘WHY DON’T YOU HAVE ANY CLOTHES ON?!’

‘Would you believe me if I said the Gods burned our clothes off?’ She tried.

‘No. I would not.’ He said hotly.

‘No, I didn’t think you would.’ Hermione said.

‘Even the sword belt you made me burnt away.’ Draco said glumly, he’d been forced to just carry Excalibur.

‘Enough with this rubbish.’ Snape said angrily. ‘Get back to your common room before I have you expelled.’

‘We haven’t done anything wrong!’ Hermione snapped back.

Draco was pulling her arm, trying to lead her away from a heated pubescent rage at her Professor-dad.

‘You’re going for a stroll around the castle without any clothes on! That’s wrong!’ Snape barked at her.

‘I have a cape on!’ She said.

‘Oh, that makes it all better.’ He said sarcastically. ‘You’re just the pinnacle of modest behaviour!’

‘I’m serious! The Gods burned off our clothes!’ She sulked.

Snape rolled his eyes. ‘Ten points from each of you. Go back to your separate beds this instant!’

Hermione rolled her eyes but Draco pulled her away with a quick: ‘yes sir, sorry sir!’ and led her back to the Slytherin common room which was thankfully deserted now due to the late hour.

‘Did you hear the voices?’ Draco asked as they took a seat on the abandoned couches, making sure they were both still completely covered by their new capes.

Hermione knew they would both return them the next day – despite their talk of keeping them – they would both be too nervous of ruining a thousand-year-old cloak.

She nodded. ‘Any theories?’

‘A couple, I’d rather hear yours first though.’ He said.

Hermione nodded. ‘Well “the mouthpiece” has got to be Madam Sybil. I have no idea who the enemy “brewing his way into our trust” could be… It sounds very potion-ish but Snape’s on our side.’

Draco nodded. ‘They didn’t just tell us about Madam Sybil though… “The secret will be revealed and the Heir should beware”?’

‘Hmm.’ Hermione nodded. ‘Harry told us about Marlene McKinnon, she died protecting some secret weapon Harry said… so maybe he’s going to find that weapon? But why would he beware?’

‘You think Voldemort is the Heir?’ Draco asked.

‘You don’t?’ She asked.

‘No, you’re right. He’s the Heir of Slytherin… maybe the weapon will turn on him or something?’ Draco mused.

‘I’ve no idea about that last one… “Three swords, three orbs, power rising from the depths?”’ Hermione said.

‘Three Gods Swords… no idea about any Orbs… or a power rising from the depths.’ Draco said.

Hermione huffed in frustration and threw herself back on the couch, she was too annoyed to care that the edge of her bra was now visible through a gap in the cloak.

‘Gods are so annoying. Why can’t they just come out and they “this person is the murderer and here’s some really clear and important information you’ll need for later”?’ She said in exasperation.

They sat like that for a little while, both trying to decipher what they had seen.

‘I think they two people arguing were Ron and Pansy.’ She said.

‘I know you don’t like them, but accusing them of murder is a bit extreme.’ Draco said, almost amused.

‘No… I saw Ron’s hair… and they didn’t do any killing. It sounded to me like they were being threatened by the killer.’ She said, but the vision was fading from her active memory now – like a dream slipping away. IT was getting harder to remember what she had seen.

‘Are you sure?’ Draco asked.

‘No.’ She said honestly.

‘Then… we’ll keep an eye on them… at least we’ve got some news for Tonks – they’re looking for three people, not one.’

* * *

Everyone in Hermione’s potion NEWT class was of age for the Apparition test, so Snape had given it to her as a free period to do as she would. Hermione was fairly convinced that he’d only done so because he was still embarrassed that he caught her in her underwear the night before.

She’d taken the opportunity to revise for her Charms test that afternoon – the test was a walk in the park for Hermione. She had easily mastered turning vinegar into wine and Flitwick had pocketed the bottle she’d changed with a wink at her. She’d become one of his favourites now since they so often duelled together either in his club or in private sessions.

She’d made her way back to the common room ready for an early night after one final training session with Harry. The final task was tomorrow and he was as prepared as he was going to be.

Hermione had just tucked herself into bed when she noticed Daphne, and shot back out of bed.

She was doing that manic drawing furiously without looking thing that freaked everyone out so completely.

Daphne did not notice or stop her scribbling as Hermione sat next to her on the bed, and Hermione was concerned of what might happen if she tried to shake Daphne out of her trance.

Her arm was moving that frantically that Hermione couldn’t really see the drawing, it looked oddly like three circles?

Finally, the black pencil stopped and Daphne seemed to come back to awareness as she looked down at her drawing.

That Hermione had just heard a God say something about “Three Orbs” and now her True Banshee friend was now drawing three Orbs was something not lost on her.

On the white sheet of paper set three different circular balls.

The first looked to be similar to a Crystal Ball, but with a golden trim. There was an odd symbol under it.

The second looked like a brilliantly green gem, it too had an odd symbol drawn under it. Hermione thought she might have seen it somewhere before.

The final circle looked like a purple Dragon egg that Hermione had seen before – but she wasn’t sure where. It too had a symbol underneath.

‘Here!’ Daphne said, pointing in relief at the three symbols – she did this just as Hermione realised where she had seen them. ‘These are the symbols I keep seeing!’

Hermione gulped, trying to swallow a quickly formed knot in her throat. ‘This symbol language… are you sure that’s what you’ve been seeing?’

Daphne nodded eagerly. ‘Yeah… not those three symbols all the time but yeah… why… oh my Gods’ do you recognise it?’ She took in the look on Hermione’s face, trying to decipher if these symbols were a sign of evil or not.

‘Yeah.’ Hermione nodded.

She’d seen the symbolic book of Triad in the Hufflepuff library a few times now.

‘Daph… this is the language of the Gods.’

* * *

* * *

Back to back updates? Sweet Vutris I spoil you guys.

Yeah so I've done two smaller chapters of set up leading up to our next chapter which will be the final task... AND I'm only working three days this week because I'm amazing at swapping shifts (does mean I'll be working three twelve hour shifts though, sad.) So you may expect that action packed chapter by the end of the week... 

Love you all, thanks for reading my not so little story - I just checked and it's something like the fourteenth longest Dramione story on here atm and I don't know how that's happened at all it feels like I only started it yesterday.

E x


	82. The Third Task - part one

Harry was ready. He was as prepared as he was going to be. He had this in the bag.

He was going to be very sick.

Hermione had sent him to bed last night early after decreeing his shield charms passable, and he’d spent most of the night lying awake fretting rather than getting his beauty sleep.

Hermione had also, rather last second, come across something called the Four-Point Spell. It would make his wand point due north, so he would be able to check his position in the maze. At least he’d be able to find true north as a monster feasted on his flesh.

Harry lay in his bed for a few minutes staring blankly up at the Gryffindor-red canopy. Ginny was lying on his chest, still fast asleep.

She had snuck into his bed in the middle of the night when all the other boys – her brother especially – had fallen asleep, she said she just knew he’d be up running over every little thing that could go wrong. They hadn’t done anything but kiss, but her presence was incredibly comforting to him in the hours leading up to the test, and he always had the best sleep when she was with him.

He had woken her up with a kiss to the forehead and she’d gone back to her own bed before her absence could be noticed. He dressed quickly with Neville and they met Ginny in the common room before making their way down to breakfast, people kept wishing him luck as he walked by them – he kept smiling back and saying thank you but every time someone wished him well he had to battle another bout of nerves.

He was too nervous to feel hungry, but Ginny had made him force down a small bowl of cereal anyway followed by a big glass of milk to fill him up.

Hermione and Draco had joined them at the Gryffindor table after they’d eaten their own breakfast.

‘Do you want me to get you a calming draught?’ Hermione offered as the morning owls began to sweep down with the post.

Harry shook his head; Ginny was holding his hand under the table. ‘I’m good thanks.’

An owl dropped a letter down in front of Harry before turning and flying back off through the window. Sirius was sending him daily owls in the days leading up to the final task – normally they were offering him advice for what to do in the maze, if he’d come across anything in his Auror training that he thought Harry might find useful.

Today’s letter was just wishing him good luck, and to say that he would be coming up to watch the task – he’d taken a day off his intensive training for the event – which put Harry in increasingly good spirits.

His good spirits got him through what came next, which was the arrival of the morning paper.

Hermione had unfolded her copy of the Daily Prophet and spat her morning pumpkin juice all over Draco.

‘Urgh! Gross!’ Draco cried, dabbing himself with a napkin, though he had forgiven her the second he had seen the front copy. ‘For Merlin’s sake.’ He groaned. ‘Today of all days.’

‘What’s it saying?’ Harry asked.

‘It’s Skeeter.’ Hermione told him.

‘Ah.’ He said, just invoking her name was enough said on the matter.

Hermione handed the paper to him, and Ginny gasped when she saw the front page.

_Harry Potter: Disturbed and Dangerous?  
The boy who defeated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is unstable and possibly dangerous. Alarming evidence has recently come to light about Harry Potter's strange behaviour, which casts serious doubts upon his suitability to compete in a demanding competition like the Triwizard Tournament, or even to attend Hogwarts School.  
Potter, the Daily Prophet can exclusively reveal, regularly collapses at school, and is often heard to complain of pain in the scar on his forehead. Several weeks ago, midway through a Divination lesson, Potter was carried from the class by the Duke of Abington, after experiencing pain in his scar that severe it left him screaming on the floor.  
It is possible, say top experts at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, that Potters brain was affected by the attack inflicted upon him by You-Know-Who, and that his insistence that the scar is still hurting is an expression of his deep-seated confusion. Potter is the only known survivor of the killing curse, who knows what side effects that could have on a person?  
The Daily Prophet, however, has unearthed worrying facts about Harry Potter that Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, has carefully concealed from the wizarding public.  
‘Potter can speak Parseltongue’ the third-year Colin Creevey tells in in excitement. ‘There were a lot of attacks on students a couple of years ago, and most people thought Potter was behind them after they saw him lose his temper at a duelling club and set a snake on another boy.’_

Hermione cast a glare down the Gryffindor table at Colin, only to see him looking just as surprised as she was at the sight of the paper.

_Parseltongue, the ability to converse with snakes, has long been considered a Dark Art.  
Indeed, the most famous Parselmouth of our times, outside of the Royal Family, is none other than You-Know-Who himself. Interestingly, it is an ability all members of the Royal Family since King Arthur who reigned from 1060-1080 due to his mother’s Slytherin blood.  
Apparently, Potter speaking a dark tongue and setting a snake on a fellow student was all hushed up by Dumbledore. But it is a fact that Potter associates himself with half-giants and his best friend is a Werewolf.  
A member of the Dark Force Defence League, who wished to remain unnamed, stated that he would regard any wizard who could speak Parseltongue, who was not a member of the Royal Family, "as worthy of investigation,” and added: _ _"anyone who seeks out the company of such vicious creatures as werewolves and giants would appear to have a fondness for violence."_  
_Albus Dumbledore should surely consider whether a boy such as this should be allowed to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. Some fear that Potter might resort to the Dark Arts in his desperation to win the tournament, the third task of which takes place this evening._

‘Gone off me a bit, hasn’t she?’ Harry said as lightly as he could manage.

‘I thought she wasn’t allowed to publish things like this anymore?’ Ginny said hotly.

‘Nothing in there is a lie.’ Harry shrugged. ‘My scar does keep hurting, I did have to leave Divination, my best friend is a Werewolf, and I am a Parselmouth… and so is all the royal family.’

‘Yeah, but she’s making out that you’re evil!’ Ginny snipped and then began to savagely cut up the leftover bacon on her plate.

‘I don’t understand how she knew about that Divination class?’ Hermione said with a frown. ‘And that happened weeks ago! Why only publish it now?’

‘She’ll have held onto it until today on purpose. The day of the final task is a pretty good day to reveal some new dark information about one of the champions.’ Draco told them.

‘I’m going to murder Colin.’ Ginny said, scanning that quote from him again. ‘Bloody twat.’

Harry shook his head. ‘Rita has a gift for twisting people’s words.’

It was at that moment that Colin hurried up from his seat and came to Harry. ‘Harry! I swear I didn’t say that to Rita! She came up to me and my friends in Hogsmeade and specifically asked about you talking to snakes, she already knew I just confirmed it… and she’s left out the bit where I told her you were innocent and when I told her to get lost!’

Colin seemed to be just as upset as Harry probably should have been on reading such an article about himself.

‘Colin, really, it’s fine.’ Harry held up a hand to stop Colin ranting. ‘Skeeter is a cow – don’t worry about it.’

Colin let out a relieved smile. ‘Thanks Harry… good luck today.’

‘Okay, so she led Colin into that quote.’ Hermione shrugged. ‘Still doesn’t explain how she heard about you fainting in Divination.’

‘I did not faint.’ Harry rolled his eyes.

‘No, you just collapsed and had a fit and started screaming bloody murder.’ Draco said sarcastically.

‘The window was open?’ Harry suggested.

‘Those windows are really high up!’ Ginny said. ‘There’s no way she could have been eavesdropping from there.’

‘She’s probably bugged the castle.’ Harry said, shrugging it off.

‘We’ve been through this a million times, Harry. You can’t bug Hogwarts.’ Hermione said, shaking her head in frustration. ‘Muggle tech just doesn’t work here, there’s too much magical interference. I tried to bring my Walkman in first year and it just played a bunch of static.’

‘You're the one who's supposed to be researching magical methods of bugging!’ Harry finally snapped.

‘Oh, because it’s that easy.’ Hermione snapped back. Then she took a calming breath. ‘I have a few theories about her, I just need more evidence.’

Harry was about to ask what her theories were when McGonagall came to stop in front of him.

‘Potter? The champions are congregating in the chamber off the Hall after breakfast.’ She told him. He saw Fleur Delacour get up from the Ravenclaw table and join Cedric as he crossed to the side chamber and entered.

Harry frowned. ‘But the task isn’t until later?’

‘The champions are having family visits today.’ His head of house told him. ‘This is just a chance to spend a day with them before the task tonight.’ Krum slouched off to the side room next.

Harry perked up at the news that his Godfather was in the castle, and he instantly jumped to his feet. For a wild moment of amusement, he pictured the Dursleys being in there with Sirius. He did feel a little grim about the fact he only had one family member in that room while everyone else would no doubt have two parents and a boatload of siblings.

‘Say hi to Sirius for us.’ Hermione called as he hurried up the aisle.

He walked – or jogged - across the Hall and opened the door into the chamber.

Cedric and his parents were just inside the door, and Harry realised he must have been an only child for there was no little sister hugging his arm or an older brother clapping him on the back.

Viktor Krum was over in a corner, conversing with his dark-haired mother and father in rapid Bulgarian. There were two girls stood by him that must have been his older sisters, one was quite noticeably pregnant and the other was still only wearing her engagement ring and a proud string of pearls around her thick neck.

On the other side of the room, Fleur was jabbering away in French to her mother. Fleur's little sister Gabrielle, whom Harry had last seen being delivered back to the surface world by a Merperson after the second task, was clutching Fleur’s hand.

His Godfather was stood in front of the fireplace, beaming at him. He wasn’t alone.

‘Surprise!’ Remus Lupin smiled at him.

A great smile crossed Harry’s face.

Sirius pulled him in for a tight hug first, ‘Mrs Weasley is going to come down and watch the task with Bill later when he finishes work.’

‘Oh, brilliant.’ Harry said, and it was. Only… this would be his first time seeing Mss Weasley as her only daughter’s boyfriend.

Then he was passed to Lupin, who gave him an equally tight hug. ‘Hi, Harry. You feeling ready?’

Harry nodded. ‘Hermione’s been outing me through the most vigorous training regime going.’

‘It’s great being back here.’ Sirius said to Harry. ‘Fancy giving us a tour? I didn’t get to have a proper look around after the first task.’

‘Yeah, alright.’ Harry said, and he began to lead them back towards the door into the Great Hall.

Harry had a very enjoyable morning walking over the sunny grounds with Sirius and the Remus, both telling him stories about their misspent youth with James as they went around.

‘-and he steps on the wand!’ Sirius finished his story to rounds of laughter.

Harry’s sides hurt that much from laughing, he loved hearing stories about his dad from people who knew him.

‘-and Lily pushes him into the lake for it!’ Remus added.

More laughter, tears were streaming down all of their faces from their laughter.

‘-so we all jumped in the lake to hide from old Slughorn-’

‘How long were you down there?’ Harry asked through his laughter.

‘An hour! We all had bubble-head charms on, but it was the middle of February! I thought Lily was just going to murder James but she ends up going on a date with him!’

When Harry had pictured his parents getting together after years of hatred, he’d imagined some big romantic gesture… not them hiding in a freezing lake from an old Professor. But this story had made him smile, it made his parents appear more human rather than just the vaguest ideas.

Harry showed them the new additions to the grounds, the Beaxbatons carriage and the Durmstrang ship.

‘How’s Percy?’ Harry asked Sirius. ‘Did he get in trouble over the whole Mr Crouch thing?’

‘Meh.’ Sirius shrugged. ‘The Ministry wants to keep Mr Crouch's disappearance quiet, but Percy's been hauled in for questioning about the instructions Mr Crouch has been sending in, they led him right by my training room. There's a chance they weren't genuinely written by him… They're not letting him fill in for Mr Crouch as the fifth judge tonight.’

‘Do you reckon he’ll get in trouble over it?’ Harry asked.

‘Not serious trouble.’ Sirius told him. ‘Greater Wizards have been tricked by less.’

‘Who’ll be the last judge then?’ Remus asked.

‘There’s lots of Royal Guards set to come into the castle grounds tonight, so there’s definitely a royal coming, but I don’t know if they’re judging or just watching.’ Sirius told them. ‘But I’ve also heard it could be the Minister.’

They returned to the castle for lunch.

‘I hear you’ve been fraternising with the enemy.’ Sirius teased Hermione as she joined them at the Gryffindor table, nodding over at Krum with his family. ‘Shall we expect an announcement in the papers soon?’ He made a point of inspecting Hermione’s hair for a pin or comb jokingly.

Hermione had batted him away. ‘No, we’re just friends.’

‘What?’ Harry said. ‘Since when?’

‘Since the second task. We’re going to split up when he goes back to Bulgaria.’ Hermione told him.

‘Oh. Sorry?’ Harry said awkwardly.

Hermione smiled. ‘Don’t worry about it.’

If Sirius or Remus had any judgmental comments about Hermione carrying on with a boy she had no intentions to peruse, they kept them to themselves.

Harry had led his guests around the castle in the afternoon – they were all Gryffindor’s so he took them into the common room. Sirius had told him several hilarious stories about his school day antics in that room and Harry had shown them the miniature dragon he had gifted to Ginny snoozing in the fireplace.

They returned to the Great Hall for the evening feast. Ludo Bagman and Cornelius Fudge had joined the staff table now – which put to rest the question of who the final judge would be.

‘Mum!’ Ginny said in clear surprise, ‘what are you doing here?’

‘I’ve come to watch Harry in the last task.’ Mrs Weasley told her as she approached the table. ‘Bill should be here any second.’ She said as she gave Harry a one-armed hug before sitting down on Ginny’s free side.

For once, Harry did not take Ginny’s hand under the table and even sat slightly further away from her than he usually would have. He was very aware of Mrs Weasley’s eyes on them. Sirius seemed to find this quite amusing though, and sat down roughly next to Harry so that he bumped against his girlfriend.

Then Hermione had come to join them with Draco for dinner.

‘Hello Draco.’ She said warmly. ‘Hermione.’ She said less warmly.

Harry and Draco both looked at the shocked Hermione and the stern Mrs Weasley. ‘Mrs. Weasley, you didn't believe that rubbish Rita Skeeter wrote in Witch Weekly, did you? Because Hermione's not gone out with either of us.’ He said, gesturing between himself and Draco.

That ridiculous article had come out the same day as the announcement of the royal courtship of Matilda and Tom - but of course Mrs Weasley would be the one person to have read it.

‘Oh!’ Mrs Weasley gasped. ‘No - of course I didn't!’ But it would be a lie to say she didn’t visibly warm to Hermione after this. Sirius had to disguise a laugh as a cough and Remus had clapped him hard on the back to add to the act.

Ginny had brought her dragon down from the common room, she was going to bring her little friend along to cheer Harry on – not that the mini-dragon was aware of little more than the hand that fed him.

Mrs Weasley had given a small shriek when she’d seen Alfred asleep beside Ginny’s dinner plate, and Harry had casually plucked one of the floating candles from the air and set it down next to the snoring dragon to enjoy.

‘I do not want a _dragon _in my house!’ Mrs Weasley had complained as little wisps of smoke and flame emitted from a particularly loud snore.

‘He’s harmless.’ Harry assured her. _Man, I am really starting to sound like Hagrid. _He thought to himself.

Whenever he stayed at Neville’s house for several weeks over summer, they were often over at the Weasley’s house to see Ginny or the twins – especially in the weeks when Ron had been sent away. He was very familiar with Mrs Weasley normally, but he was fairly sure he’d seen her casually lean back to look at Ginny’s hair for any sight of a pin or comb and it had made him rather nervous.

Another head of red hair hurried into the room; it was Bill Weasley. ‘Hiya Harry.’ He said, clapping him on his shoulder.

‘You’re late dear.’ Mrs Weasley said sternly as he slid onto the bench on her other side.

‘Yeah, the Goblins kept me a little longer than I expected.’ Bill said, shrugging him mother off. ‘Charlie wanted to come too, but he just couldn’t get the time off work. He told me you were incredible against the dragons!’

Fleur Delacour, Harry noticed, was eyeing Bill with great interest from her family spot on the Ravenclaw table. Bill, who Harry always thought looked a little bit like a Rockstar with his long hair and fang earring, was clearly the Veela’s type. He certainly ticked the dangerous bad-boy box as a curse-breaker off entering perilous tombs in search of treasure.

‘I saw Tonks on my way in, stopped to say hello.’ Bill told them.

‘Oh, Tonks is a lovely girl!’ Mrs Weasley said. ‘We should have her over for dinner.’

Sirius and Harry shared a look at this. Mrs Weasley was already planning a wedding in her head between her son and the Royal Guard, but she hadn’t noticed her son had just taken note of Fleur staring at him and had winked at her.

She also didn’t notice Remus shifting uncomfortably at the mention of Tonks name, who he had met during his tenure as a Hogwarts Professor the year before. But Sirius did, and he was shooting his best friend a confused glance.

As the sun set over the grand feast, nerves started building in Harry again. He felt rather sick. Far too nervous to actually eat now, he was thankful that Ginny had forced him to eat a big breakfast.

As the enchanted ceiling overhead began to fade from blue to a dusky purple, Dumbledore rose to his feet at the staff table, and silence fell.

‘In five minutes, I will be asking you to make your way down to the Quidditch field for the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Will the champions please follow Mr Bagman down to the stadium now.’

Harry stood up and received a hug and a good luck peck from Ginny, a hug from all of his guests, along with some words of encouragement from Sirius and a quick shield charm tip from Remus. Then he moved out of the Great Hall.

Hermione had wandered over to the Slytherin table to wish Krum luck as well, his family had just been collected by Flitwick, and they’d had a brief smooch.

She was on her way back to the Gryffindor table and her friends when she noticed Cedric having his own farewell snog with Cho – who was proudly sporting a new courting bracelet.

He pulled away and gave her a final peck on the forehead. ‘I’ll see you later.’ He smiled down at her.

Cho grinned up at him, but she was clearly worried about him. ‘Try not to get too banged up this time.’ She said lightly.

Cedric grinned down at her. ‘Don’t worry, I’m not fighting any dragons this time.’

Cedric stepped away from her and hugged his father, gave his mother a kiss to the cheek, and stepped towards the doors just as Flitwick arrived to collect his parents.

‘Hey Granger.’ Cedric smiled as he passed her by the doors.

‘Hey Cedric, good luck!’ She said.

He pulled her in for a quick hug, they had been desk buddies in most subjects for the year now and an easy friendship had formed between the two.

‘Cheers, I’ll see you later. Hufflepuff party tonight no matter who wins, spread the word to the snakes, will you?’ He grinned.

Hermione smiled. ‘Can’t wait. Hopefully we’ll be toasting a Hogwarts victory… will you keep an eye out for Harry?’ She asked.

Cedric grew serious at this. ‘Yeah, I’ve talked it over with the other champions, we’re all going to keep an eye out for him… I’m not too worried, I think we’re just finding a treasure in the maze, and Hufflepuff’s are particularly good finders.’

Hermione had chuckled and offered him a grateful smile. ‘Thanks, Ced. I’ll see you after you’ve won.’

Cedric disappeared through the front doors after the other champions, Hermione returned to the Gryffindor table and sunk down next to Ginny and Draco. Ginny was twiddling her thumbs in a clear fit of nerves.

Harry’s four guests had been collected by Flitwick too while she’d been chatting with Cedric – families would be watching from a separate box.

‘Cedric said he’ll keep an eye out for Harry, don’t worry.’ Hermione said to Ginny, who perked up at this.

A few minutes later and the three headmasters began to round up their students to head down. The two other schools, since they were much fewer in number, went down first. Then the swarm of Hogwarts students lined up in their houses for the walk down.

Daphne looked rather pale as Hermione approached her. ‘You alright?’ She asked.

Daphne nodded but she was very twitchy. ‘Yeah, I’m fine. I just don’t feel very well.’

Hermione, remembering the frantic drawing fit Daphne had the night before, and the symbols she had drawn, completely understood Daphne not feeling very well.

Hermione, Draco, and Daphne were joined by Ginny and Neville for the walk down to the site of the third task.

The Quidditch field was now completely unrecognizable. A twenty-foot-high hedge ran all the way around the edge of it. There was a gap right in front of them: the entrance to the vast maze. The passage beyond it looked dark and creepy.

‘Man, I’m glad I wasn’t old enough to put my name in.’ Fred said, appearing with his brother and Lee. The twins had turned seventeen back in April and all their talk about wishing to put their names into the Goblet of Fire had died on their lips completely after each task.

They managed to get very decent seats - front row on the middle stand. The stands were quickly filling around them and a loud and excited chatter filled the air.

The four champions were stood by the maze with Bagman, who once everyone was settled pointed his wand at his throat and spoke.

‘Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin!’ He said to thunderous applause.

‘But first – our special guests!’ He said. ‘King Armand and Princess Matilda!’

A thunderous applause filled the stadium as the King and Princess entered the ring. They both shook hands with each of the champions and wished them luck, then they went to stand by Dumbledore and the other headmasters. The high presence of royal guards in the ring and dotted about the stands now made a lot of sense.

‘In first place, is Mr Harry Potter!’ Bagman told the crowd. ‘He will enter the maze first.’

There were cheers from the Hogwarts students.

‘In second place, is Mr Cedric Diggory!’ Bagman said. ‘He will enter the maze second.’

Everyone cheered for Cedric, even the other schools, it was impossible not to love the cheerful and kind boy.

‘In third place, Mr Victor Krum, he will enter the maze next.’ Bagman said. Viktor earned big cheers from all of the Quidditch fans.

‘And in fourth place, Miss Fleur Delacour! She will be the last to enter the maze.’ A rather loud cheer from the boys from all the schools went up.

The families were all sat in a separate box to the stands just to the left of Hermione and her friends, so she was getting a good view of the back of Sirius’ head. Hermione was willing to bet his normal carefree expression would be replaced with one of worry now.

‘On my whistle!’ Bagman said.

‘Three- two – one!’ He gave a short blast on his whistle, and Harry hurried forward into the maze with one last wave directed at Sirius and then at Ginny.

Lavender and Parvati began a dismal attempt at being American Cheerleaders as Harry disappeared into the darkness of the maze.

‘Give me a H!’ Lavender shouted cheerfully with fake paper pompoms.

‘H!’ Parvati said, waving her own messy pompoms about.

‘Give me an A!’

‘A!’

‘Give me a break.’ Draco grumbled.

Hermione had to put real effort in not to burst out laughing at the two ridiculous girls.

Bagman sounded his whistle again, and Cedric winked at Cho, waved at his parents, and hurried into the maze.

‘Give me a C!’

‘C!’

‘Give me a E!’

‘E!’

‘Maybe I could stun them?’ Hermione mused.

A few minutes later Bagman blew on his whistle again. Krum, who looked a little bit pale entered the maze without waving to anyone. He simple strode into the maze determinedly.

‘Give me a V!’

‘V!’

‘Give me a I!’

‘I!’

‘My ears are going to start bleeding in a minute.’ Fred grumbled in his seat just behind Hermione.

A final blast on the whistle and Fleur hurried into the maze.

‘I thought the lake was bad, but this one really isn’t a spectator sport.’ Draco said.

‘The lake one wasn’t bad.’ Ginny said.

‘How would you know? You were unconscious for most of it.’ Draco reminded her.

‘Fair point.’ Ginny said.

‘Are we just meant to stare at the hedges until someone wins?’ Hermione said.

But then Bagman struck up a commentary, he was receiving updates from the teachers patrolling the maze apparently.

‘Diggory manages to put the beast on its back without receiving a scratch!’

‘Krum seems a little dazed, maybe he’s come off worse in a scuffle? I’ll keep you updated on that one!’

‘And Mr Potter expertly manages a Bogart!’ He announced.

Red sparks shot over the maze.

‘And Miss Delacour is forced to retire for unknown reasons!’ Bagman announced to the gasps of the crowd. ‘My, she seems rather banged up apparently!’

_At least Harry won’t come stone dead last. _Hermione thought to herself.

A few minutes later and Viktor was removed from the maze, he’d been found unconscious by one of the many Professors’ on patrol.

_A Hogwarts victory then. _Hermione was cheered at this idea… _whoever had the plan to finish Harry off with this tournament has utterly failed!_

‘So, the Gods’ are speaking to you’ Draco asked Daphne, who was getting very fidgety, it had been several minutes now without an update as Cedric and Harry both roamed the maze.

‘They’re trying to, I guess.’ Daphne managed to get out.

‘I don’t understand. They’ve spoken to Hermione and me in English, why speak to you in the Ancient Tongue?’ Draco frowned.

Daphne began rubbing at the back of her neck and pulling lightly at her hair as she tried to push it out of her face.

‘Beats me.’ She said. ‘Maybe they’re just dicks.’

Then Daphne let out a shaky breath. ‘Gah!’ She moaned and began to rub at her neck furiously.

Hermione glanced at Daphne at the sound of her cry to find her hyperventilating, and glistening with sweat.

‘Are you alright?’ She asked in a worry.

Daphne shook her head. ‘I feel like there’s someone breathing down my neck.’ She began to scratch at the back of her neck hard enough to draw blood with her nails.

Hermione grabbed her hand. ‘Wow, don’t do that.’ She said.

Draco had become aware of a situation brewing and moved to squat in front of Daphne. ‘Do you see something?’

Daphne shook her head, but her breathing was hitched. ‘No, just a feeling… gah!’ She clutched her hands to her head.

‘And it’s neck and neck between Diggory and Potter! Who will get to the cup first?’ Bagman asked, sounding utterly delighted and clearly unaware of a True Banshee having an episode not fifteen feet from him.

* * *

On the cliffs on Iceland sat the eternal white stone of Temple City.

Built into the side of the cliff, the city was safe from invaders, the only way in or out was through the Great Red Gate at the south of a long pathway… at least for most people.

The three awe inspiring Temples all bordered one square lush lawn, each built in a different style.

The Temple to Ledur on the left side of the lawn, seemed almost Egyptian in style, though it was graceful rooms of marble rather than alabaster. Perhaps it was… or perhaps the Egyptian Temples resembled the Temple of Ledur. The halls of columns were all carved with detailed images of a wild hunt and several showing Ledur guiding souls onto the next world.

On the right side of the lawn lay the Temple of Atune. It was by far the most modest of the three… at least on the outside. Much like the Ancient Temple that lay hidden beneath Hogwarts, it was a perfect square of archways leading to the inner sanctuary. The true design lay on the inside, where water ran down the walls and travelled through pathways in the brightly coloured floor to gather in a central pool that never overflowed. Underneath the cascading water on the walls were beautiful murals depicting Atune with a collection of Mermaids, Wolfbloods, and Banshees. The central mural behind the alter held the image of the twelve original Dusman.

The central Temple of Vutris was by far the largest, the grandest, and the most magical. A hundred Doric columns held up the great marble roof, on top of which lay a golden statue of a crowned and caped Vutris with her sword held aloft. Below the statue lay a large oculus that when the sun shone directly through at midday would fully light up another statue of Vutris inside behind the vast alter. A frieze bordered the inner wall, it was carved with delicate images of all three Gods leading a hunt. The scene culminated with large wave hitting the once great city of Atlantis. Whatever they had been hunting had been blasted from the wall by what looked like a bolt of lightning, many attempts had been made to repair this single imperfection, but nothing would stick. Thankfully this one flaw was completely overshadowed by the ceiling. It was clear where the founders of Hogwarts had taken the inspiration for their magical Great Hall from. The ceiling of the Temple of Vutris held a perfect map of the heavens – apart from the single beam of light from the oculus, the entire space was always lit by glistening starlight.

The ocean would roar and crash against the side of the cliff. In the ancient days, Mermaids often swam the dangerous swell into a cave below the city, there was a secret entrance to the Temple of Atune down there, but nobody could swim the current to find it.

The High Oracle twiddled the white diamond ring on her finger as she walked the grounds with the new Priest of Ledur, he had just been anointed the week before.

‘And the other Temples?’ He asked, his Kenyan accent was strong and stood out against the High Oracles slight Welsh accent.

‘They have all said-’ The High Oracle froze where she stood.

‘Oracle? Are you okay?’ The Priest of Ledur asked in concern.

The High Oracle let out a high piercing scream as she fell to the ground clutching her head in agony.

The Priest of Ledur clutched at his own ears to cover to painful sound. When the screams ended, he lowered his hands to find them bloody. Her scream had left his ears bleeding.

The High Oracle was seemingly unconscious on the grass, her long white dress and built in cape fanned out around her.

The Priest of Ledur leaned over her, and was about to try and shake her awake when her eyes snapped open and she bounded to her feet.

‘Ma’am! Are you alright?’ The Priest asked, ignoring the pounding pain in his ears and head.

‘I have to get to Hogwarts…’ She managed to get out with a rattling gasp.

She turned from the new Priest and ran towards the centre of the middle field, moving away from the three temples. She wasn’t stupid enough to try and do this stood next to one.

She came to stop at an odd circle in the middle of the lawn that was completely dead, it stood out boldly against the otherwise lush lawn.

‘Someone is about to die.’ She said desperately.

Then she raised her ring towards the sky and shut her eyes in concentration, but also because she didn’t want to have her eyes melted by what was about to come.

A blinding bolt of lightning crashed down from the perfectly clear sky and hit the raised ring on her hand. The crashing sound of thunder echoed through the city. There came a thick smoke from the impact that completely filled the square and the thick mist rolled over the cliff and down to the rough ocean below.

The force of the blast blew the Priest onto his back across the field. Several other Priests and Priestesses emerged from the Temple at the sound of lightning hitting, wondering what was going on.

When the smoke of the bolt cleared the scene, the High Oracle was gone.

* * *

Daphne was clutching her head in pain now. ‘Ahh.’ She moaned in discomfort.

She was attracting the attention of the surrounding crowd. Dumbledore began to step towards her in clear concern, and two royal guards moved silently closer to the King and Princess. Hermione noticed Tonks in the corner of her eye moving down the steps to be closer to Draco.

‘Daphne?’ Draco said as gently as he could manage.

But Daphne was clutching her head and crying through the pain… but she couldn’t see or hear anything… she could only feel the unsettling intrusion and the pain of having a God force their way into her head.

A bolt of lightning hit the ground in front of the maze, there were screams and people diving for cover. Anyone who had been stood in the inner ring had been blown off their feet – including Dumbledore.

In that brief, blinding flash, a woman had appeared exactly where it had hit. A woman Hermione recognised from newspapers.

The High Oracle had come to Hogwarts.

She looked straight to Dumbledore, who was pulling himself back onto his feet.

‘Get them out!’ She said to him firmly as she ran the few steps towards him, her perfectly white Grecian dress and cloak fanning out behind her as she moved. ‘You need to get them out right now!’

‘Oracle! What are you doing here?’ Dumbledore gasped, clearly a little bit shocked that he’d been suddenly knocked down by a bolt of lightning. There wasn’t really any way to prepare oneself for that.

‘Get them out now or somebody is going to die!’ The Oracle said again determinedly.

Dumbledore was taking her very seriously.

He turned instantly to Bagman and several Ministry Wizards who had rushed forwards.

‘Get them out.’ He ordered clearly, though he was unable to hide the extreme worry on his face. Fleur and Viktor were already out of the maze, that only left two possible victims.

Hermione thought she was going to be sick, but she didn’t look half as bad as Ginny or Sirius.

The wizards all ran off to follow orders and Dumbledore turned to the Oracle to ask her what exactly was going on, but the Oracle ignored him. She was scanning the crowd for someone.

Her eyes landed on Daphne who was still clutching her head in pain.

Hermione realised at that moment just who the other True Banshee that had diagnosed Daphne was.

The Ministry Wizards were back alarmingly fast – Viktor and Fleur in tow behind them – both of them fresh from the medical tent. Viktor was being wrestled to the ground by two Aurors’.

‘Dumbledore! Sir!’ One of them cried. ‘Viktor Krum is under the Imperius Curse!’

There were gasps of horror from the crowd, Hermione felt very ill now indeed and was clutching her wand as tightly as she possibly could. Her other hand was gripping Draco’s arm.

‘Potter and Diggory… they’re not in the maze at all.’ The Ministry wizard finished, he looked to be on the verge of tears.

There were greater gasps from the crowd. Ginny had begun to wring her hands and Hermione spotted Cho on the next stand doing the same thing.

Daphne had begun to rock back and forth on her seat as she clutched at her head. Tears were streaming down her face.

The Oracle fell to her knees in her white dress at this news. ‘I’m too late… too late.’ She said in horror.

Dumbledore grabbed her shoulders and pulled her back up. ‘Which of them is it? Is it both of them? Who is going to die?!’

Teachers were trying to order students back up to the safety of the castle, the younger years were being escorted away first.

Hermione’s eyes flicked back over to Sirius, who was hurrying forwards to speak with a Ministry Wizard with Bill Weasley, Remus was staying in the family box trying to calm down Cedric’s parents with Mrs Weasley.

Then she glanced up at the King, he was being told leave the dangerous scene by a team of his royal guards – his usual man, Kingsley, was being rather forceful in his request. He reluctantly obeyed and he and the Princess disappeared back towards the castle surrounded by a squadron of guards.

‘Draco. You’re coming with me now.’ Tonks appeared at his side.

Draco did as he was told, partly due to the very serious expression on Tonks face, and he disappeared back up to the castle along with Ginny and the other third years, leaving Hermione alone with a crying Daphne.

‘Which of them is it?!’ Dumbledore was still trying to get information out of the Oracle. Dumbledore was shaking her by the shoulders.

‘I don’t know… I don’t know.’ The Oracle said, she hit his hands off from her shoulders. Though she didn’t react more to his rough handling than this, she was clearly angry that he would grab and shake the High Oracle.

Daphne went rigid next to Hermione. Then she began to shake.

‘Sir!’ She shouted the headmaster desperately.

He took one look at Daphne and ran over to her. He took Daphne’s shoulders in hand as he had done to the Oracle. ‘What do you see?!’

Hermione had never seen Dumbledore in such a panic.

But then the Oracle was there, knocking Dumbledore out of the way, and he let her.

‘Daphne.’ The Oracle knelt in front of Daphne, gently taking her face in her hands. ‘What do you see? Tell me what you see?’

The stands were half empty now, the first three year-groups had been evacuated back up to the castle by teachers.

Thick tears were streaming down Daphne’s face and breathing sounded difficult.

‘Death…’ Daphne in a rattling whisper.

Then her breathing hitched, her eyes were rapidly moving about, but she was not seeing her present world.

‘… and life again.’ The whisper continued, thick with horror.

The evacuation of students was continuing around them, Hermione and Daphne were the youngest students there now. Fred and George hadn’t been cleared away yet, and they were looking on at Daphne with expressions of horror.

There was a stillness in the air for a moment, and nothing but Daphne’s sobs echoed through the growing darkness.

‘Get the cup!’ Daphne cried, making sense to no one. But she wasn’t seeing their world anymore, everyone had realised she was with the two missing boys in all but physical presence.

There was a crack and two forms thudded to the ground at the mouth of the maze, the Triwizard Cup rolled away from them.

For a moment, Hermione felt relief at the sight of the two boys returned.

Then she heard Cho scream.

Cedric wasn’t moving.

* * *

* * *

I hope we all enjoyed seeing Temple City before shit hit the fan.  
E x


	83. The Third Task - part two

‘Harry! Harry!’ Dumbledore ran for Harry and grabbed at the body, who was in clear shock.

Anyone below fifth year had thankfully been escorted back to the castle now, Hermione wished in that moment that she hadn’t skipped two years. She would rather be anywhere in the world but here seeing this.

‘He’s back! Voldemort’s back!’ Harry cried as he clutched the dead body of Cedric Diggory. ‘He asked me to bring his body back!’ He was frantic and absolutely covered in blood – his leg and arm were gushing the hot red liquid. The blood from his wounded arm was rushing down his arm to his fingertips, where it was dripping onto Cedric’s unmoving face.

Dumbledore bent down, and with extraordinary strength for a man so old and thin, raised Harry from the ground and set him on his feet. Harry swayed. His head was pounding. His injured leg would no longer support his weight.

Now that Harry was moved, the remaining crowd could all see Cedric’s face. His grey eyes were open, blank and expressionless. His mouth was half-open, and looked surprised still. He was turning an ashen grey.

The Minister rushed forwards onto the scene.

Professor Moody offered to take Harry, and Dumbledore told him to stay put.

But then Amos Diggory came pelting by Hermione, knocking her over onto Daphne.

Girls were screaming, people were sobbing hysterically. Hermione moved

To her right, Cho was sobbing into her friend’s arms while clutching onto the courting bracelet Cedric had gifted her barely a week ago.

Hermione managed to keep herself together… until she heard the sounds of Amos Diggory screaming at the sight of his dead boy. It all became very real for her in that moment. She would never sit beside Cedric Diggory in another class, would never pass notes in class if one of them got stuck or was just bored, would never work on homework together. The tears were rolling freely down her cheeks.

‘Granger!’ Hermione’s head snapped around to the new voice. It was Ron Weasley.

‘Ron?’

‘Moody’s taken Harry!’ He told her desperately. ‘You have to do something!’

Hermione’s vision suddenly made sense. She _had_ been right about that flash of red hair – Madam Sybil’s killer had threatened Ron Weasley and Pansy Parkinson… and that killer was Professor Moody.

‘Where did they go?’ She asked quickly.

‘Up to the castle!’ Ron said.

Hermione ran past him, for Dumbledore who was consoling Amos Diggory.

‘Sir!’ Hermione cried. ‘Moody has taken Harry to the castle! It’s him! He’s the killer!’

Dumbledore’s head snapped up and saw that Harry was indeed gone.

Fudge and the High Oracle were too wrapped up with Amos Diggory and his wife, to notice Dumbledore leaping into action. The High Oracle was saying something quietly over the body of Cedric Diggory, a prayer for his soul to be received in the next world.

‘Where did he take him?’ Dumbledore asked. ‘Severus! Minerva!’ He called the two professors over.

‘Up to the castle.’ Hermione said.

Dumbledore set off at a run – one that was very shocking for a man of his age – and Hermione and the two teachers set off after him.

As they ran, Hermione filled them in on what Ron had just told her and what she thought had happened.

Dumbledore was running towards Moody’s office, where else would he take a prisoner for privacy?

Dumbledore threw his weight on the door, and bounced back off it. He’d bared it. Raised voices could be heard from inside, Harry sounded terrified.

‘Hermione, stand back, we’re going in.’ Dumbledore pointed his wand at the door. It blew off its hinges.

‘Stupefy!’ Dumbledore shouted, pointing his wand at the form of Moody.

But Moody was ready, he must have heard Dumbledore bouncing off the door. The stunning charm met a shield charm and it rebounded.

Dumbledore dove out of the way. Hermione did not.

The stunner hit her square in the chest and she fell backwards, she heard a snap as she hit the ground but oddly felt no pain. Her eyes fell shut.

Another wave of his wand and Dumbledore had Moody paralysed and bound in rope for extra precaution. There was cold fury in every line of the ancient face; a sense of power radiated from Dumbledore as though he were giving off burning heat.

Snape was hovering over Hermione with her wand, trying to revive her. Her eyes fluttered open. ‘Ouch.’ She said.

McGonagall meanwhile, was fussing over Harry. ‘C’mon, both of you. Hospital Wing.’

‘No.’ Dumbledore said firmly.

‘Dumbledore, look at him – he’s been through enough-’

‘They’re staying.’ Dumbledore said. ‘Harry needs to know the truth and Hermione is a part of the story.’

‘Something snapped.’ Hermione told Snape as he helped her up.

Snape quickly waved his wand over her and shook his head. ‘No broken bones.’

Hermione frowned; she was still a little out of it from the stunner. ‘No – I heard a snap.’

Hermione ran her hands down her back, searching for the injury… then her fingers brushed against the source of the snap.

She scrunched her eyes shut in horror as she pulled the broken wand from her back pocket. It had been snapped clean in two when she fell on it.

Her precious wand. She’d cast her first ever spell with it, cursed Voldemort in the face with it, turned into a wolf… and now it was dead.

She didn’t have time to mourn though, Harry was speaking. His words were slurred from the shock. ‘How could it be Moody?’ He gasped.

He looked a little pale from the blood loss in his leg. McGonagall had seen this too and had began to fuse the skin back together with her wand. Harry was still in too much shock to notice any pain this procedure should have caused.

‘This is not Alastor Moody.’ Dumbledore said.

‘Draco said he wasn’t acting normally right at the start of the year.’ Hermione told them; she scrunched her eyes shut in horror with herself. Why hadn’t she just gone and told a teacher about their suspicions?

Dumbledore nodded at this. ‘You have never known Alastor Moody. The real Moody would have never removed you from my sight after what happened tonight. Hermione alerted me the moment he took you, and we all followed.’ He told Harry.

Snape was patting the paralysed Moody down. From his pocket he pulled out a hip flask, he opened it and took a sniff at the contents, along with a set of keys which he handed immediately to Dumbledore.

‘Polyjuice potion.’ Snape said as Dumbledore took a sniff of the potion too.

Dumbledore nodded. ‘Severus, please fetch me the strongest Truth Potion that you possess. Minerva, kindly go down to the kitchens where you will find a house elf called Winky and bring her here.’

‘And Ron and Pansy, they know about Madam Sybil.’ Hermione told Snape, who after looking to Dumbledore for confirmation, nodded.

Both teachers turned at once and left the office.

Hermione felt like a Muggle without her wand. She was completely helpless without it, if Moody – fake Moody – attacked them she was screwed. Harry was swaying where he stood though, the shock still hadn’t worn off, so he wouldn’t be much better either…. It was a good thing they were with Dumbledore.

Dumbledore took the ring of keys in his hand and turned to the large trunk with seven different locks. He fitted the first key and turned it to reveal a mass of spell books.

Dumbledore closed the trunk, placed a second key in the second lock, and opened the trunk again. The spell books had vanished; this time it contained an assortment of broken Sneak-o-scopes, some parchment and quills, and what looked like a silvery Invisibility Cloak.

Dumbledore placed the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth keys in their respective locks, reopening the trunk each time, and revealing different contents each time.

Then he placed the seventh key in the lock, threw open the lid, and Harry and Hermione both let out a cry of amazement and of horror at what lay inside.

There were no spell books or cloaks in this one. Dumbledore had unlocked some kind of pit; it was impossibly deep. Lying on the floor some ten feet below them was the real Mad-Eye Moody.

He was unconscious, with a very starved appearance. Where his wooden leg normally sat was just a mangled stump, where his magical eye normally lay sat an empty socket beneath a flat lid. Chunks of his greying hair were missing and he was covered in dried blood. The stench that came from the pit made Hermione’s eyes water – there wasn’t a bathroom down there was saying enough.

Dumbledore pointed his wand into the pit and vanished the waste before he climbed into the trunk and fell slightly to the floor besides the unconscious Moody.

‘Stunned… controlled by the Imperius Curse… very weak.’ Dumbledore said, more to himself than to his audience of Harry and Hermione.

‘Could one of you throw down the imposters cloak, please?’ Dumbledore called up out from the pit.

Harry was the closest, so he grabbed the cloak and tossed it down the chest to Dumbledore’s waiting hands.

Dumbledore covered the real Moody in the cloak, tucked it around him, and clambered out of the trunk again.

‘He’ll be fine. Madam Pomfrey will need to see him, but he isn’t in any immediate danger.’ Dumbledore told them.

Dumbledore turned back to the hip flask filled with Polyjuice. ‘Ingenious, really… in its simplicity. The real Moody is known for only drinking from his hip flask. Rumour has it that the King fed him some experimental wine he’d made once, he was ill for a month, he only drinks his own brews now.’

Hermione had the strangest urge to laugh at the image of Armand fermenting his own wine and then giving a cup to the fierce royal guard Moody. But Cedric had just died and her wand had just been snapped – she probably couldn’t laugh if she tried to.

Then he looked at the paralysed and tied up imposter-Moody, who had begun to shake slightly. Hermione realised why Voldemort was scared of Dumbledore in that moment when he actually smiled at the imposter with a fierce glint in his eyes.

‘I think… in the excitement of tonight, our fake Moody might have forgotten to take it as frequently as he should have done. Let’s see, shall we?’ Dumbledore asked the room, though he did not expect a reply.

A few minutes passed and the shaking of the imposter grew more violent – the transformation into his normal form was being made painful by the paralysis Dumbledore had cast on him. Dumbledore must have been able to see this too, but he did nothing to stop it.

The face of the tied-up man was changing. Moody’s horrific scars were fading into smooth skin. The mangled nose began to balloon and fill out, then started shrinking down to proper size. The long mane of wild hair was shooting backwards into the scalp and turning a straw colour.

There was a loud clunk, and the wooden leg fell to the ground as a normal leg began to shoot down from the stump. The magical eye was pushed from the socket with a sickening “pop” as the real eye replaced it from underneath. The false eye began to roll away across the floor, it was whizzing about as if still trying to see as it went.

When the transformation was complete, they were left with a pale, freckled man with a mop of fair hair.

‘Hello Barty.’ Dumbledore said coldly.

There were hurried footsteps outside the door as the two Professor’s returned. Snape held a small vial in his hands and McGonagall had a filthy house-elf on her heels. Ron Weasley and Pansy Parkinson were bringing up the rear, both of them looked utterly terrified.

Snape had his hand still clutching his arm in pain, Hermione had realised that his Dark Mark must have returned to full form.

‘Barty Crouch Jr!’ Snape said in shock, he stopped dead in the doorway and McGonagall crashed into his back. ‘Sorry.’ He said and quickly stepped to the side to allow her into the room.

‘Sweet Vutris.’ McGonagall gasped, staring at the man tied up and motionless on the floor.

Winky peered around the witch’s legs and let out a shriek. ‘Master Barty!’

She flung herself at his chest and tried to undo the ropes binding him.

‘Winky. Stop.’ Dumbledore said gently. Winky was forced to do as Dumbledore said as her new boss – though she was sobbing as she went.

‘Severus, you have the potion?’ Dumbledore asked.

Snape nodded and stepped forwards with the vial. Hermione recognised the completely clear liquid to be Veritaserum. He bent over the man while Dumbledore held open his mouth, and poured in three drops.

Ron and Pansy were still hovering in the doorway, Hermione wasn’t sure if they looked like they were going to be sick or going to faint… perhaps both?

Dumbledore waved his wand and the man took a great gasping breath, but otherwise remained still. Dumbledore hadn’t removed the ropes.

‘Can you hear me?’ Dumbledore asked.

‘Yes.’ The man said.

‘Great.’ Dumbledore said calmly. He seemed a different man now to the one who had shaken the High Oracle by the shoulders in a panic not so long ago.

‘I would like you to tell us how you escaped from Azkaban.’ Dumbledore said.

Crouch Jr’s voice was eerily flat and expressionless. ‘My mother found out I was dying and begged my father to save me. My father asked for a deathbed visit to the prison and my mother and I both drank Polyjuice Potion containing each other’s hairs.’

McGonagall gasped from the back of the room.

Winky was getting hysterical again. ‘Master! No! Say no more! Your father will get into trouble!’

But Crouch could not stop, he carried on in the lifeless drone. ‘The dementors felt my father enter with my sick mother and leaving with my sick mother… My mother died a few days later in the prison, still disguised as me. My father did not even ask for her body back to bury her in the family plot, she is buried in an unmarked grave at Azkaban.’

Hermione could help remembering seeing Crouch Sr at the edge of the woods saying he had done something stupid. _That’s a bloody understatement. _One of the sweetest boys Hermione had ever known was dead now because of this.

‘What did your father do with you once you were back home?’ Dumbledore asked, still calm, though Hermione suspected he was just as livid as the rest of them. Both the Crouch’s would be spending a healthy stint in the prison after this, no doubt about it.

‘He staged my mother’s death and the house-elf nursed me back to health.’ Crouch said. ‘He was shocked when I wanted to find my Master.’

‘I bet he was.’ Snape said darkly.

‘I had to be controlled… subdued.’

‘And how did he control you?’ Dumbledore asked.

‘The Imperius Curse.’ Moody told him. ‘I was forced to wear an Invisibility Cloak day and night, and I was always with the house-elf. She was my new jailor. But she pitied me; she’d practically raised me you see... So, she persuaded my father to give me occasional treats.’

Winky, who had hidden her face behind her hands, sobbed. ‘You shouldn’t tell them!’

‘But you were discovered… weren’t you?’ Dumbledore asked.

Crouch nodded, though the action rather resembled a puppet on strings.

‘A witch in my father’s office, Bertha Jorkins. She came to the house with papers for my father s signature. Winky showed her inside and returned to me… But Jorkins heard Winky talking to me and she came to investigate. My father arrived home. She confronted him, both of her parents had been killed by Death Eaters back in the day and she was very angry.’

‘What did your father do?’ Dumbledore asked.

‘He cast a very powerful Memory Charm on her to make her forget.’ Crouch said.

‘But it was a bit _too _strong. Wasn’t it?’ Dumbledore prompted.

‘Yes. It damaged her memory permanently.’ Crouch confessed in his lifeless voice.

Winky was growing increasingly hysterical, but she’d been harbouring a top Death Eater for years, she’d lost a lot of sympathy.

‘Tell me about the Quidditch World Cup.’ Dumbledore said.

‘Winky talked my father into it. I had not left the house for years and I used to play at Hogwarts, I was a Chaser.’ Crouch said.

Dumbledore frowned. ‘And Crouch just agreed to that?’

‘No. She spent months persuading him. Eventually she told him it’s what my mother would have wanted, invoking my mother always worked… and he let me go.’

Dumbledore pinched the bridge of his nose in clear frustration and anger.

‘It was planned very carefully.’ Crouch continued without prompt this time. ‘I was to sit in my father’s seat under an invisibility cloak, but they didn’t know that I had managed to throw off my father’s curse after years of practice… so I bided my time.’

‘And what happened at the Cup?’ Dumbledore asked.

‘I found a wand.’ Crouch said. ‘I was going to take it home and kill my father and make my escape… but then I heard the so-called Death Eaters outside, and it made me angry. They had never suffered for my Master – they had turned their backs on him, they were headed for the Royal tent when I saw them… but I had found the wand... But then Winky bound me to her and dragged me into the forest… So, I did what I could against them, I cast the Dark Mark into the sky and watched them all run.’

‘Then what happened?’

‘The Ministry wizards arrived. They let off so many Stunning Spells, and we were both hit… Winky was discovered, and my father searched the bushes where she had been found and felt me lying there. He put me back under the Imperius Curse and took me home. He dismissed Winky - she had almost let me escape.’

Winky let out a wail of despair.

Then Crouch actually smiled – it looked sickening. ‘I was ready to fight off my fathers spell and escape – but then my Master came for me.’

McGonagall gasped again. From the chest-pit there were faint groans. The real Moody was waking up – McGonagall climbed into the pit to attend him.

‘My Master came in the dead of night in the arms of Peter Pettigrew.’ Crouch told the room.

‘How had he found you?’ Dumbledore asked, though it was clear he already suspected the answer.

‘He had captured Betha Jorkins in Albania, she told him a great deal about the upcoming Triwizard Tournament after a little persuasion, and about how the ex-royal guard was going to teach at Hogwarts in September. He had been about to dispose of her when he sensed a lock on her mind – he broke it – and she told him all about finding me… my master realised he had a faithful servant in me still and came for me at the first opportunity.’ Crouch grinned.

‘What happened once Voldemort was in your house?’ Dumbledore asked.

‘My father had answered the door.’ His voice was no longer flat, it was elated – as though he were recalling a pleasant memory. ‘They placed him under the Imperius Curse immediately.’ Crouch let out a barking laugh at this.

Hermione felt rather sick. In the doorway, Ron looked like he was gagging on something.

‘And let me guess,’ Dumbledore said, ‘Voldemort asked something of you in return for your freedom?’

‘No.’ Crouch said. ‘He said I could rest if I wanted to – he would understand. He knew I had gone to Azkaban for him… knew I was loyal… but I wanted to serve him.’

‘And what did he ask of you?’ Dumbledore asked.

‘To be his most loyal follower. It was my greatest ambition to prove myself to him – we had failed to find him – I wouldn’t fail him again… and I didn’t. He told me he needed to place a faithful servant at Hogwarts. A servant to ensure Potter reached the Triwizard Cup. Turn the cup into a Portkey, which would take the first person to touch it to my master. I would just need a good disguise.’ Crouch said.

‘Enter me.’ Came a grown, Hermione turned to see that McGonagall had fetched the real Moody from his pit. He was currently resting against the lid of the now closed trunk.

‘All right, Alastor?’ Dumbledore asked.

Moody nodded. ‘Had worse. He and that Pettigrew man jumped me while I was putting my bins out the cowardly scum.’

‘What happened after you had subdued him?’ Dumbledore turned back to Crouch.

‘I drank Polyjuice containing his hair just in time for some Ministry wizards to turn up. Once they were convinced that I was just a paranoid old fool I packed Moody’s stuff and came to Hogwarts.’

‘How did you maintain your stock levels of Polyjuice Potion at the castle?’ Snape asked.

‘I stole ingredients from your cupboard.’ Crouch answered instantly. ‘When you caught me in there, I told you I was under orders to search it.’

‘And what happened to Madam Sybil?’ Dumbledore asked.

Hermione became aware of Ron and Pansy in the doorway again.

‘I had forgotten to take my potion and my flask was empty; I was down in the dungeons and I changed back into myself. Ronald Weasley and Pansy Parkinson came across me mid change, I threatened them with my wand to keep silent. I was going to take them up to my office with me, drink my potion, and obliviate them.’ Crouch said.

‘But that didn’t happen?’ McGonagall spoke up from her corner.

‘Obviously.’ Crouch said, managing to sound bored while under the effects of Truth Potion. ‘Madam Sybil came upon us, and she kicked up a very annoying fuss.’

Ron and Pansy were shooting each other confused glances, as if this wasn’t the story that they remembered at all.

‘I pulled out my knife, students would be easy to silence, but a Prophet would be impossible. I knew I’d have to kill her. Ronald and Pansy tried to stop me, and we argued. But I stabbed Madam Sybil and she died. I left her body in the corridor and took the two students up to my office under the Imperius Curse.’ Crouch said.

‘And once you got them there?’ Dumbledore asked.

‘I altered their memories. I figured it would be better to have someone to blame if anyone got suspicious of me. I made them think that _they _had killed her in a rage.’ Crouch said.

Pansy at these words fell to the ground in relief and let out a cry. They had spent the last few months believing they had murdered a woman and they had no real idea why they had done it. Ron had gone almost transparent and was shaking heavily.

Hermione couldn’t imagine how they must be feeling in that moment, how scared they must have been, how confused. It was a good plan on Crouch’s part, if they’d tried to speak to anyone about it, they’d have probably been thrown in Azkaban as killers since they had the memories to back up their confessions.

Snape moved instantly over to Ron and Pansy and began waving his wand over them. ‘Hospital Wing, now.’ He said and disappeared with them up the corridor, no doubt to have their true memories restored.

‘Bad things happen to those who hurt a Priestess, you know.’ Dumbledore told Crouch.

‘Nothing bad has happened to me yet.’ Crouch said.

‘_Yet._’ Dumbledore said. ‘I’d watch out for bolts of lightning if I were you.’

‘My master was concerned when he heard of my mistake. The entire operation could have been ruined by my mistake. But he forgave me once he heard that I had killed a Priestess, that was no small feat and it meant I had deprived you of a possible source of information against him.’

Snape returned; the Hospital Wing was only down the corridor after all.

‘How did your father end up at Hogwarts?’ Dumbledore asked.

‘That was Wormtail’s fault.’ Crouch said, sounding annoyed. ‘He had returned to my father’s house to care for my master and play jailor to my father.’

‘How did he escape?’ Dumbledore asked, being more specific in his questioning.

‘Wormtail could only cast a weak Imperius it turned out. My father began to fight it off after a few months. My master decided it was no longer safe for my father to leave the house. He forced him to send letters to the Ministry instead. He made him write and say he was ill. But then he broke completely free of Wormtail’s spell.’

‘And what happened next?’ Dumbledore asked.

Hermione realised with a sickening shock exactly who had attacked her and Viktor Krum, who she had been fighting for her life against, who had Obliviated her.

‘My master knew he would go to Hogwarts, to Dumbledore. He would confess to everything he had done. My master sent me word of my father's escape. He told me to stop him at all costs. So I waited and watched. I used the map I had taken from Harry Potter. The map that had almost ruined everything.’

‘What map?’ Dumbledore asked.

Hermione groaned. ‘Harry has a map his dad made. It shows Hogwarts in its entirety, and where everyone in it is. Moody… _he_… asked if he could borrow it.’

Dumbledore turned to Crouch. ‘How did the map nearly ruin everything?’

‘Because I appeared on it as Barty Crouch, not Alastor Moody. Potter and Granger saw me stealing more ingredients for the Polyjuice Potion from Snape's office one night. They thought I was my father.’

_I’m a bloody idiot. _Hermione could only think to herself. If only they had looked at the map before they’d Harry had handed it over to a Death Eater… but why would they? Moody was a worry, but nobody could have guessed the truth.

‘So you saw your father appear on this map?’ Dumbledore prompted.

‘Yes. It was a week after his escape. I pulled on my Invisibility Cloak and went down to meet him. He was walking around the edge of the forest. Then Potter came, with Granger and Krum.’

‘What did you do?’ Dumbledore asked.

‘Well, my master had been very clear that if I ever thought my task hopeless, I should grab Potter and bring him to him, but then Granger sent him up to the castle to get you.’

_If I hadn’t sent Harry up to that castle, he’d have died that night. _Hermione realised. She had to dive for a bin in the corner of the room as she was sick violently into it.

Snape had a conjured glass of water waiting for her as her gags ended, and with a quick vanish of her sick, the questioning continued. She was stood right by Harry now, and he was giving her a very thankful look.

‘What would you have done if you couldn’t get Harry?’ McGonagall asked with a frown. ‘What if he’d died in a task? This is the most ridiculous plan I’ve ever heard in my life.’

Hermione could only agree, and so it appeared could everyone sane in that room.

‘If Potter was a lost cause, I was to bring him Granger.’ Crouch said.

Dumbledore looked quite shocked by this. ‘Why her?’

‘The potion he used required blood of the enemy. He has many enemies, sure. But she ripped his face open, she’s next on his list after you and Potter.’ Crouch said.

Hermione was sick again; Harry rubbed a soothing circle onto her back.

More water and another vanishing spell and the interview continued with Hermione now sat down in a chair in the corner of the room next to the real Moody.

Dumbledore nodded. ‘I suppose that makes sense… to Voldemort it would anyway… so Harry left for the castle, what did you do?’

‘I knew I wouldn’t have long. I stunned Krum the second he turned his back to me, in my rush I had forgotten Granger’s reputation, I went for the physically bigger target first.’ Crouch admitted.

‘And in return Hemione nearly blew you up?’ Dumbledore asked, Hermione thought she might have seen the corner of his lip tweak in a smile, but his mouth remained in a serious line.

‘She put up a good fight.’ Crouch nodded. ‘But I knew darker spells, and I managed to hurt her enough to get the edge on her. Once she was stunned, I stomped on her wand arm to break it, in case she woke up and attacked me again. Then I obliviated her, she’d seen my face.’

‘Why not just kill her?’ Dumbledore asked.

Hermione clutched at her bin again.

‘She was my masters reserve for the spell… and I’d just killed one person in Hogwarts. Killing the girl that the King dotes on would have been suicide.’ Crouch said this as if Dumbledore was dumb for not realising it.

‘Okay.’ Dumbledore said. ‘Where is your father now?’

‘Dead.’

Winky let out the most gut-wrenching wail as she fell to the ground in a heap. ‘Nooooo!’

‘What did you do with the body?’ Dumbledore asked.

‘I dragged it just into the forest and waited with the map. You and he were just seconds behind me, you very nearly caught me. I covered the body with my invisibility cloak and left it there, then I walked along the forest for a minute and emerged behind you.’ Crouch told them.

‘Is his body still in the woods?’ Dumbledore asked.

‘No. When you sent me in to look for him, I knew I wouldn’t have long before Snape and the Aurors’ came to join to search. I transfigured his body into a bone and pocketed it… I carried it around for a few days and then I threw it into the Black Lake when nobody was watching.’

Harry crossed the room in a few strides to yank the bin from Hermione and have his own turn being sick into it.

‘I think these two need the Hospital Wing, sir?’ McGonagall tried again.

‘Not just yet. Only a minute longer.’ Dumbledore told the room. ‘We’re caught up with the day.’

Winky was still hysterical on the floor. Everyone ignored her.

‘Tell me about the cup.’ Dumbledore said firmly.

‘I offered to carry the Triwizard Cup into the maze before dinner. The Ministry wizard set to do it was so happy he wouldn’t have to go into the spooky maze.’ Crouch said mockingly. Hermione wondered if the Truth Potion had stopped working and Crouch was just pleased to finally reveal himself, for his voice was carrying far too much emotion to be forced confession now.

‘When I was safely in the maze, I turned the cup into a Portkey… My master's plan worked. He is returned to full power and I will be honoured by him beyond the dreams of wizards.’

‘No.’ Harry said with a frown. ‘The potion didn’t work properly. He was angry that he didn’t look right.’

Dumbledore frowned. ‘What do you mean? What does he look like?’

‘He looks like a snake… his eyes were red… and he kept the gash across his face from Hermione.’ Harry said. ‘He said that they had used the bone of his father instead of the correct ingredient, that the correct ingredient didn’t exist.’

This didn’t seem like news to Dumbledore, who was nodding along at Harry’s words. ‘This is why I did not think Voldemort would return in this way. Originally, the potion called for the “hair of the heir”, Voldemort must have thought a bone of a parent a good enough substitute.’

‘Apart from his appearance, it was... He was so powerful.’ Harry shuddered and Hermione took his hand.

Crouch was smiling at this information. ‘His appearance can be fixed, no doubt. He knew there would be risks to changing the potion, but he’s back!’ Crouch let out a manic laugh and an insane laugh lit his face.

Dumbledore turned from Crouch at last.

‘Minerva, would you mind standing guard?’ He asked.

‘Of course.’ McGonagall said fearlessly, though she looked slightly nauseous at the task.

‘Severus, please take Hermione and Alastor to the Hospital Wing. I’m going to have a word with Harry in my office and then we will join you there.’

Everyone nodded at Dumbledore’s words and began to pull away from the middle of the room. Snape had an arm around Moody to support him and Harry followed Dumbledore out of the room with one final look of hatred to Crouch.

‘Granger. Come on.’ Snape said.

Hermione, though, stepped towards Crouch.

‘Miss Granger! Step away.’ McGonagall said urgently.

Hermione had stopped right in front of Crouch, the man who had bested her in combat and obliviated her. No wonder she’d lost, she’d been fighting an insane person. You can’t fight with logic against someone without any.

Crouch looked up from his place bound to the chair, straight into her eyes, and smiled. ‘What do you want, little Mudblood?’

But Hermione felt brave, she’d just remembered three Gods handprints on an alter downstairs.

She crouched slightly so that she was eye level with him, and smiled right back at him.

‘You’re wrong.’ She said.

‘About what?’ Crouch asked.

‘You think you’ve gotten away with killing a Priestess.’ She said. ‘You haven’t.’

‘Haven’t I?’ Crouch asked, seeming rather amused.

Hermione shook her head. ‘Vutris knows what you did, she showed me in a vision…’ Hermione wondered if it was the shock making her act so odd. But she gave him a great big smile and he recoiled… perhaps she hadn’t smiled? ‘She’s gonna get you.’ She sang cheerfully. ‘And the last thing you will know is the wrath of a Goddess.’

Hermione stood and turned her back on the man. She wasn’t sure why she had just done that at all, she just knew that man had taken something from her and facing him in the eye and scaring him had just brought it back.

‘You should be a Royal Guard.’ The real Moody told her as he limped to the Hospital Wing with the aid of Snape. ‘You’re certainly scary enough to be one.’

The Hospital Wing had been very full when they’d arrived.

There was a curtain around two beds, on which Hermione suspected lay Ron and Pansy. _Poor sods, imagine thinking you were a murderer for months. _But they both must have kept some primal fear of Moody, Hermione recalled Pansy returning from her interrogation with Moody hysterical… and Ron had not trusted him to the extent that he’d gone to Hermione of all people when he'd snatched Harry.

Hermione would tell everyone later, the teachers in that office knew, but Harry should know that Ronald Weasley had saved his life.

Sirius, Ginny, and Draco were on her in a heartbeat.

‘Harry is okay.’ She told them all and they all visibly relaxed. She didn’t tell them what had just transpired, they’d hear it soon enough and she just couldn’t face it at the moment. Hermione was very glad that she was not Harry Potter in that moment, she couldn’t deal with the enormous pressures he faced every year from Voldemort’s constant attacks. Being the brains of the operation was one thing, but leading the charge was not her role, and for this she was glad.

Someone, probably Pomfrey, thrust a calming draught into her hands. She knocked it back in one go.

Snape turned to her, _oh, he gave me the potion, _she realised. ‘I have to go.’ He said to her.

‘To _him?’ _She asked in a low voice.

Snape nodded. ‘We need to know what’s going on. You remember all the mind shielding I’ve taught you this year?’

She nodded.

‘Use it all the time now. You never know who might be on the other side.’ He warned her.

‘Good luck.’ Hermione said as he stepped away, her voice rang with concern for him.

He seemed to hesitate for a moment, and then he was wrapping her in a paternal hug. ‘I’ll be fine.’ Then he was striding away back out of the Hospital Wing, no doubt to meet up with Dumbledore and Harry on their way down from Dumbledore’s office.

Draco took the place of Snape and Hermione melted into his arms. She felt his lips brush against her forehead.

He held her in his arms for a good minute and she buried her face into his chest. ‘Voldemort’s back.’ She whispered to him.

He nodded. ‘I figured when Sirius showed up here saying what had happened… Cedric, is he really dead?’

Hermione let out a few stray tears as she nodded. _So much for that calming draught._

Draco pulled her in for another hug. ‘I’m sorry. I know he was your friend.’

Finally, her tears passed away into blotchy red skin and hiccups and Draco pulled back. He took in her red eyes.

‘You look like shit.’ He said.

Hermione let out a laugh, but then the proper tears followed after. Draco let her soak his white shirt with her tears as he soothed at her hair and back.

She’d just pulled herself together again when Dumbledore entered with Harry.

Mrs Weasley let out a kind of muffled scream. ‘Harry! Oh Harry!’

She started to hurry toward him, but Dumbledore moved between them.

‘Molly.’ He said, holding up a hand, ‘Harry has been through a terrible ordeal tonight. He has just had to relive it for me. What he needs now is sleep, and peace, and quiet. If he would like you all to stay with him you may do so. But I do not want you questioning him until he is ready to answer, and certainly not this evening.’

Ginny did not try to question these orders, but she stepped forwards to Harry. He had her in his arms in a heartbeat and buried his face into her neck and hair.

‘Sirius, as Harry’s guardian, a word?’ Dumbledore said.

Sirius had placed a reassuring hand on Harry’s shoulder as he followed Dumbledore out into the corridor, no doubt to be informed of everything Harry had just told the headmaster in private.

Harry was in a bed with a vice like grasp on Ginny’s hand in a very silent Hospital Wing by the time Dumbledore returned. Hermione and Draco were sat with their legs dangling off one bed, Hermione had her head on Draco’s shoulder and he had his arm around her. It was incredibly comforting.

Sirius entered with a very pale face and instantly sunk down in a chair next to Ginny’s and put his head in his hands.

‘I will need to meet with The King and the Minister.’ Dumbledore told the room, and then he turned to Harry. ‘Please stay here overnight, no sneaking out.’

Pomfrey had given Harry a fairly quick medical exam with her wand and decreed him fine, a little shaken from the torture curse but otherwise fine. Ginny had groaned and dropped her head onto the edge of Harry’s bed when she heard that he’d had the Crucio used on him, Harry still had a hold on her hand.

With Harry in the clear, Pomfrey had given him a purple potion Hermione recognised as dreamless sleep. Harry had taken a few mouthfuls and pretty quickly passed out.

Pomfrey moved back to treating her most severe patient, which was of course Alastor Moody.

‘Will he be okay?’ Draco asked the matron.

‘He’ll be fine, dear.’ She told him as she worked without looking up.

‘He’s good friends with the King.’ Draco told the nurse. ‘He’ll probably come and check on him once the castle has been deemed safe enough by his guards.’

Madam Pomfrey instantly began cleaning her patient up of his blood stains.

A few guests had arrived while he slept. Neville had come to gather around his sickbed with the twins, but Pomfrey had gotten antsy at him having so many visitors so after confirming that his best friend had indeed not been killed the three Gryffindor’s had returned to their base to spread the good news… and to deliver the much worse news that Cedric Diggory was indeed dead.

The King had also been through to check on his old friend and his nephew, both were deemed alive and he’d gone off with Dumbledore to get the full story.

The High Oracle had been with the King, she had come to stand at the end of Harry’s bed and touched his leg, then she’d said he would be fine and buggered off with the King to speak to Dumbledore.

Harry hadn’t slept very long, only an hour or so, when he’d woken back up. Ginny still had a hold of his hand but she was talking rapidly with Sirius in the chair next to her.

Harry couldn’t really make out with Ginny and Sirius were saying when he’d first come to, but now he’d had a few seconds it was perfectly clear.

‘They’ll wake him up if they don’t shut up.’ Ginny shook her head; she was looking at the doors.

Sirius looked just as displeased; it was odd to see him quite so mother-hen. ‘What can they be shouting about? Nothing worse can have happened already.’

Harry realised he couldn’t see properly because someone, no doubt his girlfriend, had removed his glasses. He could see the blurs of the people around his sickbed and two more blurs he knew to be Hermione and Draco sat on their own bed diagonally to him whispering to each other.

‘That’s Fudge and McGonagall, isn’t it?’ Ginny asked.

‘What can they be arguing about?’ Mrs Weasley fretted.

‘Regrettable, Minerva-’ Came the voice of the Minister of Magic.

‘Just you wait until Dumbledore finds out! Wait until the King finds out!’ McGonagall was roaring.

Draco was on his feet at that one, Duke mode engaged, just as the hospital doors were flung open.

Harry sat up in bed at this noise, and Ginny instantly handed him his glasses and gave his hand a squeeze.

Fudge came striding up the ward. Professor McGonagall was hot on his heels.

‘Where is Dumbledore?’ The Minister demanded of the group around Harry’s bed.

‘He is with the King and the High Oracle.’ Draco told the Minister firmly. ‘What has happened?’

McGonagall had been about to tell them when the doors opened again and the headmaster entered followed by the two most powerful people in the world.

‘What has happened?’ Dumbledore asked instantly, shocked at seeing McGonagall abandon her post which he knew she would never do.

‘I thought you were standing guard over Barty Crouch?’ Armand asked with a confused frown.

‘There is no need to stand over him anymore, Your Grace!’ She shrieked. ‘The Minister has seen to that!’

‘Explain.’ Dumbledore said quickly and calmly.

‘He brought a Dementor into the castle… he took it into the office with Crouch.’ McGonagall told the group.

‘My dear woman!’ Crouch roared; he had gotten very red in the face, ‘as Minister of Magic, it is my decision whether I wish to bring protection with me when interviewing a possibly dangerous-’

‘The moment that thing entered the room!’ McGonagall screamed over the Minister. ‘It performed The Kiss!’

There were gasps in the room.

Hermione was not surprised. She had just told Crouch not two hours ago that Vutris would get him. The Minister was a bloody idiot to bring a Dementor near a man marked by the Gods.

‘He is no loss!’ The Minister blustered under the furious glare of Armand.

If Hermione thought Armand looked scary angry, it was nothing compared to the young High Oracle next to him.

‘Those who harm a Priestess are to be handed over to me for punishment.’ She said in a low voice.

‘I am not handing a high-ranking prisoner over to a young girl!’ The Minister roared.

There was a flash of white light, and the Minister was on his back.

‘HOW DARE YOU!’ He screamed as he leapt to his feet.

But nobody had pulled a wand on him.

‘Yeah, probably don’t insult the representative of Vutris on earth.’ The High Oracle said.

‘Why have you done this?’ Dumbledore moved the conversation back to Crouch as smoothly as he could, the Minister and the High Oracle declaring war on each other would not end well… for Fudge. ‘Now Crouch can not give testimony, Cornelius… he cannot say why he did what he did.’

‘What do you mean, why?’ Fudge frowned at him. ‘From what Minerva has told me, he seems to have thought he was doing it all on You-Know-Who's instructions!’

‘Because he was?’ Dumbledore said, as if in disbelief that one human could be such an utter moron. ‘And what’s more, the plan has worked. Voldemort has returned to full power.’

Fudge took a step back as if Dumbledore had slapped him. ‘How preposterous!’

‘We heard Barty Crouch under the influence of Veritaserum. He was smuggled out of Azkaban, Voldemort found him, they worked together to capture Harry. I assure you Minister; Crouch has helped Voldemort to return.’ Dumbledore said as gently as he could.

‘No.’ Fudge said determinedly.

‘Harry faced Voldemort tonight, Fudge.’ Dumbledore pressed on. ‘He witnessed his rebirth.’

Fudge whirled on Harry and opened his mouth.

‘I think the boy has been through enough for tonight.’ The High Oracle said, sounding much calmer now. ‘Dumbledore has explained to us what has happened and if you come with us to his office, we can explain it to you.’

Fudge seemed to remember in that moment a Prophet was before him. ‘You would have seen it if Voldemort had returned! I can’t believe you of all people has been taken in Oracle!’

‘I thought I was just a young girl?’ The Oracle reminded him. ‘Besides, you know it doesn’t work like that. I don’t get to pick and chose what I see, and it would be impossible for me to see everything… but it is in the past now so it is becoming a bit clearer for me to observe now.’

Fudge shook his head at the Oracle and he rounded back on Dumbledore and the King. ‘So, you’re all just prepared to take Harry at his word, are you?’

‘Yes.’ The King said bluntly.

‘I believe Harry.’ Dumbledore said at the same time. ‘I heard Crouch’s confession, I heard Harry’s account. The two stories match up.’

Fudge had a strange smile on his face. ‘You three, the most powerful people in the land, are prepared to believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, on the word of a lunatic murderer, and a very troubled boy.’

‘You’ve been reading Rita Skeeter’s work.’ Harry said quietly.

‘And if I have?’ Fudge looked from Harry to Dumbledore. ‘If I have discovered that you've been keeping certain facts about the boy very quiet? A Parselmouth, eh?’

The King hissed something at the Minister at that, Harry smiled and Draco snorted into his sleeve next to Hermione at the statement only he and Harry could understand.

‘What’s wrong with being a Parselmouth, eh?’ The King said then in English.

Fudge ignored this and moved for a different approach. ‘He’s having funny turns all over the place!’

‘Harry Potter is perfectly sane.’ The High Oracle said.

‘And how would you know?’ Fudge snapped.

The young woman waved at herself. ‘High Oracle, remember?’

‘That scar has not addled his brains, Cornelius.’ Dumbledore said calmly. ‘It only hurts him as a warning. Should Voldemort be nearby or feeling extra murdery.’

‘No.’ Fudge said. ‘That’s not how cursed scar’s work!’

‘I saw Voldemort come back!’ Harry finally snapped. ‘I saw the Death Eaters! I can give you their -’

But Harry fell silent when he realised there were two family members of his top name in the room. The King had seen the flash in Harry’s eyes though.

‘How could he have been there? He is under guard.’ Armand said, this was not a question for the room though, only for himself.

But the Minister heard and knew what Harry had been about to say. ‘The Duke of Wiltshire was cleared! He is from the Royal Family and has made many excellent donations-’

‘I assure you, Minister. My brother is as guilty as they come.’ Armand said. ‘He’s been on house arrest for two years now with the exception of the Quidditch Cup and I won’t be making that mistake again.’

Fudge seemed rather taken aback. ‘I know you are not close with your younger brother, sir! But you are slandering him in front of his son!’ He said, pointing at Draco.

‘Slander away.’ Draco said. ‘He’s dead to me.’

Fudge tried a new tactic. ‘You can’t just blame everyone who was cleared of being Death Eaters thirteen years ago!’

‘I mean, my dad has the Dark Mark but okay.’ Draco said.

Fudge completely ignored Draco. ‘Harry Potter is always full of crackpot stories!’

‘Did Cedric Diggory just drop dead, then?’ Hermione asked. She had remained silent as long as she could, but no more.

‘The workings of Crouch! And he has been dealt with to the fullest extent of the law!’ Crouch thundered at her.

‘Ah, yes.’ Armand suddenly said. ‘The fullest extent of the law… tell me, Minister, when did you gain the authority to have someone’s soul removed? Because I don’t remember giving it to you.’

Fudge went bright red. ‘It’s not my fault what that creature did! I cannot be held responsible for the actions of such a being and you know it.’

Hermione heard Draco wince beside her. Then she saw why. Armand looked about ready to murder his Minister for Magic.

‘Oh, I know that, do I?’ Armand repeated darkly.

‘I’m not going to argue with you anymore!’ Fudge cut the King off before he could suspend or even sack him. ‘I will not pander to these delusions.’

‘Cornelius, if you accept that he is back, we may be able to salvage the situation. We need to remove the Dementor’s from Azkaban.’ Dumbledore said. ‘You know what needs the sign off of several countries Ministers along with the King, we cannot do that without your help.’

‘I’d be kicked out of office for even suggesting it!’ Fudge shouted.

‘I’ll make sure you don’t get back into office if you don’t.’ Armand said with a clear note of finality.

‘How, exactly? You cannot abuse your powers or the public will revolt.’ Fudge told him.

‘He won’t do anything.’ The High Oracle said. ‘But I’ll hit you with a bolt of lightning… that ought to keep you out of office.’

Fudge gulped.

‘And we need to sent envoys to the giants.’ Dumbledore added, though he seemed to know it would get him nowhere.

Fudge reacted to that about as well as could be imagined. ‘What madness is this?’ He roared. ‘You’ve all gone insane… I’ll have to report this.’

‘Report to who exactly?’ Armand asked, clearly tired with the man, ‘you report to me. There is nobody above me but the Gods and I doubt they’ll be taking your floo calls.’

‘If you will not act Fudge, then I will.’ Dumbledore said.

Fudge just shook his head. ‘He can’t be back. He just can’t be… I have no more to add. I will be in touch with you tomorrow, Dumbledore, to discuss the running of this school. I must return to the Ministry.’

He had almost reached the door when he paused. He turned around, strode back down the dormitory, and stopped at Harry's bed. He actually winced at the glare of the young Ginny Weasley, who still had hold of Harry’s hand.

‘Your winnings.’ He said shortly, taking a large bag of gold out of his pocket and dropping it onto Harry’s bedside table. ‘One thousand Galleons.’ He crammed his bowler hat onto his head and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Armand was shaking his head and looking at the door after the Minister. ‘Worst Minister ever, he loves his rank more than actually doing the job, he’s a blood purist idiot.’

‘Oh. why couldn’t Millicent Bagnold still be in power.’ Sirius said in frustration. ‘She was brilliant in the last war.’

‘Let’s face it.’ Armand said with a sigh. ‘The country’s been going downhill since King Cecil introduced the Minister for Magic job to England.’ He wasn’t at all serious… much.

‘Will he come around?’ Dumbledore turned to the Oracle.

She shook her head. ‘I don’t need to tell the future to answer that one, he’s a stubborn old fool.’ 

‘Then we are on our own.’ Dumbledore said simply. ‘There is work to be done.’

He turned on Mrs Weasley. ‘Molly, can I count on you and Arthur?’

Mrs Weasley was completely white and her hands were shaking, but her voice was firm. ‘Yes. We know what Fudge is. It's Arthur's fondness for Muggles that has held him back at the Ministry all these years. Fudge thinks he lacks proper wizarding pride… Fudge was furious when the King promoted him.’

‘Then we must get a message to Arthur, he is well placed to contact those in the Ministry we can count on.’ Dumbledore said.

Bill Weasley stood up; he’d been in the corner of the room with Remus. ‘I’ll go to dad; you stay here mum.’

Dumbledore nodded. ‘Tell him to expect contact from me shortly, he will need to be discreet… Fudge is going to come at all of us hard.’

Bill pulled on his cloak and swept from the room.

Armand was shaking his head. ‘I wish I could just throw him out of office.’

‘You can.’ Draco said.

‘Well, yes, I have the power to do so.’ Armand backtracked, ‘but the public would have my head if I abused my powers like that… there’s a reason we gave away some powers to the Ministry in the past. One man shouldn’t hold all the power.’

‘If Fudge gets much worse…’ McGonagall said.

‘I will start the proper process to have a vote of no confidence, but it’s a ridiculously long process and I’ll have to gather evidence first.’ Armand said. ‘But the public can’t kick off over that.’

‘A vote of no confidence could take a full year to orchestrate.’ Draco said.

‘It is the best we can do.’ Dumbledore said.

‘I have the rest of the world to look after too.’ Armand said to his nephew. ‘I’ll mobilise the foreign governments’ to keep Voldemort out of them… we might be doomed to face him but I’ll save them if I can.’

Dumbledore nodded. ‘Speaking of abroad.’ He turned to McGonagall. ‘Please call Hagrid and Madam Maxime to my office.’

Professor McGonagall nodded and left without a word.

‘Poppy, would you go down to Moody’s office, there is a house-elf there in considerable distress. Please take her to the kitchens.’

‘Tell Dobby to look after her.’ Draco said.

The matron nodded and followed McGonagall out of the room.

‘We need bodies in this fight.’ Dumbledore said, turning to Armand.

‘I’ll have Matilda mobilise the Royal Guard.’ Armand said. ‘I’ll get on with the other Ministries and get the word out.’

Armand nodded at his nephew and Hermione on their bed and strode quickly from the room.

‘Sirius. Remus.’ Dumbledore said.

The two men leapt to attention.

‘I have work for the both of you. I need you both to activate the Order, get all of the old crowd… though I do not know where we can meet.’ Dumbledore said.

‘My family house is empty.’ Sirius said.

‘Denshaw Abbey doesn’t have floors at the minute, but once it’s done you can use that for a base too… it’s not good to keep everyone in one camp.’ Draco said.

Dumbledore shot Draco and Sirius both a grateful look.

‘Lay low at your flat.’ Dumbledore told the two men. ‘I will contact you.’

Sirius turned to Harry and hugged him farewell. ‘I will see you soon Harry. Do everything Dumbledore tells you to, okay?’

Sirius and Remus hurried from the room.

Then Dumbledore turned to the High Oracle. ‘You need to get out of the country.’

She was nodding at his, she was absently twisting at the ring on her finger. ‘It must be kept safe. Voldemort could burn the world if he got his hands on it.’

‘Just how powerful is that ring?’ Mrs Weasley asked, her eyes fixed on the white gem.

‘It contains the power of a God.’ The High Oracle told her. ‘I will spread the word of his return to all the Temples, the elvan weapons we all guard must be hidden.’

‘And the Orbs?’ Dumbledore asked her.

‘There is no way he can get two of them… it’s just not possible.’ The Oracle said.

Nobody had any idea what they were talking about.

‘The one guarded by the Ministry is the weakest one, but he can’t achieve the power of all three.’

‘Good.’ Dumbledore said.

‘I will leave for Temple City at once.’ The High Oracle nodded to the room and the headmaster. ‘I’ll let you know if I see anything helpful.’

She left the room with a graceful speed, her white cape floating behind her. A few minutes later there came a crack of thunder hitting the grounds. She was gone.

Dumbledore rubbed tiredly at his eyes. ‘I must go and attend to Mr and Mrs Diggory… Drink the rest of your potion Harry, I will see you all later.’

Harry slumped back against his pillows after Dumbledore had disappeared, he didn’t feel the need to try so hard to appear fine with the man gone.

‘You’ve got to drink the rest of your potion, Harry.’ Ginny said gently as she handed him the Goblet from his bedside table. Her arm brushed the gold bag and Harry glared at it.

‘You can have that money.’ He said to her. ‘I don’t want it.’

‘I don’t want it either.’ Ginny said. ‘Drink your potion and we can make plans in the morning, okay?’

But Harry was looking helplessly at the gold bag.

‘It should have been Cedric’s.’ He said in a hollow voice.

Harry’s eyes went red, though he was clearly trying to fight it. This just made it worse for everyone, they could see him trying to be brave. He blinked and stared up at the ceiling.

‘It wasn’t your fault, Harry. Cedric knew what he was getting into with this cup.’ Hermione said quietly.

Harry’s eyes fixed on her. ‘I told him to take the cup with me.’ He whispered.

Harry wished everyone was gone, he wanted to be alone with Ginny. He didn’t want people seeing him like this.

Ginny put down the goblet of potion and wrapped her arms around Harry as tightly as she could, sitting down on the bed in front of him as she did.

Mrs Weasley seemed to twitch at the familiarity showed by her daughter here, but she didn’t say anything as the sobs began to shake Harry’s body and the full weight of the night hit him.

‘Hermione?’ Draco whispered.

Hermione hadn’t been looking at the distraught Harry. She was glaring at a bug on the windowsill.

‘Shh.’ She said to him, without looking away. ‘Give me your wand.’

Draco handed his wand to her instantly. ‘Where’s yours?’

‘Snapped. Crouch stunned me and it snapped.’ She told him as she slowly reached for an empty jar on the table next to her, it was normally meant for giving water to patients.

She pointed Draco’s wand at the jar and whispered something. The wand didn’t feel right in her hand, though thankfully his wand recognised her familiarity and worked well enough. She handed the wand back.

The bug wasn’t paying any attention to her as she approached absently, she was feigning wanting to open the window further. The bug on the windowsill had its beady eyes on Harry wrapped in his girlfriend’s arms.

Hermione slammed the jar down over the bug and watched it squirm for a moment. ‘I’ve put an unbreakable charm on the jar you cow.’ She hissed at the bug too low for anyone else to hear.

She kept her hand on the lid as she made her way back to Draco, she picked up the lid to the jar from the table and screwed it on before the bug could break free.

Everyone was staring at her like she’d completely lost it.

‘Sorry.’ She said, then recalled Mrs Weasley was with them. ‘I’ll explain later.’

It had served as a good distraction to the distraught Harry though, and Hermione forced the rest of his potion on him.

‘Someone may stay with him.’ Madam Pomfrey said upon her return.

‘I’ll stay.’ Mrs Weasley said.

‘No.’ Ginny said firmly. ‘I’ll stay.’

Mrs Weasley opened her mouth to protest but Ginny was too quick for her. ‘You should go find Bill and dad.’

Mrs Weasley had nodded. ‘I’m going to check on Ron before I go, they sedated him and Miss Parkinson before you all came in.’

Hermione and Draco left for the Slytherin common room. They walked in complete silence; Tonks was with them – she wasn’t even trying to hide now.

They were moving quickly through the corridors as his guard told him the plan. ‘Draco – you aren’t to leave the grounds. I’m taking you to your common room and then Matilda has called a meeting and I doubt I’ll be coming back.’

Draco nodded, this news wasn’t a surprise to Hermione and Draco, the Royal Guards would be joining in the fight.

‘Am I getting the train home with everyone else?’ Draco asked.

Tonks shook her head. ‘I doubt it, you’ll probably Floo straight to Regia.’

Draco had given his cousin a rare hug before she went on her way, wishing her luck and telling her to stay safe.

‘Alea iacta est.’ Draco said, and the door to the common room swung open.

* * *

Hermione and Draco had gone back to the Hospital Wing with Daphne in tow to visit Harry the second breakfast was over the next day after Hermione had tucked her new mason jar with bug into her trunk.

Breakfast had been a sober affair for all, Cedric was so beloved by everyone, his death had hit the school hard. Dumbledore had given a quick speech and merely requested that they leave Harry alone, that nobody ask him questions or badger him to tell the story of what had happened in the maze. This meant that everyone turned to his friends for information instead.

They did this mainly to visit their friend, but also to get away from the questions. Daphne had seen it all in a vision, Hermione had been in Moody’s office, and Draco was Royal so he must have been in the know. All morning they’d had their heads pecked to the point Hermione had gone for her wand to start throwing jinxes only to remember it had been snapped in half the night before.

The broken remains of Hermione’s wand had been wrapped in a towel and stowed away at the bottom of her trunk. She wasn’t very sure what to do with it, she couldn’t just bin it. That would be so wrong. She might bury it in her backyard at home – that garden was filled with beloved childhood pets so it seemed fitting to put her childhood wand there too.

Ginny and the twins were already surrounding Harry’s bed when they arrived, and Hermione gulped when she saw Cedric’s parents talking to him.

‘He suffered very little then.’ Mrs Diggory said, she was very still and pale – her grief seemed beyond tears now. Her husband wasn’t, he was sobbing into Madam Pomfrey’s arms. ‘Thank you for bringing him home.’ Her voice choked on the final word and Harry could only nod.

Amos Diggory began to wail.

‘Amos… he died just when he'd won the tournament. He must have been happy.’ Mrs Diggory said in an attempt to console her husband.

Mr and Mrs Diggory were soon collected by Professor Sprout, Cedric’s head of house. Hermione and Draco moved to join the group at Harry’s bed and he nodded at them in acknowledgment.

‘You just missed Neville and Blaise.’ Ginny told them as they sat down. ‘They’re going to come back later.’

‘Did you guys get hounded at breakfast too?’ Fred asked.

Hermione nodded. ‘I told them all to get stuffed.’

‘Surprised you didn’t jinx them.’ George said.

‘My wand broke.’ Hermione said.

‘What happened? Can they mend it?’ Fred asked.

Hermione shook her head. ‘Moody stunned me. I fell. It got snapped when I fell on it.’

It was clear she was upset at breaking her wand. ‘Don’t worry.’ George said lightly. ‘Bill goes through a wand a year; he’s always breaking them.’

‘You’ll just have to get a new one over summer.’ Fred said.

Hermione nodded, waving them off slightly, and turned to Harry. ‘How are you today?’

‘Pomfrey’s dosed him with about eight calming draughts.’ Ginny told her.

Harry nodded. ‘I feel really mellow. It’s not very pleasant, I know I should be terrified and upset.’

‘They probably just don’t want you to have a public breakdown.’ Fred told him.

‘Yeah, it wouldn’t do much for morale if you went screaming about Voldemort through the corridors.’ George added.

Harry scrunched his eyes shut at the mention of Voldemort’s name and then he sighed. ‘Come on then, I might as well tell you what happened while I’m drugged to stay calm.’

Nobody reacted obviously at this, except to lean in. They hadn’t wanted to ask for the whole gruesome story, but if he was willing to tell it…

Harry took a deep breath and then the story began to tumble out rapidly.

He told them everything. Cedric falling. The sparkling potion that had revived Voldemort. The Death Eaters returning.

‘My dad was there, wasn’t he?’ Draco asked quietly.

Harry nodded. ‘Sorry.’

‘Can’t say I’m shocked.’ Draco said quietly. ‘I’ll write to my mother and uncle later… they should know.’ His voice was rather thick now as he spoke, and he spent the rest of Harry’s story with his head in his hands. Hermione already knew not to touch him if he was frustrated like this, she’d let him calm down some first.

‘Why was he so determined to have your blood?’ Ginny asked, she had a vice like grip on Harry’s hand, but that was alright, he was holding on just as tight to her.

‘He said my blood would make him stronger. The protection my mother left him me… he would have it too.’ Harry said, his voice didn’t quite carry the right emotion thanks to the calming draughts, but the words had enough impact of their own.

‘He was right. He could touch me without hurting himself.’ Harry said. Something sparked behind Harry’s eyes. ‘And this is going to sound crazy but I swear when I told Dumbledore that he looked really happy… only for a second.’

Then he told how Voldemort had untied him, returned his wand to him, and prepared to duel.

‘Did it hurt?’ George asked.

‘Did the torture curse hurt?’ Harry asked back sarcastically. ‘Yes, George. It hurt.’

‘I meant how much did it hurt?’ George asked, correcting himself.

Harry paused before he spoke, as if trying to find the words to summarise the burning pain that had surged through every nerve. ‘I wished I was dead.’

Ginny looked like she could do with a calming draught.

Harry moved on quickly to tell them about the golden beam of light that had connected his and Voldemort’s wands.

‘Priori Incantatem?’ Hermione asked in shock, that was one of the rarest occurrences and she’d only come across it in her Ancient History class this year. Merlin and Morgan Le Fey had shared the same wand core from a Thestral of all things. The result had been the appearance of the seventy-five wizards Merlin had trapped in a nesting doll appearing like shades in the middle of a battle field.

Harry nodded. ‘That’s what Dumbledore said.’

Hermione took in the look on Harry’s face and didn’t verbally need to state what that meant, he clearly didn’t want anyone to know. Hermione mimed locking her lips when everyone turned back to Harry, and he shot her a grateful look.

Harry described how the figures that had emerged from the wand had prowled the edges of the golden web, how Voldemort had seemed to fear them, how the shadow of Harry's mother had told him what to do, how Cedric's had made its final request.

‘You saw your parents?’ Ginny gasped as he told them.

Harry nodded. ‘Dumbledore said it wasn’t really them, just an impression of them at the moment of their deaths.’

Hermione had been reduced to sniffles and wiping furiously at her eyes at the mention of Cedric appearing and asking Harry to take his body back to his family.

‘Bertha Jorkins is dead, then?’ Fred asked. Hermione realised that with a dad running a Ministry department, the Weasley’s were probably very aware of what had been going on there.

At this point Harry had begun to hyperventilate, and Madam Pomfrey had rushed over with another calming draught.

* * *

The real Moody had been released later the next day, he grumbled all the way through his check up and had only agreed to visit the hospital for scheduled check-ins by the threat that Pomfrey would have him committed for weeks if he didn’t turn up.

Moody had reappeared from behind his screen fully dressed in his usual robes – someone must have peeled them from Crouch’s catatonic body… that or he owned a dresser full of identical clothes.

Draco had grinned at the man and gone over to say hello.

Hermione instantly realised how Draco had realised something was wrong with the fake-Moody when he’d bowed to Draco.

_This _Moody had messed up his hair, given him a lecture on keeping his wand in his back pocket, and told him he looked like a scrawny git and he needed to eat more chips.

‘I’m fighting fit!’ Draco had protested as Moody began pointing out his flat form.

Moody had raised what remained of his eyebrow and held out his hand.

There was a crashing pop and Moody held a long wooden staff in his right hand. There was a stillness to the air when the staff had appeared.

He smiled to himself. ‘Ah, she missed me.’ He admired his wooden staff as if it were an extra favourite limb.

‘She?’ Hermione asked from her chair, one day her curiosity (or being a nosey git as Fred called it) was going to get her into trouble.

‘This, girly, is an Elvan weapon. Ever heard of those?’

It occurred to Hermione that this Moody had only ever seen her throwing up and crying, and felt a need to prove herself to an old family friend of Draco’s. She raked her brain and came upon page twelve of a book on Artefacts.

‘The Elvan staff of Morningstar?’ She asked, coming forwards to admire the offensive weapon.

Moody seemed to view her in a new light. ‘Ah, someone who knows their ancient weapons. A student of quality.’ Moody seemed somewhat pissed off that he hadn’t gotten to do any actual teaching that year.

Hermione grinned at him and it was only as she drew to stand right in front of him that she noticed the markings on the staff, it bore several runes that Hermione recognised from the Prophecy of Triad.

‘Wherever did you get it?’ Hermione asked.

‘Gift from Armand.’ Moody told her as he put more of his weight down on the staff.

‘Is what I’ve read about it true? The blasting capabilities? The lightning?’ Hermione couldn’t stop herself going into nerd mode. _Cedric’s going to lose his mind when he finds out we’ve been around an Elvan weapon all – _her train of thought ended with the sickening crash of realising Cedric wasn’t there to nerd out with.

Moody had fortunately given her no further response than to grunt in acknowledgement, it wasn’t clever to give away every trick up his sleeve. He had turned back to Draco to further critique his lack of bulging muscles and Hermione had composed herself.

‘I only turned fifteen at the start of the month!’ Draco protested. ‘I’m hardly going to be massive like you, you fat sod.’

Moody had him trapped in a head lock five seconds later. Draco had tapped out a few seconds later and took his leave to visit Dumbledore.

Pomfrey had sent everyone away so Harry could get some sleep while they all went to lunch.

‘Why won’t he calm down?’ Fred asked Hermione as they walked to the Great Hall, Ginny was silent at the side of her brothers.

Hermione shrugged. ‘I mean, he’s not even fifteen yet. Cedric would still be alive if Harry hadn’t told him to take the cup too, and he was murdered right in front of him… then he had to fight the man who killed his parents and got tortured… yeah, he’ll probably need to speak to a mind healer for a bit.’

Madam Pomfrey had agreed. Ginny had been taken for a walk and some fresh air by her brothers, Draco had gone to the common room to write to his mother, cousin, and uncle. Hermione had returned to the Hospital Wing so Harry wouldn’t be alone when he woke up.

‘I’ll send an owl to… someone…’ Pomfrey said. ‘There’s got to be someone in the Muggle world he can go and speak to while he’s home over the summer.’

‘Are there magical healers in the Muggle world?’ Hermione asked in surprise.

Pomfrey nodded. ‘Of course. Most magical towns keep an office with a few healers for non-emergencies. There’s bound to be a few in London… I’ll get something set up for him.’

Hermione had moved to sit at the side of Harry’s sickbed, prepared to sit quietly with her thoughts until either Harry woke up or another visitor came to see him. But then Harry had opened one eye.

‘You’re meant to be sleeping.’ Hermione told him as he cast a quick glance around the room to see if anyone else was there. Then he opened the other eye, happy not to feign sleep.

‘Where’s Pomfrey?’ He asked.

‘Arranging a therapist for you.’ Hermione told him.

Harry had sighed. ‘Is it bad that I’m relieved to hear that?’

Hermione shook her head. ‘Of course not. It’s not bad to want to talk to a professional about these things.’

Harry nodded. Then he let out a breath and his voice was shaky. ‘I just can’t get Cedric’s face out of my head.’ He hid his face in his hands for a minute.

‘Harry.’ Hermione said seriously, she moved to sit at the end of Harry’s bed but did not touch him. ‘Nobody could talk Cedric into anything he didn’t want to do. He really did know the dangers when he put his name into that cup. This wasn’t your fault.’

‘He’s dead because of me, Hermione.’ He said quietly.

‘No. He’s dead because of Voldemort.’ Hermione said.

Harry had lain his head back on his pillow for a moment and Hermione noticed the sack of coins that were still on his bedside table.

‘What will you do with it?’ She asked, nudging the bag.

Harry turned his head rather than just move his eyes to look at the bag. ‘I thought I might give it to Fred and George. Mrs Weasley won’t give them any of the King’s Gift to open their joke shop so…’

Hermione gave him a smile. ‘That’s a great idea… I think a few laughs is just what the doctor ordered.’

‘Do you think Cedric would approve?’ Harry asked nervously.

Hermione smiled. ‘I think he would. He was such a happy and kind person; he’d want everyone else to be enjoying themselves.’

This had set both of them off crying. But that was okay. This wasn’t the time to be strong, it was the time to mourn.

Ginny had returned just as they’d both composed themselves again.

‘Cho came and spoke to me while I was out.’ She said as she sat down next to Harry on his bed. ‘I told her what you told Mr and Mrs Diggory.’

‘Poor girl.’ Hermione found herself remembering the pained cry that Cho had let out at the sight of Cedric’s body. ‘I can’t believe that nobody had told her yet.’

‘She doesn’t have any rights to know… legally speaking.’ Ginny said.

‘They were formally courting.’ Hermione said. ‘She had the first bracelet.’

‘You only get proper rights when you get the peals.’ Ginny said. ‘That’s when you’re pretty much engaged.’

Harry shifted uncomfortably and looked at Ginny. ‘I can’t imagine you not having any rights to know stuff about me.’

Ginny shrugged. ‘It doesn’t matter. I’d like to see someone try and keep me out.’ 

This had made Harry grin.

Hermione had stood to take her leave, seeing that Harry and Ginny wanted some time alone.

Harry’s head snapped to her as she stood. ‘Hermione – wait. I just wanted to say thanks for not telling about my wand.’

‘Your wand?’ Ginny asked. ‘What happened to your wand?’

‘That prior spell thingy.’ Harry said to her. ‘It means that my wand and Voldemort’s wand share cores.’

Ginny gasped.

‘Both of us have a tail feather from Fawkes, Dumbledore’s Phoenix.’ Harry said, he somehow didn’t mind Ginny knowing this.

‘They’re both from Fawkes?’ Hermione asked. ‘Well that’s… neat. The one Phoenix we know is just the one your wand core comes from.’

‘What does that mean?’ Ginny asked. ‘That you share a wand core?’

‘Nothing, really.’ Harry said. ‘They’re both different woods and lengths, we just both have a Phoenix core that happens to come from Fawkes… right?’ He asked Hermione.

‘I suppose so.’ Hermione mused. ‘I’ve not read that much on wand lore.’

‘So, any time you and Voldemort fight that will happen? The past spell thing?’ Ginny asked.

Hermione shook her head. ‘No. Morgana and Merlin shared a wand core and they used to absolutely batter each other in battle. It’s just certain spells that won’t work properly on each other.’

‘Yeah, that’s what Dumbledore said.’ Harry said. ‘Could you get me that book you read about Morgana and Merlin in? I’d like to know more about it.’

Hermione nodded. ‘It’s about five hundred years old, want me to transcribe it for you?’

Harry nodded gratefully. ‘Yes please.’

Hermione nodded just as Pomfrey came over with the next round of calming draught for Harry.

‘Where are you going?’ Ginny asked as Hermione began to move away.

‘Snape’s back. I’m going to go see him.’ Hermione said honestly.

* * *

Hermione had gotten out of Snape’s dungeon office after dinner.

She had found him pale and shaking that much he couldn’t brew his own calming solution, so she had done it for him.

‘Just how much were you tortured?’ Hermione asked him as she literally fed him the potion.

Snape swallowed, and the shakes stopped. He took a deep, ragged breath. ‘A lot.’ He brushed his dark hair from his eyes.

‘But it was worth it, I’m in.’

This didn’t make Hermione feel any better.

* * *

Hermione had gotten back to the common room to find Draco doing press ups in the corner of the room with Daphne sat on his back.

‘See!’ He said as he reached ten and Daphne jumped up. ‘I’m strong!’

He was talking to the real Moody, who was sat on an armchair admiring the view out into the lake. ‘Only scrawny gits just do ten.’ Moody said.

Draco looked at Daphne, ‘get on my back, we’re doing another ten.’

Hermione allowed herself to let out her first full and true smile in days, her friends mucking about was exactly what she needed.

But as she scanned the room all she could think of was how many of her friend’s parents had been in that graveyard with Harry and Voldemort. Her eyes settled on Theo – her childhood boyfriend – and they shared a soulful look, his father was a firm Death Eater. What would happen to dear Theo, one of her best friends?

What would happen next? How many of her friends were safe? Would they face off against Voldemort or be forced to go along with him?

Hermione took a seat at the window by Moody as he watched some Merpeople swim by. Hermione wasn’t looking at the lake though, she had her eyes fixed on the Elvan Weapon Moody had prepped by his side as she wondered how on earth the Gods could allow for a sweet boy like Cedric to be murdered.

* * *

* * *

I accidentally called my sister Hermione because I was too into writing this chapter. She was incredibly confused; she doesn’t know I’m writing fanfiction.


	84. Wrath

Hermione was very happy she had already sat her end of year exams. Being wandless sucked.

Harry had finally been released from the Hospital Wing once Pomfrey was confident he wouldn’t break down in the corridor. They were entering the two weeks with no classes now, so it didn’t matter that he couldn’t concentrate on anything for more than five minutes.

Poor guy.

Hermione had heard from her friend in France, Mabel, as the news of Voldemort’s return hit the papers worldwide – everywhere but in England.

The Royal Press agent had written a statement from Armand to the Prophet and they’d put it in the tiniest writing followed by a larger quote from Fudge saying there was a plot against him by the leaders of the world seeking to overthrow him and install tyranny. Harry had not been shown these papers.

Mabel had written under the guise of congratulating her for several feats. First, for having her paper published in the historical sections, and secondly for having her painting published in the society section. Hermione had been about to pen a chatty reply when the light caught the paper and she noticed that in the embossed border of Mabel’s expensive parchment, she had written a hidden message.

_King ordered lockdown of all borders worldwide. Everyone being watched. Be careful. _

Hermione had shown Draco, who wasn’t surprised.

‘Yeah, if Armand’s ordered a lockdown to keep Voldemort out of other countries then any birds crossing the Channel will be read. We’ll have to be careful in sending foreign messages… Quite clever of her to hide a message in that margin.’

Hermione nodded. ‘It’s nothing to what your mum did this morning.’

Draco seemed surprised. ‘What’s my mum done?’

‘She sent me some art books.’ Hermione told him.

Draco frowned at her. ‘Art books?’

Hermione nodded. ‘And a note saying that the next ball is going to be Regency themed and we’ll get me measured up over summer.’

Draco caught on. ‘And the hidden message?’

‘That Lucius did leave the house that night, and she doesn’t know how he got past his guard… that she doesn’t want you to go back to the Manner this summer, you’re to go to Regia or your Abbey.’ Hermione told him.

Draco frowned. ‘Why not just tell me this herself?’

‘She’s probably being watched by your dad.’ Hermione told him.

Draco groaned because of course his father would be watching his mother.

‘So she hid a message in the margin?’

Hermione shook her head. ‘She went old school, I smelled invisible ink on the paper and held it to a candle. The message was revealed with heat.’

‘My mum would make a pretty decent spy.’ Draco mused.

‘I reckon she already is for Armand.’ Hermione told him. ‘Who else is better posed to spy of the Death Eaters besides Snape than the wife of one?’

Draco being ordered away from the Manner by his mother was completely overshadowed by a letter he received from the King over lunch.

His jaw dropped open as he unfolded the letter.

‘What is it?’ Hermione asked, _was someone else hurt?_

‘He’s named me the Lieutenant of France…’ Draco managed to get out. ‘I – I have a place on the Council and everything.’

_Well, that’s one way to get him out of the country and to safety. _Hermione mused. The last Lieutenant of France had been Daphne’s grandfather, Lucius had been the people’s top guess for his replacement, the news that the son now effectively outranked the father would take the press by storm.

Hermione tried to lighten the mood. ‘So then, My Lord, Lieutenant of France? Very impressive.’

Draco couldn’t help smiling back at her. ‘Thanks Kitten. It does mean I’ll have to spend a lot of time over there, you won’t forget me, will you?’

Hermione had winked at him jokingly. ‘Never.’

Hermione caught sight of the papers delivered with the owl from Armand, they bore Draco’s new title. _The Lieutenant of France, HRH Draco Malfoy, Duke of Abington. _

‘I can’t rule France!’ Draco suddenly wailed five minutes later as he hit his head down on the table.

Hermione rubbed at his bed. Draco must have been the youngest Lieutenant of France in history, the boy had just turned fifteen.

‘I’m sure you’ll be just fine. We’ll have to start writing in code for any war messages though.’ Hermione said.

Draco shook his head. ‘They’re not allowed to open either of our mail if it has our seal on it.’

‘I don’t have a seal.’ Hermione said.

‘Er, yes you do. You’re a Lady of the Realm, you can use the Regia Court seal on your letters. I’ll get one sent to your house… we should probably send some to Dumbledore to hand out to make passing messages easier.’ Draco mused.

Draco’s elevation wasn’t the only good news of that lunch period.

There came a startled shriek of joy from the Gryffindor table.

Heads swivelled.

Neville came running over to the Slytherin table.

‘I GOT IN!’ Neville shouted excitedly. ‘I’M GOING TO CASTELOBRUXO IN BRAZIL!’

Everyone jumped to their feet, some good news was much needed in this school right now.

‘Congratulations, Nev!’ Hermione had beamed and pulled him in for a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

‘Well done, mate.’ Draco had said, pulling him into a one-armed hug. It was a very manly affair.

Blaise, not so much. ‘Ahhh! Well done! I’m so proud of you!’ He pulled Neville into a tighter hug than Hermione had given him and the two jumped up and down together for a good ten seconds in excitement.’

‘Let’s go tell Harry and Ginny!’ Neville said and he pulled Blaise out from the Great Hall.

Hermione smiled at their retreating forms. They might get to Harry and Ginny, but not for a good few minutes… but they hadn’t said anything, so even though everyone could see it, nobody wanted to bring it up and make them feel uncomfortable.

* * *

That evening the lightning hit.

It was a full storm.

Hermione had been painting in the common room with Daphne when Draco had come running in soaking wet. His face told Hermione exactly what she needed to know and had quickly asked Daphne to excuse her for a moment.

Draco had run down to his bedroom to grab the potion he had guarded all year long and returned clutching the vial. His potion had turned blood red.

The two must have looked completely bonkers running out into the lightning storm without a cloak. But nobody stopped them.

They ran over to the tree they had once carved their initials to escape the view of their classmates or any nosy Professors’.

‘You ready?’ Hermione shouted over the roar of the rain.

Draco nodded. ‘You should step back, just in case I turn into something big.’

Hermione rolled her eyes but did as he said. It wasn’t like he could turn into the same animal as his Patronus, it was a bloody dragon. But he could always turn into one of those great big winged horses he loved to ride at his Scottish estate.

Draco had removed the cork on his potion and was pointing his wand at his heart.

‘Amato, animo, animato, animagus.’ He said. Then he clutched at his heart and let out a cry of surprise. Hermione knew he was feeling that second heartbeat as strongly as she had done her first time. His hands and arms began to shake.

He lifted the red potion to his lips and knocked it back in one go – Hermione saw him gag.

But his disgust for the potion was completely overshadowed by the pain that was surging through his body. He imagined this was what it was to be set aflame. He looked to Hermione in concern, obviously thinking something had gone terribly wrong.

Hermione held her hands up in front of her in a reassuring move, as if to say “it’s okay, it’s normal, stay calm.”

‘Don’t fight the change!’ She called to him as the rain and wind whipped at her skin and hair. She pictured her wolf and shifted in one move.

Draco gasped as the image of what he was going to transform into entered his mind. ‘GET BACK!’ He shouted to Hermione with his final breath, she dove for cover behind the carved tree.

Hermione emerged from behind the small tree a moment later. Holy shit. Was all she could think at the sight before her.

In the middle of the Hogwarts lawn was a baby sized (about fifteen feet high) dragon.

He was beautiful. His scales were the same colour as his wonderful grey eyes, his wings were immense and patterned with gold, a row of ten golden spikes ran down his back every few feet and came to an end with a single golden spike at the end of his tail.

Hermione had no idea what breed of Dragon he had turned into, or if it even _was _a breed of dragon. But he seemed just as surprised as she had been at the sight of him.

Hermione shifted back into her human form and stood up from all fours on the wet ground. Her wet hair was plastered across her face, but she didn’t care.

She walked towards the most beautiful creature she had ever lain her eyes upon and with one steady hand, she stroked down the underbelly of the magnificent beast.

‘Wow.’ Was all she could say. She looked up into the eyes of the dragon, she had to crane her neck he was so big, and found him looking at her in shock.

‘You need to focus on your human form to turn back. Just concentrate.’ She said gently. She knew he could hear her now over the roar of the rain.

The dragon shut its eyes in concentration. It took a little longer than it had her first time, but he managed it.

The dragon rapidly shrunk down with a great shudder in its limbs and a gasping Draco was left stood before her.

Hermione grinned at him. ‘That was amazing!’ She said.

But Draco didn’t reply. He was looking at her very seriously, very determinedly. Hermione realised what Draco was going to do as he stepped up to her and she reached for him in the same moment.

Their lips met. His lips brushed hers softly, just long enough for them to get a good grip on each other and feel the warmth of each other’s skin beneath rain-soaked robes.

Then their lips mashed back to hers desperately, and she hungrily pushed back. Mouths open, their tongues met. They were not battling for dominance, but seeking union and closeness.

Both of his hands were cupping her face tightly. Her hands were tangled in his wet hair.

It was a searing and passionate kiss as the rain pounded down against their skin.

Then a bolt of lightning hit nearby and the shock of it broke them apart as if they had been electrocuted.

Draco instantly took a step back and grabbed at his hair in frustration as they realised what they had just done. Hermione had her hands over her mouth in shock.

Draco began to pace in the rain and Hermione watched him anxiously.

‘I can’t keep doing this!’ Draco snapped. ‘I can’t…’

Hermione could only watch as Draco got angrier. He had just turned into a dragon; this should be a moment of celebration.

‘Sod the rules. Sod my dad. Sod the lot of them.’ Hermione heard him say, then he was stepping back to her.

A soft hand met his chest before he could kiss her again. Hermione looked up at him sadly.

‘We can’t.’ She said softly. ‘You know it’s not safe now.’

Draco knew this was true, didn’t mean he liked it. ‘Well, when can we?’ He asked desperately. ‘Are we just going to keep saying “soon” for the rest of our lives?!’

‘No.’ Hermione said, and she meant it. She had already agreed with herself that if they couldn’t be a couple by the time that they graduated Hogwarts, she would become his mistress.

Draco stepped back from her and she dropped her hand from his toned chest.

‘Sorry.’ He said, he had pulled himself together. ‘I don’t know what came over me.’

‘It came over me too.’ Hermione said with a weak smile. ‘We should go back to the common room.’ She said quickly. _Yes, lets go around people so we can’t leap at each other again._

‘You go.’ Draco said quietly. ‘I’m going to stay out a little longer and practice turning.’ 

Hermione nodded, normally she would have stayed with him, but she knew if she did, they would end up kissing again and who knew what would happen next.

Hermione pulled some leaves from a bush on her way back into the castle and kept them balled in her fist as she walked back down to the dungeons.

‘I’m going to go have a shower.’ She said to her friends who were calling her over to the couches. She was soaking wet from the rain.

She hurried down the girls’ corridor to her bedroom and instead of going straight for her bathroom, she pulled open her trunk.

Wrapped in a towel was a mason jar with a punctured lid for air holes, inside lay a beetle.

Hermione opened the lid quickly and stuffed the leaves inside, then put the lid back on before the bug could escape.

The little beetle looked at her in pure anger.

‘It’s what you get your spying on my friends.’ She said seriously. ‘You can live in that jar at my pleasure.’

With that, she stuffed the jar back into her trunk and took the towel into the bathroom for a nice hot shower and some privacy to think about how hot and flustered that kiss had left her.

* * *

Millicent left for France the next morning. _At least she’ll be safe there. _Was all Hermione could think as she hugged her friend farewell for the summer.

She was leaving for her incredibly rare second-year placement in the fashion world of France with her great master (whose name Hermione always utterly failed at pronouncing). She had even made the papers for going back a second year, the Madam never took anyone back for a second year.

Millicent seemed much less nervous to be going back for this second year, sure she had a lot to live up to, but she knew exactly what she was walking into. Her hands were shaking, but at least she hadn’t thrown up this time.

Millie had left from the breakfast table just after breakfast by Snape. She was going to be taking the Floo from Dumbledore’s office again to the Ministry. From there she would take the international portkey to Paris.

‘Have fun!’ Tracey had hugged her best friend a fond farewell before Millie had left with their Head of House.

Daphne had left the table soon after with Flitwick and the rest of the school choir. Apparently, Flitwick wanted to suddenly do a different song for the final assembly, a popular war song to set the tone of the world they now lived in. As such, Daphne had been pulled into emergency choir practice every day in their final week.

* * *

Their final week at school was spent sunning in the grounds, Draco bragging to his friends that he could turn into a dragon, and Fred and George testing out their new pranking materials on unsuspecting students.

‘Where’s Harry and Ginny gotten off to?’ Hermione asked, noticing their absence.

‘I think they went down to see Hagrid.’ Neville told them. ‘He’s leaving to do some job with Madam Maxime over summer after the students have all gone home tomorrow.’

‘What are your plans this summer?’ Blaise asked Hermione.

‘Well, I’m going to Portugal with my parents.’ Hermione told the table. ‘So, we’ll be safely out of the country for two weeks there… but nothing much else. I’ll probably spend it reading my NEWT textbooks for my exams next year.’

‘No Muggle friends to hang out with?’ He asked.

Hermione shook her head. ‘No, the only Muggle my age I’m still in contact with is this bonkers boy that lives on my street.’

‘Why is he bonkers?’ Draco asked despite the fact he had a mouth full of bacon. He was sat in his usual space next to her, but Hermione had set her small summer book down on the bench between them.

Hermione told him about the boy once serving time in a mental hospital for attacking a girl.

Draco frowned. ‘Are you sure that’s what he said? Red eyes?’

‘Yeah.’ Hermione said.

‘That’s so weird.’ Draco mused. ‘There was another Muggle like that a few years ago… I was only really little when it happened, but he killed a wizard and said it was because his eyes were red… then he killed himself when the Aurors’ surrounded him.’

‘Not making me look forwards to going home here.’ Hermione said, rolling her eyes at Draco’s lack of tact. 

Draco choked on his bacon and then smiled at her, whatever awkwardness that remained between them from their kiss melted away. ‘Sorry Kitten. I have no doubt you can take a psyched-out Muggle.’

‘Thanks, dear.’ Hermione said with a grin, and turned back to her omelette.

* * *

The trunks were all packed, Hermione had a mason jar in her handbag, and everyone was ready to go home the next morning.

Ron and Pansy had both been sent off to the actual hospital a few days ago. Madam Pomfrey just couldn’t reverse Crouch’s mind alteration spells, they had been sent off to be fixed by experts.

Hermione still felt tremendously bad for the pair. She had been entirely wrong about them. Sure, they had both been little shits in years prior, but it seemed they had both made an effort to be better and they’d been rewarded with an attack from a Death Eater.

The school was filing into the Great Hall for the final assembly, everyone was excited, the final feast was always the best.

Hermione was not surprised to see the black drapes had been brought back out, they had made an appearance at the assembly for Astoria, this assembly would be for Cedric.

The real Moody was at the staff table now, chatting away with McGonagall like old friends, which Hermione supposed they probably were from the last war. Though it was clear to see he was extremely twitchy, his paranoia couldn’t have improved from his attack and year long imprisonment. He had a death grip on his Elvan Staff under the table, ready to fight as any moment.

Professor Karkaroff’s chair was empty. He had done a runner indeed, absolutely nobody knew where he was. Hermione didn’t think he would last very long on his own with Voldemort hunting him.

Madame Maxime was still there. She was sitting next to Hagrid. They were talking quietly together. No doubt they were planning their task Neville had told Hermione about, the one Dumbledore had set them.

Once everyone was settled, Dumbledore stood up at the head of the staff table. Most unusual, he usually gave his speech’s after everyone had eaten. Everyone had already been pretty subdued when he stood, but any remaining chatter died away as their Headmaster stood.

‘Another year over.’ Dumbledore said as he looked out at his students.

His eyes paused on the Hufflepuff table at the empty seat next to Cho. Nobody could stand to sit there just yet.

‘I have much I need to say to you all tonight. But first we must speak on the loss of a very fine person.’ Dumbledore said.

Several people began to wipe at their eyes, Hermione included.

‘I would like you all to stand, and raise your glasses.’ He told them. ‘To Cedric Diggory.’

Everyone in the room leapt to their feet, goblets raised. ‘Cedric Diggory!’ Echoed around the room as everyone toasted his memory.

‘Cedric was a very special person, a very rare person.’ Dumbledore said. ‘He was a good and loyal friend, a hard worker, and he valued fair play. He was a top student who should have lived a gifted future.’

Tears began heartily streaming down Hermione’s face, and Draco took her hand comfortingly under the table as she mourned her desk buddy. Across the room, Cho was clutching at her courting bracelet as she sobbed silently into a friend’s arms.

‘His death has greatly affected all of you.’ Dumbledore continued. ‘I think that you have the right to know how he died… though the Ministry does not.’

Heads began to perk up at this, _Hogwarts really is full of nosy gits, _Hermione thought to herself as she wiped away her tears.

‘Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort.’ Dumbledore said.

A panicked whisper swept the Great Hall. People were staring at Dumbledore in disbelief, in horror. He looked perfectly calm as he watched them mutter themselves into silence.

On the Gryffindor table, Ginny had taken hold of Harry’s hand to try and keep him calm. He didn’t look like he was going to cry or start shouting though, he looked to have accepted what had happened – though it still caused him pain.

‘I am sure.’ Dumbledore said. ‘That many of your parents would be horrified I have told you this - either because they will not believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, or because they think you are too young to know.’

The whispers around the hall continued.

‘It is my belief, however, that the truth is generally preferable to lies, and that any attempt to pretend that Cedric died as the result of an accident, or some sort of blunder of his own, is an insult to his memory.’ Dumbledore said firmly.

There were several nods from the Hufflepuff table at these words, Cedric’s friends, no doubt. There were several stony faces at the Slytherin table though, people whose parents were on the wrong side in this conflict.

‘There is another person who must be mentioned in connection with Cedric’s death.’ Dumbledore said after a moment. ‘Harry Potter.’

Heads whipped around to face Harry, but he was just staring without any expression right into Dumbledore’s eyes.

‘Harry Potter escaped Voldemort, and he risked his own life to bring Cedric’s body home to his family. I honour this rare bravery.’ Dumbledore toasted his goblet at Harry, and the rest of the Hall followed his lead.

Once everyone had again regained their seats, Dumbledore carried on with his speech. ‘The aim of the Triwizard Tournament was to further your magical links around the world. In light of Voldemort’s return, these ties are more important than ever before.’

Hermione glanced down the table at Viktor sat with his friends at the end of the Slytherin table, they hadn’t really spoken much since the Third Task. He’d not really left his ship much.

‘Every visitor in this room.’ Dumbledore said, running his eyes between the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons in the room. ‘Is welcome here at any time. We are only strong if we are united against the enemy… Some of you in this Hall have already suffered directly at the hands of Lord Voldemort and a student was taken from our midst.’

Dumbledore seemed to pause for effect.

‘Please remember Cedric. Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory.’

Dumbledore waved his hand and the magnificent farewell feast appeared on the table. The mood was rather sombre as everyone ate; most people were crying into their potato’s.

Once a very silent desert was over, Dumbledore took the stand once again.

‘Our school choir is going to sing us out. Before they do, I want to tell you about the song they will be singing you as they set up.’

Daphne left the Slytherin table quickly and made for the stage behind Dumbledore with the other members of the school choir.

‘This song is called “I’m going home”.’ Dumbledore told them with a serious face. ‘It was written by Marlene McKinnon during her yearlong captivity at the hands of Lord Voldemort and was found among her things after she died. I want you all to remember her too, a brave woman who never gave in… and now – over to you choir.’

Daphne stepped forwards from the choir as one student with a violin began a slow and grave song. The other students began to put forth a beautiful melody to frame Daphne’s lyrics.

‘I’m going home to see my father,  
Where Golden fields wait for me.  
For there’s no sickness, toil, or danger,  
In that bright land to which I go.

I’m going home to see my mother,  
Where the Gods’ children shall ever roam.  
For there’s no sickness, toil, or danger,  
In that homeland to which I go.

I’m going home to see my lover,  
What a sweet day that shall be.  
For there’s no sickness, toil, or danger,  
In the Gods land to which I go.

Temple City seems far away now,  
All my loved ones have gone on.  
But there’s no sickness, toil, or danger,  
Holy Triad, I’m coming home.’

* * *

‘Aren’t you going to bed, Hermione?’ Tracey asked. Her eyes were still a little red rimmed from Daphne’s song and Dumbledore’s speech.

Hermione shook her head. ‘I want to have one last magical bath before I go home. Don’t wait up for me.’

Tracey had smiled and nodded and climbed into bed.

Daphne emerged, rather pale, from the bathroom once she was showered and changed into her pyjamas and Hermione began running the bath.

Daphne waited for Tracey to close her eyes and drift away into a peaceful sleep before she pulled her sketchpad out from under her pillow.

She’d been resisting the pulling urge to pick it up all day, but could hold out no longer, the buzzing in her mind was getting too loud to ignore.

She picked up the black pencil and began.

Hermione emerged from the bath about forty minutes later with her hair wrapped in a towel. ‘You alright?’ She asked Daphne, who was staring down at a mostly black page of her sketchbook.

Daphne looked up and her and gave her a forced smile that she’d gotten very good at. ‘Yeah, fine.’

Hermione had smiled back and tucked herself into bed, she was soon asleep and Daphne turned back to look at her drawing.

She had sketched a cellar door open into a dark night, a hooded figure was holding the door open and looking out into a rainy night. It wasn’t a menacing image one bit, but for some reason it made Daphne feel utterly sick to her stomach. 

* * *

‘And our friends in Azkaban?’ The Dark Lord asked across the table.

‘I have begun plans for a mass break out, My Lord.’ Lucius Malfoy told him happily.

‘When will you be prepared to strike?’ Voldemort asked.

‘I hope to have your supporters freed by the New Year.’ Lucius told him.

Voldemort nodded. ‘Very well… that will do for today, dismissed.’

The figures rose from the table and sunk off quickly into the shadows.

Lord Voldemort turned to the massive snake at his feet. _‘Time for bed, my friend.’ _He hissed to her.

Voldemort stood from the long table and made his way to his bedroom; he had naturally been given the grandest room in the house. He was staying in one of Lucius’ properties in Wales, nobody would find him here.

He readied himself for bed, changing out of his black billowing day robes and into his black billowing night robes. He paused in front of the mirror to take in his appearance and let out a huff of annoyance.

He raised a pale finger to trace the grim scar that ran from the right side of his forehead all the way down to the left side of his chin and down his neck. Any Death Eater that killed that Mudblood would be rewarded by him.

He had to review his plans on domination. He couldn’t move completely in the shadows now that Dumbledore knew he had returned, he needed more information before he moved openly again against Potter, information currently being held in the Ministry of Magic.

He got into the large four-poster bed and closed his eyes. Tomorrow, he would begin planning his infiltration of the Ministry, he needed to get into the depths of that vast building and into the Department of Mysteries.

Voldemort never dreamed. He hadn’t for years.

Not since he had split his soul for the first time on his path to immortality.

So why was he in a white stone room?

He knew he must be dreaming once he felt at his face. It was unmarred, there were dark locks of hair on his head. He looked as he did as a young man, before his quest for immortality had begun.

He looked around the stone room he was in curiously, it had no doors or windows.

Then, a blinding white light appeared in the centre of the room. He couldn’t look directly at it, it hurt, it burned.

It was a powerful force, a Divine force, and Voldemort was forced to his knees by the sheer radiating power coming from it.

The flash of light faded to reveal a woman.

Average height compared to her statues, with very long hair down to her waist that was as white as snow. Her face was cold as she took in the man on his knees before her.

She wore long flowing robes, the same pure white as her hair, and a long purple cloak trimmed with fur that trailed behind her as she walked slowly towards him.

On her head, a silver circlet so commonly documented to show her status.

Voldemort gulped.

He had been brought before a Goddess. He had been brought before Vutris.

‘Art thou afeard?’ She asked. Her voice was too beautiful and melodic to put into words, but it was laced with ice and venom as she spoke to him. ‘You should be.’

Voldemort slowly moved his hand to his pocket in search of a wand.

‘By all means, try and curse a Goddess. See how that one goes for you.’ The Queen of the Gods spoke.

Voldemort instantly dropped his hand away from the pocket, there was no wand there anyway.

He struggled to meet her eyes, her gaze was blinding and rooted him to the spot on his knees. ‘What do you want?’ He asked.

‘Justice.’ She said. She had crossed the room to stand much nearer to her and Voldemort could feel something like static in the air around her, it was a field of pure and raw magic.

She began to walk in a circle around him, her movements were slow and graceful. Her long, elvan-looking, white dress and purple cape were trailing behind her as she spoke.

‘Justice for one of mine own.’

‘I have never killed one of yours.’ Voldemort said quickly and defensively.

She stopped her circling stood directly before him, and with impossible and inhuman speed she swooped down to be on eye level with Voldemort on the floor.

‘_She_ was promised to my Temple. And you… snatched her. You took her from her home. You attacked her. You _raped _her! Her death was not at your hands but it was of your making.’ The ice and hatred in her voice was clear, but it was nothing to the pure anger she was radiating.

Voldemort flinched and looked at the floor, he just couldn’t look into her eyes. ‘She died on her own blade. That is not my making.’

The Queen Goddess ignored this. ‘Those promised to my order are under _my_ protection.’

Something flashed in Voldemort’s eyes, fear. Pure fear. Was this it? Was this how he ended?

Vutris stood again with that same inhuman speed and looked down at him in disdain, as if he were worse than the dirt on her shoe. (Not possible, she wasn’t wearing any.)

‘I had to let it happen. That terrible act. Your quest for an heir needed to be fulfilled.’

Voldemort’s head shot up. ‘I was told the child had perished in her escape. My son is dead.’

‘No.’ Then Vutris smiled, it was terrifying. ‘And I want to tell you a secret, a wonderful secret that will haunt you.’ Her voice had taken a gleeful and menacing tone.

Voldemort gulped.

‘Your precious heir is going to kill you.’ She laughed almost manically.

But then her smile faded and she was every image the Queen of the Gods. Regal and unmoving, terrible and beautiful. She extended her right-hand, palm up in his direction and he flinched as he waited for the killing blow. He was completely at her mercy.

‘But you hurt one of mine, that is the business of today. Your servant Crouch killed one of mine – now I have his soul… time for your punishment.’

A white light began to seep from Voldemort’s very skin, it had that same static energy that surrounded Vutris, and flowed back into her palm.

‘I strip thee of thy powers Tom Riddle... You are undeserving of my wonders.’ She said powerfully.

The white light suddenly ended and Voldemort fell forwards with a gasp, his hands slammed out onto the floor to catch him as his body shivered at how weak he now felt. He was on his hands and knees before the Goddess now, gasping for breath.

Vutris turned away from the man on the floor and began to walk off into the blinding light that had reappeared in the corner of the room.

It hurt so much to look up into that light, but Voldemort managed it. ‘My son? Where is my heir?’

Vutris looked back over her shoulder. She gave a menacing half smile.

‘Hidden.’ She leered.

Then she disappeared in that blinding light and Voldemort was forced to shield his eyes.

Tom Riddle’s eyes snapped open in his bed. Light was streaming through the curtains now.

He took a great gasping breath. He was completely covered in sweat.

He instantly reached for his wand on his bedside table, he knew something was wrong once it was in his hand. He felt nothing, no spark of connection or familiarity.

‘Accio cloak.’ He said desperately, pointing to his black dress robes hung up for him already.

Nothing happened.

Nothing happened at all.  
  


* * *

* * *

Bet you didn't see that one coming. 

Three chapters in one go and forth year finished off. Yay!

Daphne's song is my version of I am a poor Wayfaring stranger. Go listen to it. Very good.

E x


	85. Summer - part one

‘My Lord?’

Tom Riddle’s eyes scanned over the High Table to find the voice; all the other Death Eaters had already been dismissed.

‘Yes, Nott?’ He growled.

‘The information you asked me to gather? I have it.’ Nott Sr told him both happy and nervous.

Lord Voldemort’s red eyes took a menacing glint of pleasure at these words. ‘You have it?’

‘No, my Lord.’ Nott said quietly. ‘But I know where it is…’

‘A Temple, I presume?’ Voldemort sat back in his chair.

‘No, my Lord… It is in the depths of the Ministry of Magic. It is guarded twenty-four hours a day by a team of Unspeakables, and has been given every measure of protection… It is too much for an ordinary wizard such as myself to claim. My Lord, you may need to breach the Ministry in person to claim the Ancient Power hidden there.’ Nott told him.

‘Are you saying you are incapable of fulfilling my orders?’ Voldemort growled.

‘On my own, yes I am.’ Nott told his Master nervously. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a list, then slid it over the table towards the Dark Lord.

Voldemort read the list of curses and creatures. ‘What is this?’

‘These are just some of the things guarding it.’ Nott said.

Voldemort’s eyes widened from their usual frown. ‘I see… I cannot move into the open yet… It would interfere with my plans…’

For the first time in his life, Nott Sr got the impression his Master was lying to him. For one, he didn’t understand why the Dark Lord had an interest in an artefact like this, surely he was powerful enough?

‘… We will have to give every attention to the breakout of Azkaban… It seems I have a task for Bellatrix Lestrange.’ Voldemort finished.

‘Do you think she will be able to get it, Sir?’ Nott asked in a worry. ‘Over a decade in Azkaban may have affected her.’

‘I am not concerned. Her power, I have no doubt, is still strong.’ The Dark Lord told him. ‘Lucius says he can orchestrate the breakout by the New Year and that will have to do.’

‘It’s not like it’s going anywhere in the meantime Sir.’ Nott Sr said in a haste to appease his Lord. ‘The Orb of Power has sat in the Ministry for over four hundred years according to my source.’

The Dark Lord nodded. ‘Very well, forget the Orb for now… there’s something else kept in the Ministry I want.’

* * *

‘How do you even pronounce the names of these people?’ Hermione’s father asked, he was flicking through one of the many books she had brought home for summer in an attempt to continue her Wolfblood research for Neville.

‘They’re Gods’ dad, not people.’ Hermione corrected him.

They were both sat outside, enjoying the ridiculously hot weather of this summer, her mother was still out at work. She’d been called in to deal with Mr Brown’s emergency abscess.

‘They’re really straight forward.’ Hermione said.

‘There’s the God of death and the afterlife, Ledur. You say it like the French say Le and then… I guess you could pronounce it like Le-door or like Le-duh.’

‘Le-Door?’ Her father asked. ‘But more of a U sound… Le-Duur?’

Hermione nodded. ‘Yup. And then there’s his wife, the Goddess of Life and a million other things, Atune. Literally A-tune, like a musical tune or tuning an instrument.’

Her father nodded. ‘Very simple.’

Hermione smiled. ‘And there’s their Queen, Vutris.’

‘Vatris?’ Her dad frowned.

‘No – Vutris. Like Vu- like Vue? And just Tris on the end. Vu-Tris.’

‘Vitris.’ Her father said.

Hermione snorted at him. ‘You’ve got to really pronounce the U.’

‘V_ue-_tris.’ Her father said.

Hermione nodded. ‘You’ll do, that’s near enough.’

Her father smiled and turned back to his book. ‘Do Muggles go to heaven, then?’

Hermione blinked at him. ‘Of course, they do. Vutris is the Goddess of Magic so she has a special interest in my kind, but Atune and Ledur are your Gods too.’

‘That’s nice.’ Her father said. ‘If they’re real, that is.’

‘They’re real dad. They’ve spoken to me.’ She told him.

Her father raised a brow at her. ‘If anyone else said they had a God speaking to them then they’d be committed… but I suppose so would anyone that thought they were a witch.’

Hermione smiled at him. ‘Did you sign my permission form for the Temple visit?’

He nodded as he turned back to the very old book in his hands. ‘Yeah, it’s on the counter by mum’s flowers. What time am I taking you into town?’ He glanced at his watch.

‘In about half an hour?’ Hermione said, the taxi of dad had become her favourite mode of transportation over the summer.

She left her dad to go and get changed, she couldn’t go out in her bikini after all. It was too stuffy to wear anything other than denim shorts and a sunflower print crop-top.

‘Hermione? It’s time to go!’ Her father shouted up the stairs.

‘Coming!’ Hermione called back; she was quickly stuffing her purse into a small black shoulder bag. One last look in the mirror and she was gone.

Her father winced when he saw her, not at her revealing too much flesh, but because the gruesome wound at her side was visible – he always winced when he saw it.

‘What happened to the man that did that?’ He asked as they walked to his Jeep.

‘Nothing.’ Hermione said as she opened the car door. ‘It wasn’t his fault… and I hardly came off the worst. Neville was infected.’

‘I thought you said that any Werewolf bite or scratch meant infection.’ Her father was frowning at her, had she been infected and just not told them?

‘I wasn’t human at the time.’ She reminded him with a sigh, she’d told him this story a hundred times.

‘Why can’t we see you turn into a wolf?’ Her father pouted as he pulled out of the driveway.

Hermione laughed. ‘I’ll show you once I’m allowed to do magic outside of school.’

The drive was spent with her dad’s air vents blasting cold air in their faces, and still managing to sweat from the impossible heat.

‘What was mum saying about Australia last night?’ Hermione asked as her father came to stop at a roundabout.

‘Ah, that.’ Her father seemed to pause for thought before he continued. ‘We were going to speak to you about that when you were a little older… it’s nothing concrete but…’

Hermione had already seen the catalogues in her parents’ office.

‘Well, your mother and I were both planning on retiring when we’re fifty-five… and I turned fifty-three this year so it’s time to start planning ahead. You remember Jim and Pam, our old friends?’

Hermione nodded. Her parents had struggled for a child their entire marriage, they had just about given up when Hermione had surprised them. Hermione had seen the pictures of her parents bringing the bundle of pink blanket home from the hospital, both of them looked beyond thrilled.

‘Well, they moved over to Australia this year and opened a dentistry practice that we invested in… so we’re business owners… we could move there if we wanted to.’

Hermione was nodding. She didn’t particularly want to move out of England though.

‘We’d never go before you finished school and you were set up on your own, of course we don’t expect you to drop everything and follow us. But you know how your mum enjoys the heat…’

‘You want to retire to Australia.’ Hermione stated.

‘Yes.’ Her dad said.

‘Cool. It’s nice over there, mum would love to live away from a big city.’ Hermione shrugged. ‘What will you do? Sell the house and the practice and go over?’

Her dad shook his head. ‘Well we have the money the King gifted us after you were hurt at school in your second year… we would dip slightly into that if it’s alright with you, it’s your money. That way we could leave the house and the practice over here to you, and you could do whatever you wanted with them. The practice could run itself and you’d always have an income from it.’

Hermione nodded. ‘Sounds like a good plan.’

‘You’re not upset?’ Her father asked.

‘Why would I be upset?’

‘Your mum and I want to move to the other side of the world?’ Her father said.

‘Oh. You’re only a few international Portkey’s away. I could get to Australia in about two hours. I’d go from England across Europe… it’d take me about twenty portkeys and I’d have to go through customs about ninety times but it’s very doable.’ _Maybe I’ll get to see the fabled Leviathan or the mighty Lion-Turtle on my way._

‘I wish I could get to Australia in two hours.’ Her father mused.

Hermione grinned. ‘Should have been a wizard dad.’

Her father pulled into the parking lot nearest to the Leaky Cauldron. ‘Do you need any money?’ He asked out of habit.

‘No thanks, my vault is still nicely full of that money you and mum gave me. Do you want me to get anything for you or mum?’ She was unbuckling her seatbelt.

‘Oh, some of those tooth sweets, please! They’re amazing.’ Her dad was like a child at Christmas whenever she presented him with the whitening gum or the cleaning mints.

She grinned and opened the car door. ‘I’ll see what I can do.’

‘I’ll pick you up here at four.’ Her dad called out before she could shut the door. She nodded in acknowledgement, that gave her plenty of time. ‘We can watch that re-run of Thunderbirds tonight!’ He added.

Hermione grinned and waved him off as he pulled away. He’d spent the summer, upon their return from Portugal, passing on his boyhood love of the old show to his daughter. She would happily admit that she loved it. Her favourite thunderbird was, of course, four… But Lady Penelope’s pink car was a close second. Her father thought she was bonkers, in his eyes two was the best but three was the coolest.

It was very strange in the Wizarding World at the minute. Fudge was furiously denying the return of Lord Voldemort, and using his control over the Daily Prophet to spread the story that King Armand and the High Oracle were conspiring to make Dumbledore the Minister for Magic and use him as a puppet since he was so old now.

Hermione wasn’t exactly sure how anyone could believe that load of tosh, but she supposed people were so desperate to hear that Voldemort wasn’t back that they would believe anything.

There were many wizards out and about at the peak of summer, the queue out of the ice-cream shop was frankly ridiculous. Everyone was staring at the wound at her hip warily as she passed them.

Then there were the other glances she was getting from men. She’d rather toned up over summer and the final fleshiness of girlhood had faded away. She had returned from Hogwarts to find her mother in the middle of a tough diet to get ready for their two weeks in Portugal, joined in, and kept it up when they came home.

Countless squats and crunches and going jogging every other day, along with surviving off chicken and rice with the occasional fruit snack, had left her very fit. She had written about her diet to Daphne and she’d joined in from her family house, both girls were going to start a new work out plan once they got back to school. It had occurred to Hermione that she could ask Ravenclaw’s room to become a gym.

The only friend she hadn’t heard from over summer was Theo. Only Tracey had received a very small letter from him. Everyone was worried. His father was an inner-circle Death Eater and his letter to Tracey had been worrying at minimum.

_Dad’s joined him.   
Being watched.   
Be careful.   
Don’t reply.   
Burn this._

Tracey had spread the word to their friends that Theo didn’t want contacting. That something was wrong. Hermione could only imagine what Theo was currently going through. Her worry was nothing to Tracey’s, she was near frantic.

Her first stop was a café near the music shop. She was meeting Fred and George for a late lunch for a catch up, the real reason was obviously to get the latest news about the brewing war.

The twins were already inside browsing the menu as she walked in.

‘Granger.’ Fred beamed at her as she approached the table. The two shared a hug and George ruffled her hair.

‘What’s really going on then?’ Hermione asked as she took up her menu. ‘The Daily Prophet is doing fluff pieces on Kittens.’

Fred nodded. ‘Or singing Draco’s praises.’

Hermione couldn’t help smile at that one. Draco was apparently doing a marvellous job as Lieutenant of France. He’d left for Paris while she was in Portugal with her parents and he would be remaining there over summer with several trusted French Aurors’ guarding him.

The front cover of the Daily Prophet that morning had shown Draco in full Duke’s regalia rewarding a team of wizards for putting out a fire at a Muggle Orphanage. Draco had written to her about that fire a week ago, the Prophet was leaving out that the fire had been started by blood-purists.

It was clear that the Prophet had joined in the Anti-Armand campaign, Matilda had gotten caught up in it, and that just left Lucius’ family to be the shining example of what Royalty should be. _It’s hard to get anything wrong when you’re tucked away on house arrest._

‘Well, everyone’s been getting Sirius’ house ready for the Order of the Phoenix to move in. Nobodies been living there for years and it’s full of dark objects we’ve got to clear out. But we’ve heard that the Order is guarding something at the Ministry, a weapon.’

This was news to Hermione. ‘A weapon? Elvish?’

Fred shrugged. ‘We don’t know. All we know is that Snape said that Voldemort is after something hidden at the Ministry, and that the Order is taking turns guarding it.’

‘What’s the Ministry saying about that?’ Hermione asked with a frown.

‘Nothing, they don’t know they’re doing it.’ George told her.

They mused until it was time to order on just what the Order could be guarding. Fred and George both ordered a cheeseburger and Hermione ordered the Caesar Salad with extra chicken.

‘Are you going to tell me who you were blackmailing last year, then?’ Hermione asked them after their waitress had set down an iced glass of lemonade for her.

‘Oh.’ George grumbled. ‘That.’

‘It doesn’t matter anymore.’ Fred said with a sigh.

Hermione looked at them with folded arms and a raised brow until one of them broke, it was obviously Fred.

‘If you really _must _know.’ He said. ‘We had a spot of bother with Ludo Bagman.’

‘Bagman? What were you doing with that git?’

‘At the Quidditch world cup we put a bet on with him, used all of our savings…’ George let out a frustrated huff. ‘That Ireland would win, but Krum would get the Snitch… well, we won the bet.’

‘But he wouldn’t pay up.’ Hermione said with a nod. ‘He took your money and did a runner, didn’t he?’

The twins both nodded. ‘He paid us in leprechaun gold.’

‘When it vanished, we thought it was just an accident and we wrote to him.’ George said.

‘He completely ignored us.’ Fred said. ‘We kept trying to talk to him about it at Hogwarts, but he was always making some excuse to get away from us."’

‘He’s bankrupt.’ Hermione said. ‘There were some Goblins tailing him around Hogsmeade, he must owe them a lot of money.’

George nodded. ‘He got pretty nasty in the end. Said we were too young to gamble and he wasn’t giving us a knut.’

‘You could always report him to the Ministry.’ Hermione said.

‘Lee’s dad already has… he had some trouble getting his winnings from him too. Bankrupt is an understatement. Turns out he's in big trouble with the goblins. Borrowed loads of gold off them. A gang of them cornered him in the woods after the World Cup and took all the gold he had, and it still wasn't enough to cover all his debts. They followed him all the way to Hogwarts to keep an eye on him. He's lost everything gambling. Hasn't got two Galleons to rub together.’ Fred said.

‘Has he squared his debt with them now?’ Hermione asked. ‘You could always say he could pay you your money back once his debt with them is settled.’

George snorted. ‘Nobody knows where he is. He tried to pay the Goblins back by putting a bet on Harry to win the Triwizard Tournament.’

‘But Harry did win?’ Hermione reminded them.

‘No, he didn’t. He tied with Cedric. So the Goblins wouldn’t have it.’ Fred said.

‘Oh shit.’ Hermione said. ‘How much does he owe them?’

‘He’s pretty much doubled his debt with them. He did a runner right after the third task. Snuck out with the group of Auror’s that were taking the Princess off school grounds, the slimy git.’ George said hotly.

‘What about your money?’ Hermione asked, feeling very bad for them. Now that their mother knew that every sickle they had would go towards their joke shop, she kept finding reasons not to pay them their allowance.

‘Well, Harry came through for us on that score.’ Fred said.

‘He gave us his winnings.’ George said.

Hermione grinned, Harry must have gone through with his idea then. ‘That was nice of him.’ She said.

‘It was.’ George said.

‘We’ve got loads of new products for you to test out for us because of him.’ Fred grinned.

‘_And _there’s a rumour that Mr Gaggle is going to retire at the end of the year, and his shop is a good size in a prime spot. He’s always liked us, said he’ll give us a good deal so he can see his spot go to a good crowd.’ George told her.

Hermione hadn’t had much good news since Cedric had died, this was very good news. There was no better feeling sometimes than being along for the ride for your friends’ successes and joy.

‘We wanted your help with a love potion too.’ Fred said after their plates had been cleared.

‘Absolutely not.’ Hermione said.

Fred and George seemed surprised at this.

‘Why not?’ Fred asked.

‘Because date rape is wrong?’ Hermione said with a raised brow, she was a bit taken aback that the twins were okay with love potions. Though, she supposed they would just see people making fools of themselves as funny. ‘Love potions should be illegal if you ask me.’

‘When you’re the Minister for Magic, you can make it so.’ Fred said.

Hermione snorted. ‘No thanks. I’d rather spend my time helping people rather than myself.’

‘Shall we get some milkshakes?’ George asked, picking up a dessert menu.

Three bubble-gum milkshakes later, and Hermione left the twins to their shopping while she went to Ollivander’s.

She’d been long enough without a wand now. Her old broken wand was now in a shoebox, wrapped in a towel, and buried by her father in their backyard next to her dear Hamster, Bubbles.

She made her way to the final shop on the row, it was still narrow and shabby. Hermione wondered why a wizard wouldn’t just point his wand at the peeling paint and fix it. She would if it were her property.

Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivander’s: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.

A bell over the door tinkled as she stepped inside. She scanned her eyes over the hundreds of boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling and wondered which of them would be her new companion. Which of these wands would see her through a war?

‘Good afternoon.’ Came a soft voice as the famed wand maker stepped out from a back room.

‘Hello.’ Hermione said, trying to hold her excitement back. Being wandless for a few weeks had sucked completely.

‘Ah, yes. I thought I’d be seeing you, Lady granger. I heard your wand had been broken.’ Ollivander said sadly.

Hermione felt the guilt rip through her again, this man had lovingly crafted that wand and she’d broken it with her fat arse.

‘Let us begin, shall we?’ The old man said as he stepped forwards with a long tape measure. ‘Your wand arm?’

‘My right.’ She said and held it out for him. She’d been through this process once before.

He measured Hermione from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round her head.

‘Your last wand was ten and three-quarter inches long, made of vine wood, and possessed a dragon heartstring core?’ Ollivander double checked as he measured.

Hermione nodded.

After measuring the distance between her nostrils, Mr Ollivander began hurrying around the shelves and rounding up boxes.

‘We’ll try some similar designs first, yes?’ He asked as he opened the first box.

Hermione had expected this, she knew she would most likely receive a very similar wand this time around and was thankful for it. She’d really loved her last wand.

‘This one is eleven inches, vine, and dragon heartstring.’ He said as he passed the wand over to her.

The second it was in her hand she knew it wasn’t for her. ‘No.’ She said handing it back, it felt too alien in her hand.

Ollivander nodded and put the wand back in its box. ‘Try this one, eleven and a half inches, beechwood and this dragon heartstring came from the same dragon as your last wand.’

Feeling this one would be more promising with its familiar element; she gave the wand a little wave.

Ollivander had the wand out her hand quickly.

‘Perhaps a different core… Try this one, Vine and Phoenix tail feather, ten and a half inches.’

Hermione gripped the wand and shook her head.

Ollivander was growing more excited as Hermione went through more piles of wands.

She was getting frustrated as Ollivander took the twenty-fifth attempt from her hand. She’d sampled nearly every wood, core, and length.

Mr Ollivander seemed to think this was Christmas day. ‘A very tricky customer!’ He said gleefully. ‘We may need to try a more unusual combination… I keep some rarer wands in the back, sometimes I dabble in different woods and core’s… yes. Come with me!’

He hurried off into the back room he had emerged from and Hermione, with a sigh, followed after him.

The back room was full of blocks of different woods, and a hook in the corner of the room bore several silvery hairs Hermione supposed came from a unicorn. There was a short bookcase next to his workbench. Several crates from Enchanted Feather Co, presumably a wand core seller, were stacked in a corner of the room.

Mr Ollivander walked to a shelf that contained no more than twelve boxes.

‘Try this one.’ He said, handing her the first one. ‘Yew, Thestral tail feather, eleven inches.’

It wasn’t the wand for her. No matter. Ollivander pressed another into her hand.

‘Holly with Veela hair. Ten inches.’ No.

‘Ash and Troll Whisker. Ten and a quarter inches.’ No.

‘Red Wood and Elvan Hair. Twelve Inches… very rare core.’ Hermione really hoped this one was for her purely so she could say she had the coolest wand core ever. But alas, no.

Hermione tried all of the wands on the top shelf. No.

‘What about those ones?’ Hermione asked, pointing to the bottom shelf.

‘Very rare wands. Dual cores. Very tricky to make.’ Ollivander said, there were six boxes on this shelf. ‘I’ve only ever sold a dual core once to an animagi… oh, and I sold one to… a priority client...’

‘Yeah, lets try them.’ Hermione said quickly. She hadn’t been an Animagus last time she’d bought a wand, of course having two natures would change the type of wand she needed. She felt rather stupid for getting so frustrated now.

He opened the first box. ‘This one is Elder with Unicorn and Phoenix. Twelve inches.’

Hermione gripped the wand. It felt better than any other wand she had tried that day, but still no.

Mr Ollivander seemed to realise they were on the right track.

The next wand was placed in her hand. ‘Apple with Unicorn and Veela? Twelve and a quarter inch.’ No.

Hermione made her way through the six wands on that shelf. Mr Ollivander was absolutely delighted every time he had to take them back off her. He handed her the final one.

‘Bonsai with Thestral and Phoenix, eleven and a half inches.’ He said.

No.

‘Wonderful!’ Mr Ollivander cried as he stowed away the box. ‘I could always just make you a new one! Don’t you worry, miss! We’ll get you sorted! We were definitely on the right track with the dual core!’

Hermione let out a frustrated sigh and glanced at his clock, she was meeting her father in half an hour and she still had to get his sweets and do her normal shopping.

He moved to the bookshelf and opened a catalogue. He was very excited about all this.

‘Thestral tail hair… hmm… I don’t have any with that left. Bit too hard to get a hold of seeing as I can’t ruddy see the things. Basilisk Horn was used by your house founder… perhaps some affinity? No, I think not… too dark. Rougarou hair? No, same problem… let me think…’

‘Sir, I’ve tried every wand in this shop.’ She said sadly. Maybe all the wands hated her since she broke one of them? Could that happen?

But her words seemed to strike something up within the wandmaker. ‘No... You haven’t.’

‘Sir?’ Hermione asked. Mr Ollivander was practically bouncing where he stood.

‘There is one dual wand core you are yet to try!’ He ran from the back room and Hermione followed.

Mr Ollivander was removing the old wand that lay on the faded cushion in his shop window. Hermione had always assumed it was a prop when she walked by his store.

‘My grandfather made this wand, it has two cores, give it a go.’ He said, Hermione could see the hope in his eyes as he handed it to her.

Hermione felt an instant warmth as the wood settled in her hand. It felt like an old friend. A shower of blue sparks shot out the end of the tip and fell the ground like flowing starlight.

‘Wow. What is this one?’ She gasped.

‘The wand is Cherry. Then the core is Dragon Heat String and… the hair from a True Mermaid.’ Mr Ollivander said, he seemed quite shocked that the wand had bonded to her.

‘I thought you said your Grandfather made it?’ Hermione frowned. No Mermaids had lived for hundreds of years.

‘He did. He bought Queen Blythe’s hairbrush, it had been moving in private collectors’ hands for many years, it still held a strand of her hair. No doubt a stasis charm… but yes... The hair of a true Mermaid, very rare indeed.’ He seemed utterly delighted.

‘Wow.’ Was all Hermione could say as she examined her new wand. It was a similar length to her old wand and made from the same wood, one of the cores was even the same. The only difference now was a mystical element.

‘The true Mermaid is a divine create – the fact that wand has chosen you speaks volumes. If I am correct in thinking – the wands to be made with Blythe’s hair were owned by High Oracles and even Kings.’ Mr Ollivander told her with wide eyes. ‘I think we can expect great things from you!’

Mr Ollivander had disappeared to find a box to stow her new wand in, though she didn’t really want to let go of it, she allowed him to place it into a shiny new black box lined with velvet while he ringed her up.

Hogwarts would be footing the bill seeing as it was really their fault her last wand had snapped. Basically, Snape had slipped her ten Galleons before she’d gotten onto the train.

‘The Mermaid hair is the rarest ingredient on the planet.’ Mr Ollivander was excitedly telling her as he made note of the purchase. ‘My grandfather paid just over a thousand Galleons for that brush… he got into a bidding war with the young Gregorovitch.’

Hermione frowned as she looked down at her bill, then to her new wand, then to its seller.

‘You’re charging me ten Galleons for a wand that took hundreds to make?’ Hermione asked with a raised brow.

‘King Abraxas told me if I ever sold that wand the Royal family would reimburse me… it was a bet we had, he didn’t believe anyone would be able to wield it.’ Mr Ollivander said with a grin, his piercing grey eyes were clearly delighted.

Hermione laughed at this. ‘Say hello to the King for me in your letter then. Thank you, Mr Ollivander.’ 

She had left the shop with her new wand box in a paper bag and dipped down into Knockturn Alley for a moment. She followed the twisting cobblestone street until she came to a dead end.

She opened her bag and reached in for the small mason jar inside.

‘I said, I’d let you go.’ She told the very angry bug that sat inside on the leaf. She had kept Rita Skeeter as a prisoner for over a month to teach her a lesson. ‘You remember our terms? You aren’t to write anything at all for a while. If you do, I’ll tell the Royal Press agent how you’ve been getting your information and you’ll be fired and arrested.’

She opened the lid and the bug instantly flew out and off above the nearest building.

She watched it disappear into the beams of the sun for a moment before she turned and followed the pathway back onto Diagon Alley. Feeling much lighter.

She nipped into the sweet shop to buy her fathers requested dental sweets and bought a little something for herself, and then she walked through the Leaky Cauldron and out into the Muggle world to meet her father.

* * *

Draco had been in France all of summer, pretty much. He was far too busy to meet up with any of his friends as he settled into his new duties, one of which was establishing a ruling regent for while he was away at Hogwarts. Lacking in his company, but not his personality.

Draco had taken the time to send Hermione at least one letter a week… and he always sent a gift with them.

From books to summer dresses and sweet perfumes he thought she might like; Hermione was being spoiled.

_Dear Kitten,  
This week has been so hectic.   
On Monday I awarded medals and Orders of Merlin to the wizards who dealt with the Orphanage fire.   
On Tuesday, I attended my first Council meeting! Armand would talk about nothing but Voldemort and the plans to move against him. The Order of the Phoenix is indeed guarding something at the Ministry, but Armand wouldn’t tell us what.  
On Wednesday I finally got a day off and I went into the nearby village to do some shopping and picked up a little something I thought you might like.  
On Thursday I had a meeting with the French Minister for Magic, she’s awesome. I wish she was the English Minster. She’s taking Voldemort’s return so seriously you should see some of the things they’ve implemented over here.  
On Friday, Matilda and Tom stayed over as they were passing through on Tour, which is what the Ministry thinks they’re doing. They’re in America now doing work for the Order. I think they’re just recruiting agents for the looming war. Several of my French Guard have agreed to help.  
I have a trial to oversee this afternoon for the cunts that started the orphanage. Off to Azkaban they go.   
Can’t wait to come back to England and see you.  
Your Lord._

She admired his latest gift, which was now framed on her bedroom wall next to her letters patent and photos from that ceremony. The idea of Draco heading a formal trial made her feel nervous, he was perfectly able but it just seemed so grown up. She sat down at her desk to pen him a reply.

_My Lord,  
Sounds like a very interesting week! I bet a council meeting was amazing! Good luck with the trial! I’m sure you’ll be fab.  
I went and got a new wand this week! And you’ll never guess what I got! A dual wand core! It’s Cherry with Dragon heartstring and REAL MERMAID HAIR FROM QUEEN BLYTHE!   
How cool is that?!  
Thank you for the beautiful print of the blossom tree and the sweet perfume. I love the gifts but they are no substitute for your company. I miss you.  
Your Kitten.  
XOX_

Hermione had made sure Freddie, her beloved raven, had taken a large drink to ward off the effects of the sun before she sent him off.

He was carrying her letter for Draco, but first he would take a detour across London to deliver Harry his birthday card.

Poor Harry.

Before everyone had left school for the holidays, Dumbledore had said they weren’t to tell Harry any news. He said it wasn’t safe to do so… that Harry would be safer not knowing. Hermione had told him that she disagreed, he’d noted it, but said he still didn’t want her to say anything.

She watched him disappear against the setting sun until he was little more than a speck on the horizon.

‘Hermione! Thunderbirds is on!’ Her father called.

* * *

‘Who is coming to get you?’ Her mother asked.

Hermione’s trunk was packed and ready to go by the front door and she had her travelling cloak on. Her new wand was stowed safely up her sleeve, she’d bought a new holster for it rather than lose her very rare and expensive wand to another falling incident.

‘Snape.’ She told them.

She had received a letter from her Head of House a few days after purchasing her new wand.

_Granger,  
I’m going to bring you to the Headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix on the fifteenth. No arguments. It’s safer.  
Snape._

She had penned a sassy reply.

_Snape,  
Am I just to leave my parents behind to be killed while I’m off hiding in safety?’  
Granger._

She had received an equally sassy reply.

_Granger,  
I’m obviously going to cast protective spells on the house. Don’t be a little shit. See you at four pm.  
Snape._

Hermione had packed her trunk, slightly annoyed she wouldn’t get to spend the full summer with her parents.

‘He’s the Potion maker, right?’ Her dad asked.

‘Hmm.’ She nodded.

‘Is he nice?’ Her mum asked.

‘Er…’ Hermione trailed off. ‘In his own way…’

Her doorbell had gone off at exactly four pm.

Snape hadn’t made an effort to appear Muggle, he was wearing his black robes. Her parents had both shaken hands with him.

He’d frowned down at Hermione in the entrance hall. ‘You’re thin.’

‘I’ve been working out.’ She waved hm off.

‘Why exactly must she go?’ Her mother asked.

‘Because Lord Voldemort wants her dead. She cursed him once and he hasn’t gotten over it at all.’ Snape said dryly.

Her father didn’t argue this and hugged his beloved daughter goodbye and dropped a kiss to her forehead.

Her mother had pulled her in for a tighter hug, if possible, and whispered. ‘Don’t forget to write,’ as if she ever forgot to write.

Once the front door was shut, and Hermione had run back in for the permission slip she’d forgotten and had one last hug goodbye, she made her way to the end of the driveway with Snape.

Snape was pointing his wand at her house.

‘Won’t the Ministry think that I’m casting magic at home?’ She asked.

‘No. They were notified I would be going over to discuss your future Masters.’ He told her. He performed a complicated wand movement and a shuddering force past in front of her house, it kind of hurt Hermione’s head to look at her own house after that.

‘Ready?’ He asked, taking hold of the handle of her trunk.

She nodded. ‘How are we getting there?’

‘About that… we’re going to be Apperating.’ He said, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a scrap of paper and thrust it at her.

_The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London._

‘Read it? Memorised it?’ He asked. Then he snatched the scrap of paper from her and burnt it.

He held his free arm out to her and she wrapped her hand tightly around his wrist.

Hermione felt the sickening lurch as they disappeared from her London home and arrived on the front porch of a towering row of houses, all of which were grimy.

‘Please don’t be sick on me.’ Snape said coolly as Hermione gave a little wobble and raised a hand to her temple.

They had come to a rather battered looking door. Its black paint was shabby and scratched. The silver doorknocker was in the form of a twisted serpent. There was no keyhole or letterbox.

Snape pulled out his wand and tapped the door once. Hermione heard many loud, metallic clicks and what sounded like the clatter o' a chain. The door creaked open.

‘Why am I really here?’ She asked as he opened the door.

‘I wasn’t lying.’ He said to her. ‘I was at a meeting and he put a hit out on you. Top rewards for your head.’

‘Lovely.’ She said, thinking that she might actually be sick on his now.

‘Get inside quick,' Snape said, 'but don't go far inside and don't touch anything.'

She stepped over the threshold into the almost total darkness of the hall. She could smell damp, and a rotting smell. Snape pulled the front door shut behind him and waved his wand at it; it made all the same chain rattling noises as it had a moment ago.

They stood in darkness for a moment and then with a hissing sound, old-style gas lamps spluttered into life along the wall.

Hermione thought she might have preferred the building in the dark.

The hall was now dimly illuminated to show the peeling wallpaper along the gloomy hallway. A potentially graceful chandelier hung unlit in the middle of the hall, it was covered by about ten layers of spiderwebs.

There were portraits, nothing like the carefully maintained ones she had seen at Hogwarts or Regia, these were blackened by age.

There were hurried footsteps and Ginny’s mother came into the corridor from the far door.

‘Hermione, dear! Lovely to have you with us!’ She pulled Hermione into a hug. ‘You’re sharing a room with Ginny. First floor, second door on the left.’

Mrs Weasley was looking a little bit pale as she took Hermione in. ‘Gosh, you’re looking thin! We’ll soon fix you up! Go now and take your trunk upstairs.’

‘Severus.’ She said, turning away from Hermione. ‘The meeting has just started. Dumbledore’s here and he’s brought the King.’

Dumbledore and Armand were here?

Snape didn’t say farewell to Hermione, he just strode past her and entered the far room.

‘Off you go dear.’ She said to Hermione, and then she went into the end room too and left Hermione alone in the corridor.

* * *

Being at the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, one would think Hermione might be allowed to actually know what was going on. But no. All she was told was that Voldemort wanted her dead, but he wanted everyone dead so don’t feel special (thanks Moody), and that she was going to help in the cleaning up of the house.

She was taking it as NEWT revision. There was some seriously dark stuff hidden away in some of these old closets, some of it was incredibly illegal.

They were a Weasley short, after what could only be described as a traumatic year for Ron, he was spending the summer in Romania with his brother Charlie. Well, they were actually two Weasley’s short. There’d been a right drama with Percy who had kicked himself out of the family.

She and Ginny would spend most nights laying away wondering what was really going on, and Ginny would fret about Harry. She had been completely banned from telling him anything too, though she had been told it was for Harry’s own safety so she would go along with it.

She had just been at the Headquarters for nearing a week when everything kicked off.

Fred and George rushed into hers and Ginny’s room.

‘Harry’s been expelled!’ Fred gasped.

‘No he hasn’t! He’s got to go to a trial first.’ George said.

Ginny gasped. ‘What happened?’

‘He cast a Patronus charm in the presence of a Muggle.’ Fred said. ‘Dumbledore’s just gotten back from a screaming match with Fudge about it.’

‘Mundungus left before his shift had ended… you should have seen Dumbledore’s face when he told him… no wonder You-Know-Who’s scared of him.’ George said with a shudder.

‘They can’t expel him for fighting off Dementors’, there’s a clause in the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery that allows magic in life saving situations.’ Hermione said, mainly to calm Ginny down.

Once Ginny was fast asleep and George had fallen asleep at the end of her bed, just Hermione and Fred remained awake and talking.

‘You know,’ he whispered, ‘they’re just going to turn around and say there wasn’t a dementor there.’

Hermione nodded. ‘It’s going to be fine. Dumbledore isn’t going to let them expel Harry. No chance.’

* * *

The next morning Hedwig had arrived with two letters of very different tone. The one for Hermione was quite angry as he asked to be told finally what was going on. The one for Ginny was just sad, he couldn’t understand why she was keeping secrets from him.

Hermione had sat down to pen a reply. All she could think to say without giving much away was to tell him that he would be brought to them soon, no doubt. This wasn’t good enough for Hedwig, and she had pecked at Hermione’s fingers until she’d written a longer reply – she’d added in the shouting match that Dumbledore had had with Fudge over him. That would cheer him up, to know that Dumbledore was fighting in his corner.

It was another two days before a team of high-ranking order members, led by three Royal Guards: Tonks, Kingsley, and Moody, left the house to collect Harry.

Harry would be sharing with the twins; another bed had been added to their room. Mrs Weasley had given Ginny a long lecture about staying in her proper bed once Harry arrived.

Ginny had winked at Hermione the second her mother’s back had turned.

As the twins had the biggest room in the house, for some reason, Hermione and Ginny found themselves sitting in there when they were freed from their cleaning duties.

Ginny had just excused herself to have a little lay down before Harry arrived, when the twin’s door swung open.

Hermione was on her feet and throwing her arms around the boy in relief a second later.

‘Harry! Ginny, he’s here! I didn’t hear you arrive! Are you alright? Have you been furious with us? I bet you have, I know our letters were useless - but we couldn't tell you anything, Dumbledore made us swear we wouldn't, oh, we've got so much to tell you, and you've got things to tell us! Those Dementors! When we heard - and that Ministry hearing - it's just outrageous, I've looked it all up, they can't expel you, they just can't, there's provision in the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery for the use of magic in life-threatening situations-’

‘Let the man breathe Hermione.’ Fred said as he stepped into the room behind Harry.

He had grown a few more inches over summer, he was nothing to the height of the twins, but he was coming along nicely. Hermione couldn’t help wonder what Draco looked like now after a month in France.

‘Right. Sorry.’ She said as she let go of Harry and stepped back.

Harry glanced down at the pecking marks on her hands from Hedwig. ‘Why didn’t Dumbledore want me told?’ His voice was very strained. He was angry. Then he frowned at Hermione, ‘you’re thin.’

Hermione ignored the millionth comment about her weight loss.

‘He thought you were safest with the Muggles.’ Fred told him. ‘Ginny!’ He turned and called over his shoulder. Then he rolled his eyes. ‘That girl sleeps like the dead, I’ll go kick her awake.’

Fred eagerly departed the room.

‘Safest with the Muggles… load of tosh.’

‘Harry, he’s had people from the Order tailing you all summer. You weren’t alone ever.’ She said, trying to comfort him.

‘Didn’t work though, did it?’ His strained voice kept breaking, as if it were costing him real effort to keep from shouting. ‘I had to look after myself.’

‘Dumbledore was really angry.’ Hermione said. ‘It was quite scary, apparently.’

‘I’m glad Mundungus left early… or I’d have been stuck at Privet Drive all summer.’ Harry said coldly.

Hermione realised she wasn’t going to get anywhere with this line of inquiry. ‘Are you nervous about the hearing?’

‘No.’ Harry said far too quickly.

Harry stepped further into the twins’ room that he would be staying in. It was a dark and dank room, there was a currently vacant portrait in the room and that was its only decoration.

‘Did Dumbledore expand on why he wanted me kept in the dark?’ Harry asked. “Safer with the Muggles” clearly wasn’t doing it for him. ‘Or did you not bother asking?’

‘I told Dumbledore – I did – that I wanted to tell you everything. I promise. I really didn’t approve of keeping you in the dark, neither did half the Order! But I’ve barely seen Dumbledore, he’s only been here twice according to Fred. He just said our owls might get intercepted.’ Hermione told him.

‘Please don’t pretend Dumbledore doesn’t know how to send a message without an owl, or you for that matter.’ He snapped.

‘He was really firm with everyone. You weren’t to be told anything.’ Hermione said. She could understand why he was angry, of course she could, but she was frustrated and scared too.

‘Does he think I can’t be trusted?’ He asked, watching her face in concentration for any sign of traitorous expression.

Hermione kept her face calm. ‘Of course Dumbledore trusts you. Everyone trusts you.’

‘Or that I can’t take care of myself…’ Harry mused next, still watching for a hint of disloyalty in her face.

‘Nobody thinks that Harry.’ She said patiently.

‘So why did I have to stay with the Dursleys’ while you were here joining in with everything? Why is the most contact I had all summer with that ridiculous healer who spoke to me like I was about four years old?’ Harry snapped. ‘Why are you allowed to know what’s going on? Is it because the King tapped you on the shoulder with his sword and gave you a pretty crown?’

Hermione huffed. ‘I’ve barely been here a week. I know you’re upset, but try not to take it out on your friends. Especially not Ginny, she’s been crying herself to sleep over not being able to tell you things.’

Harry remained silent and glaring at her, her answer hadn’t been good enough it seemed.

‘Right.’ She sighed. ‘I don’t actually know anything, not really. Mrs Weasley said that me, Ginny and the twins aren’t allowed into the meetings-’

Then Harry was shouting.

‘SO YOU HAVEN’T BEEN ALLOWED IN THE MEETINGS, BIG DEAL! I’VE BEEN STUCK AT THE DURSLEY’S FOR A MONTH! AND DON’T GIVE ME THAT RUBBISH ABOUT ONLY JUST GETTING HERE, THAT’S ONLY BECAUSE YOU’VE BEEN OFF ON A FABULOUS HOLIDAY WITH YOUR PARENTS! I’VE FACED JUST AS MUCH IF NOT MORE THAN YOU! WHO FOUGHT OFF THE DEMENTORS? WHO WENT TO GET THE PHILOSOPHERS STONE ALONE UNTIL YOU DECIDED TO SHOW UP WHEN EVERYTHING WAS OVER! WHO WENT DOWN INTO THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS READY TO FIGHT A BASILISK? ME!’

‘I mean, I couldn’t go into the Chamber of Secrets. I was upstairs in a bed, Petrified.’ Hermione said calmly. Harry was going to have a go at her no matter what she said. _And it was Draco that killed that bloody snake. _She added in her thoughts.

‘WHO HAD TO GET PAST DRAGONS AND MERPEOPLE AND A SPHINX AND EVERY OTHER FOUL THING LAST YEAR? WHO SAW HIM COME BACK? WHO FOUGHT HIM? WHO ESCAPED WITH CEDRIC’S BODY? ME!’

Hermione didn’t allow herself to get worked up. Harry had a month of frustrations to get out. Better on her who could handle it than Ginny who would be distraught.

‘BUT WHY SHOULD I KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON? WHY SHOULD I KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING?’

‘We wanted to tell you.’ Hermione said when he paused for breath. ‘Dumbledore made us swear… I understand why you are angry; I would be too.’

Harry looked away from her for a moment. ‘What is this place?’

‘Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix,' Hermione answered him at once. ‘It is a secret society, Dumbledore’s in charge, he founded it during the last war.’

‘Who’s in it?’ He asked.

‘I’ve only been here a few days, but I’ve seen a few friends. Sirius and Remus are in it. So is Tonks – Draco’s guard? And Kingsley and Moody… Oh, and all the Hogwarts staff.’

Harry nodded. ‘And Voldemort?’

‘Nobody knows. He’s not done anything or come into the public… we’re not allowed in the meetings but from what I can gather, the Order are following the known Death Eaters to see what they’re up to… some of them are trying to recruit more people for the Order… and some of them are guarding something.’

Harry rolled his eyes at that last one. ‘Me, by chance?’

Hermione shook her head. ‘No, it’s something at the Ministry. Fred and George invented these Extendable Ears, quite clever really, but we heard the meeting going on about guarding something in the Ministry.’

‘A weapon?’ Harry asked her.

‘I don’t know… we really are sorry we couldn’t tell you anything.’ Hermione said as she heard the hurried footsteps on the stairs.

‘I know.’ He said. ‘Sorry I shouted at you.’

The door was thrown open, and a red blur launched itself into Harry’s arms.

Their lips locked and Hermione averted her gaze and Harry and Ginny shared a few hurried whispers.

Ginny had just stepped back as Fred and George entered the room, but kept a firm hold on Harry’s hand.

‘What have you all been doing, then? If you can’t go to meetings?’ Harry asked. Ginny’s touch seemed to have calmed him significantly.

‘We’ve been decontaminating the house.’ Ginny told him.

‘Getting it fit for human habitation.’ Fred corrected.

‘Man.’ George said, throwing himself onto his single bed. ‘I can’t wait for Draco’s Abbey to be ready for us to stay at.’

‘The house has been empty while Sirius was away.’ Ginny said. (Away was code for falsely imprisoned) ‘His family had some really dark stuff, and then things have been breeding in the house… We’ve already done the Kitchen and most of the Bedrooms. We’re doing the drawing room tomorrow.’

Harry and Ginny were sharing soulful looks as they held hands.

Fred cleared his throat to break them apart, Hermione rolled her eyes at his overprotectiveness.

‘I’ve got an ear if anyone wants to hear the meeting.’ George said, he reached under his bed and pulled out two comically large ears connected by string.

‘Mum’s put an Imperturbable Charm on the door, saw her do it.’ Fred grumbled, then dropped himself down on his bed.

George grumbled and stowed the ears back under his bed. ‘Shame, I really fancied finding out what Snape’s up to.’

‘Snape’s in the Order?’ Harry asked.

‘Hmm.’ Hermione said. ‘That’s why I’m here. He’s spying on Voldemort for us directly, he found out Voldemort put a hit out on me and grabbed me from my parents’ house.’

Harry raised his eyebrows. ‘He put a hit out on you?’

Hermione nodded. ‘Something about ripping his face open… I didn’t hear the particulars.’

‘What’s he here for now?’ Harry asked.

‘Giving some top-secret report to the Order.’ Fred told him.

‘Git.’ George grumbled.

‘He’s on our side.’ Hermione said firmly.

‘He’s still a git. I haven’t forgotten the years of detentions.’ Fred said.

Hermione rolled her eyes. ‘I have no doubt you deserved every second you spent in detention, Fred.’

‘Bill doesn’t like him.’ Ginny pointed out.

‘Bill’s here? Shouldn’t he be braking into a Pyramid in Egypt?’ Harry asked.

‘He got a desk job to come home and work for the Order.’ George told him.

‘He said he missed the tombs but I think he’s found a new… treasure to pass his time.’ Fred grinned.

‘What do you mean?’ Harry asked.

‘Fleur Delacour got a job at Gringotts to “improve her English”, I bet Bills been giving her a whole bunch of private lessons.’ George said with a grin.

Hermione rolled her eyes. _Boys._

‘Is Charlie back, too?’ Harry asked.

Ginny shook her head. ‘No, Ron’s over with him in Romania for the summer. Dumbledore wants Charlie to stay over there and recruit foreign wizards to the cause.’

‘Is Percy recruiting too?’ Harry asked. The last he had heard, the third Weasley brother was working in the Department of International Magical Co-operation at the Ministry of Magic.

Then he saw Ginny glare at her shoes, and Hermione and Fred share a dark look.

‘Don’t mention Percy in front of my parents.’ Ginny told him in a tense voice.

‘Why not?’ Harry asked. ‘Has he been hurt?’

‘No.’ Fred said. ‘It’s just that every time Percy's name's mentioned, Dad breaks whatever he's holding and Mum starts crying.’

‘It’s been awful.’ Ginny told him.

'I think we're well shot of him,' George muttered, with an uncharacteristically angry look on his face.

'What happened?' Harry asked.

'Percy and Dad had a row,' Fred told him. 'I've never seen Dad row with anyone like that. It's normally Mum who shouts.'

'It was the first week back after term ended,' Ginny said. 'Ron had just left and we were about to come and join the Order. Percy came home and told us he'd been promoted.'

'You're kidding?' said Harry.

It was common knowledge that Percy had very nearly been sacked after the third task and the news that Crouch had been killed by his own son. The fact that Percy hadn’t noticed his boss being controlled by Voldemort hadn’t gone down well – the words “power-grab” had been used in his formal hearing. (Though the Ministry had changed the story to say he was being controlled by his son from a distance rather than admit Voldemort was back.)

‘And they just went and promoted him?’ Harry frowned. _No wonder the Ministry’s in the bin._

'He came home really pleased with himself and told Dad he'd been offered a position in Fudge's office… Junior Assistant to the Minister… He expected Dad to be all impressed, I think.' George said.

‘But your dad wasn’t, I’m guessing?’ Harry asked.

‘No.’ Ginny said. ‘No he was not.’

‘Apparently Fudge has been storming round the Ministry checking that nobody's having any contact with Dumbledore,' Hermione said, only two days ago Tonks had been interrogated personally by Fudge. She’d politely told him: ‘fuck off, a Royal Guard doesn’t answer to the Ministry.’

‘Dumbledore’s name is mud now.’ Fred said. ‘They all think he's just making trouble saying You-Know-Who's back.’

‘What about the King?’ Harry frowned.

‘Same boat. Fudge is spreading about that he wants a puppet installed as Minister.’ Hermione said.

Fred nodded. ‘Dad said that Fudge has made it clear that anyone who's in league with Dumbledore or the King can clear out their desks… Trouble is, Fudge suspects Dad, he knows he's friendly with Dumbledore, and he's always thought Dad's a bit of a weirdo because of his Muggle obsession. Apparently, he wasn’t very pleased when the King stepped in and promoted him.'

‘And Percy?’ Harry asked.

‘Dad reckons Fudge only wants Percy in his office because he wants to use him to spy on the family - and Dumbledore.' Ginny said finally.

Harry let out a low whistle. 'Bet Percy loved that.'

George laughed in a hollow sort of way. 'He went completely berserk. He said - well, he said loads of terrible stuff. He said he's been having to struggle against Dad's lousy reputation ever since he joined the Ministry and that Dad's got no ambition and that's why we've always been - you know - 'not had a lot of money, I mean - '

'What?' Harry gasped in disbelief, as Ginny made a noise like an angry cat.

'I know,' Fred said in a low voice. 'And it got worse. He said Dad was an idiot to run around with Dumbledore, that Dumbledore was heading for big trouble and Dad was going to go down with him, and that he - Percy - knew where his loyalty lay and it was with the Ministry. And if Mum and Dad were going to become traitors to the Ministry, he was going to make sure everyone knew he didn't belong to our family any more. And he packed his bags the same night and left. He's living here in London now.'

'Mums been in a right state,' Ginny told him. 'You know - crying and stuff. She came up to London to try and talk to Percy but he slammed the door in her face. I dunno what he does if he meets Dad at work - ignores him, I guess.’

'But Percy must know Voldemort's back,' Harry said slowly. 'He's not stupid, he must know your mum and dad wouldn't risk everything without proof.'

'Yeah, well, your name got dragged into the row,' Ginny said, shooting Harry a worried look. 'Percy said the only evidence was your word and… I dunno… he didn't think it was good enough… Funny, he once praised my relationship with you… before he left, he told me to stay away from you.’

‘He threw a few choice quotes from the Daily Prophet at dad.’ Fred said.

‘He takes that paper like it’s the Prophecy of Triad.’ George grumbled.

‘What’s the Prophet got to do with anything?’ Harry asked.

_Oh no. _‘Haz, haven’t you been reading the Prophet?’

‘Yes.’ Harry said with a frown.

‘Er… have you been reading every article?’ Ginny asked, looking at him with clear worry.

‘No…’ Harry said. ‘Voldemort would be headline news, I didn’t much fancy reading an article about Julia Nike’s new pet Niffler.’

‘They haven’t been very nice to you in the… middle articles.’ Hermione said.

‘I’d have seen-’

‘Not if you were only looking at the front page.’ Ginny told him gently. ‘They’ve been making these little jibes about all of you. Dumbledore, The King, The Princess, even the High Oracle has been targeted.’ Ginny said, listing them off on her fingers.

‘They keep slipping you all in like you’re a standing joke.’ George told him.

‘It’s a bit nasty, really.’ Hermione said. ‘They’re just building on stuff Rita Skeeter wrote.’

‘Maybe it’s her writing now.’ Harry said.

‘No.’ Hermione said with a shake of the head. ‘I told you what I did to her, she’s not writing anything… but I’m afraid the damage has already been done.’

‘They’re writing about you like you’re this deluded, attention seeking, nutter.’ Fred said without any restraint.

Hermione shot him a glare. _Way to lessen the blow, Freddie. _She grumbled to herself.

‘They just keep slipping in these snide remarks in the middle of an article… If some far-fetched story appears, they say something like, "A tale worthy of Harry Potter", and if anyone has a funny accident or anything it's, "Let's hope he hasn't got a scar on his forehead or we'll be asked to worship him next"’

‘But I don’t-’ Harry began to protest.

‘Nobody who knows you actually believes that rubbish. Apart from tosser’s like Percy.’ Ginny said quickly and hotly.

‘You’re getting it easy compared to the others.’ George told him, as if that was meant to make him feel better.

‘Dumbledore’s been “asked to step down” as Chief of the Wizengamot.’ Hermione said.

‘And even then, that’s nothing compared to the King and Matilda. Fudge is on about abolishing the Monarchy in England…’ Hermione said.

‘For what reason?’ Harry frowned.

‘He doesn’t really have one, and he doesn’t have a leg to stand on. Nobody will go for it. There isn’t a way to abolish the Monarchy anyway.’ Hermione said with an eyeroll.

‘They could just kill them all, that’d do it.’ Fred said grumpily.

‘Right little ray of sunshine, aren’t you?’ George said to his brother.

Fred shrugged.

‘I’d like to see someone get past their guards… and breaking into Regia is impossible anyway. You’d have a better chance of dressing You-Know-Who in drag than you would of getting at Armand or Matilda.’ George said.

‘The point is.’ Hermione said loudly, stopping the twins talk of the theoretical murder of her friends. ‘Fudge doesn’t want anyone to believe the lot of you, and he’s doing a good job of making you all look unstable.’

‘What are they saying about the High Oracle?’ Harry asked.

Hermione actually smiled at this one. ‘It was only one article… calling her power hungry and just a little girl with no idea of responsibility…’

‘And what happened?’ Harry asked, he remembered Fudge being thrown to the ground by an invisible force for insulting the Oracle.

‘The reporter got struck by lightning.’

Christ!’ Harry said in disbelief.

‘He survived.’ Hermione said quickly. ‘But he won’t be badmouthing the Gods’ representative on earth again.’

Harry had raised eyebrows. ‘I bet he won’t… the Gods’ are really brutal.’

‘I mean, they’ve never killed all the first-born sons or flooded the world because they didn’t like people.’ Hermione said, remembering her grandmother dragging her to church that one time.

‘They did sink Atlantis.’ Ginny reminded her.

‘Okay, one city full of baddies.’ Hermione said. ‘What monsters.’

There was silence for a moment at this.

‘They haven’t reported a word about you being attacked by the Dementors.’ Ginny told him. ‘Dad reckons they want to wait until your trial – if you’re expelled it’ll play right into their hands.’

‘A picture of your snapped wand would be on the front page for a month.’ Fred grumbled.

‘Snapped wands can be replaced.’ Hermione said, her fingers brushing against her new wand hidden up her sleeve.

‘I don’t want my wand snapped.’ Harry said in alarm.

‘I get it.’ Hermione said. _She did, the wand was a lifeline, an extra long magical limb, part of them. _‘Nobody wants their wand snapped. But it isn’t the end of the world. You could just go abroad and buy a new one… and to be honest I’m pretty sure Ollivander would sell you a new one under the table.’

There came footsteps on the stairs. ‘What’s that about Mr Ollivander?’ Mrs Weasley asked hotly as she stepped into the room.

‘Hermione was just telling us all about her new wand.’ Ginny said, rather impressively quickly coming up with a story. ‘Did she tell you it’s dual core with the hair of Queen Blythe inside?’

Mrs Weasley waved her daughter off. ‘Yes, yes, I’ve heard that.’

‘Everyone’s heard that. She won’t shut up about it.’ Fred grumbled.

‘It’s got the hair of Queen Blythe!’ Hermione protested. ‘A Mermaid! You’d go on about it for days too if it were you.’

Fred just winked at her in return.

Then there came a crash of metal, as if a stack of dining trays had been knocked over with a lot of force.

Mrs Weasley scrunched her eyes shut in frustration. ‘That’ll be Kreacher. Bloody elf.’ She turned and hurried off back down the stairs to find the source of the ruckus.

‘Who’s Kreacher?’ Harry asked.

‘The Black family house-elf.’ Ginny told him.

‘He’s bonkers.’ Fred told him.

‘It’s not his fault!’ Hermione protested.

‘I know it’s not.’ Fred said. ‘But he’s still bonkers.’

‘He’s been on his own for ten years… and the years he had a master he was being abused!’ Hermione said sternly.

‘Hermione, his greatest ambition is to be beheaded and have his head stuffed and stuck up on plaque just like his mother. He’s bonkers, you can say it. We all know you’re thinking it.’ Fred said to her.

‘I am not thinking it!’ She lied. ‘Stop being such a-’

George cleared his throat. ‘I think we’re all wanted in the dining room by now.’

‘How’s Ron?’ Harry asked the Weasley’s as they walked down to the kitchen.

‘Charlie said he’s doing well, “like he’s a new person”, he said in his last letter.’ Fred said.

‘Git.’ George said under his breath.

‘Charlie had him go and see some Muggle mind healer for his anger issues.’ Ginny said. ‘Don’t tell mum I told you that.’ She then added quickly. ‘Or him.’

‘Good for him for getting help, I guess.’ Hermione mused. ‘I really enjoyed him not trying to hit me last year.’

‘Amen.’ Ginny said. ‘He was actually strangely nice to me.’

‘Git.’ George said again.

Then Fred stuck his arm out suddenly as they neared the dining room, the meeting hadn’t quite finished yet. They all waited on bated breath with cocked ears to try and hear any fragments of Snape’s report.

Nothing.

The doors were promptly flung open and the Order members began to stream out. Dumbledore moved so quickly through the dark corridor and disappeared with a pop at the front door that Hermione wasn’t even fully sure she had seen him.

Snape stepped out into the corridor and instantly turned to look up at the staircase. There was no hiding from an experienced teacher. ‘What pitiful attempt at spying is this?’

‘Can you blame us?’ Hermione said lightly, before anyone else could say the wrong thing.

Snape pretended to think for a moment. ‘No… don’t get caught.’ He said.

He stepped towards the door and absently said, ‘bye,’ over his shoulder, then he disappeared towards the front door and disappeared with a pop.

‘Bye dad.’ Hermione said absently and continued to walk down the stairs.

She got a good two steps before she realised what she had said. She groaned and turned slowly to face the twins, they looked like Christmas had come early.

‘Did you just call Snape dad?’ Fred gushed.

‘She did! She said “bye dad”!’ George rejoiced.

Hermione pulled her wand out and pointed it vaguely in their direction. ‘What of it?’ She asked sternly.

George held his hands up in surrender. ‘Nothing.’

Fred put his own hands up but was still grinning. ‘If you want that greasy git for a dad, be my guest.’

‘Shall we go in?’ Ginny said loudly before Hermione and Fred could start their bickering again.

‘Bloody hell!’ Harry cried; he’d not seen the landing in proper light on his way up. They were walking past a row of severed house-elf heads on the wall.

‘And people argued against freeing them.’ Hermione said coolly as she stalked past the grim display without looking at it.

Tonks was stood at the front door waving her wand, magically sealing its many locks and bolts after the last Order member had left.

‘Everyone be quiet as you come down.’ Mrs Weasley said softly to them as they descended the final steps. ‘Don’t wake her up now.’

_Has someone had a baby and not told me? _Harry thought.

BANG.

‘Tonks!’ Mrs Weasley cried in clear exasperation.

Tonks had pretty much faceplanted on the faded rug, she’d tripped over an umbrella stand.

Then Harry understood who Mrs Weasley hadn’t wanted to wake up.

A horrible, ear-splitting, blood-curdling screech filled the hall.

Velvet curtains, heavily moth-eaten, had flown apart to reveal a portrait. She was screaming and wailing as if she were under the torture curse. Several of the group actually clamped their hands over their ears.

‘Filth!’ She roared. ‘Scum!’

Her skin was yellowing and her teeth were extremely crooked and misshapen. She looked rather more like a ghoul than a witch.

Lupin appeared by Mrs Weasley and they both darted forward and tried to tug the curtains shut over the old woman. But they would not close. The wailing woman screeched louder than ever, brandishing clawed hands as though trying to tear at their faces through the canvas.

‘Half-breeds and Mudbloods! How dare you befoul the house of my fathers!’

A man with long black hair came charging out of a door facing Harry.

'Shut up, you horrible old hag, shut UP!' he roared, seizing the curtain from Lupin and Mrs Weasley. His roar was just as impressive as hers had been.

The old woman's face blanched at the sight of this new man.

'Yoooou!' she howled, her eyes bulging at the sight of the man. 'Blood traitor!'

With effort, he and Lupin managed to force the curtains closed again and a sudden silence filled the hall as if the woman had been stunned.

Panting from effort, Sirius Black turned to face his Godson with a cheery smile. ‘Hello, Harry. I see you’ve met the mother.’

‘Your mum?’ Harry gasped. He couldn’t see any resemblance.

‘We’ve been trying to get her down for a month… I think she’s put a Permanent Sticking Charm on it though.’ Lupin told the group.

‘Let’s move on before she wakes up again.’ Mrs Weasley said quickly.

‘Why is there a portrait of your mum here?’ Harry asked Sirius as they walked into the dining room.

‘Didn’t you hear me offering my ancestral house to Dumbledore, Harry?’ Sirius said. ‘This was my parents house. Thankfully I’m barely here, I always hated the place.’

‘How’s Auror training?’ Harry asked at the mention.

‘I’m getting there. Kingsley reckons I should be done just after Christmas, which is great, I’m knackered.’ Sirius said as he threw himself down in the closest chair. ‘And if Fudge comes into one more of my lessons to question me about Dumbledore or the Order, I’m going to try out some of my newly learned curses on him.’

Sirius let out a sigh. ‘Still, it’ll be over soon and we can get you away from those bloody Muggles.’

Harry grinned at this. It really did a lot to cheer him up that his Godfather was working himself to death to prove himself a worthy guardian.

Many chairs had been crammed into the room for the meeting and a long wooden table stood in the middle of them, littered with rolls of parchment, goblets, empty wine bottles, and a heap of what appeared to be rags. Mr Weasley, Armand, and Kingsley had their heads together.

Mrs Weasley cleared her throat and the three men looked up in surprise, as if they had not noticed the meeting had ended. They jumped up and quickly began clearing away what looked like blueprints before anyone could get a good look at them.

‘Ah! Harry!’ Mr Weasley said, moving to quickly greet his daughter’s boyfriend.

‘Hermione?’ Armand said.

She nodded her head in acknowledgement of her King before she spoke. ‘Yes, sir?’ She asked.

‘I have a package for you from Draco. It’s just on the cabinet over there for you.’ He told her. He gave a little frown at her thinned out figure, but turned back to the table and carried on clearing away the documents.

Hermione was about to step towards the cabinet and the brown parcel that waited there for her, but Mrs Weasley stopped her.

‘It can wait until after dinner, dear… and unless you all want to eat at midnight, I suggest you all help me.’ She said sternly, with a sharp look at her husband and sons.

‘Not you, of course, Your Grace!’ Mrs Weasley gasped as Armand began to chop carrots. It made for a peculiar sight.

‘How’s Matilda?’ Hermione asked the King as she peeled the potato’s next to him.

‘She’s gathering supporters with Tom over in America at the moment.’ Armand said. ‘Narcissa is over in Greece trying to recruit the Potioneer’s Guild, and Draco is still in Paris.’

‘Is he doing Order work?’ Hermione asked, Draco hadn’t said anything about spy work in his letters to her.

‘No. France has always been… a busy state… it requires a constant rule as this country does. He’s been ruling the country for me. And I have to say, he’s done an amazing job.’ Armand gushed, the love he held for his nephew was clear on his face. A son in all but blood, no doubt. 

The front page of the Daily Prophet that day had been of the new mugshots of Azkaban’s new prisoners. Draco had sentenced two of the men to ten years, and a third (their leader) to twenty. The picture of him in full Duke’s regalia managing the trail had made Hermione feel some odd stirring in her stomach.

Hermione spent most of dinner glancing over her shoulder at the large package waiting for her attention. She nearly didn’t hear it when Harry and Sirius began to speak over the silent clanking of everyone’s spoons.

'Don't know what you're complaining about, myself.'

'What?' Harry asked with a sour expression.

'Personally, I'd have welcomed a Dementor attack. A deadly struggle for my soul would have broken the monotony nicely. I’ve been stuck inside an exam hall for three months, imagine how dull that gets.’ Sirius told him. ‘I’m not much use to the Order at the minute.’

'How come?' Harry asked.

'Well for one, Voldemort will know all about me being an Animagus by now, Wormtail will have told him, so my big disguise is useless. And I’m stuck in these Auror lessons twelve hours a day, not much I can do in my free time.’ He said with a yawn. ‘I normally come home, have dinner, and go to bed. This is the latest I’ve stayed up in weeks.’

‘Yes, but think how useful it will be to have another fully fledged Auror in the Order.’ Armand said over the table at Sirius.

Then the King turned to Hermione, who was sat at his right. ‘So, Mr Ollivander tells me you’ve got my ancestor’s hair in your wand?’

The King, ten minutes later, was mid-lecture from Hermione about dual-wand cores.

‘I know.’ Armand said lightly. ‘My own wand is a Unicorn and dragon blend.’ He said, holding it out to her.

Hermione realised she had never seen the King’s wand before. It was long, at least thirteen inches, completely white, and with intricate carved symbols running up it. It looked more of a work of art than a practical instrument.

‘Are you all ready to fight the drawing room tomorrow?’ Sirius asked as everyone was standing up from the table.

Mrs Weasley nodded, ‘I think there’s a Bogart in the closet… and the curtains are full of Doxy’s.’

‘Hey, are we allowed to use magic to clear stuff away?’ Hermione asked suddenly. ‘The trace tracks the address, not the user, right?’

Mrs Weasley began a lecture on responsibility but Armand cut her off.

‘I give you my permission to use magic to clear the house, Hermione.’ He said as he scrubbed at the plates in the sink.

Seeing the King of the literal world doing the washing up made Hermione think she might be dreaming.

Mrs Weasley clearly wasn’t fond of the sight, and rushed forwards to relieve him from the self-appointed duty.

Once the King had quite literally ordered Molly Weasley to sit down and put her feet up for five minutes, and he’s washed and dried all the plates, Molly stood back up from what appeared to be the most uncomfortable five-minute sit down of her life.

‘Time for bed, I think,' She said with a yawn.

‘In a minute.’ Harry said suddenly, then he looked at Sirius. ‘I want to know what’s going on.’

Sirius smiled. ‘Of course, you do. I was surprised you didn’t start asking questions the second you walked in the building.’

‘He did.’ Fred sighed.

‘But none of them knew anything, they said they were all too young to be in the Order.’ Harry said.

‘Quite right, too.’ Molly huffed. ‘You’re too young!’

‘I think Harry has a right to know.’ Sirius said calmly.

‘Wait a minute!’ George interrupted in outrage.

‘Why does Harry get his questions answered but we don’t get a word?!’ Fred demanded. ‘He’s not even of age!’ He pointed an accusatory finger at Harry.

Mrs Weasley ignored her boy’s protests though; she was glaring at Sirius. ‘Dumbledore doesn’t want Harry to know more than he needs to.’

‘Dumbledore knows the circumstances have changed.’ Armand suddenly voiced. ‘We’re going to have to tell him something.’

There was no arguing with the King, so Mrs Weasley huffed and crossed her arms like a petulant child. ‘There is a difference between giving him some information and letting him ask whatever he wants!’

‘I want to know what is going on.’ Harry said again firmly. ‘Just tell me what’s going on, that’s all I want to know. You don’t have to start spilling top-secret information to me if that’s what you’re worried about.’ He said in appeasement to Mrs Weasley, though from the look on his face he wouldn’t have minded hearing some top-secret information.

‘Very well,' Mrs Weasley said, her voice cracking. 'Ginny - Hermione - Fred - George - I want, you out of this kitchen, now.'

There was an instant uproar.

‘We’re of age!’ Fred and George protested as one.

‘Fred and George can stay if they want to, they’re legally adults.’ Mr Weasley gently reminded his wife.

‘You’ll have to drag me out.’ Hermione said firmly, crossing her arms.

‘No!’ Mrs Weasley protested. ‘You’re too young!’

‘I’m nearly a year older than Harry!’ Hermione shot back hotly. ‘I’m _in _Fred and George’s year!’

‘Hermione can stay.’ Armand said quietly, though his tone was firm.

‘She’s not of age.’ Mrs Weasley said hotly.

‘No, but she is a member of my court. So I can speak for her.’ Armand reminded the woman. ‘Also, she cursed Voldemort in the face when she was twelve, I think she can handle anything we tell her.’ He sent a wink to Hermione at this, and she smiled gratefully back.

‘Fine!’ Mrs Weasley threw her hands up. ‘Ginny! Bed!’

‘Harry is just going to tell me anything you say!’ Ginny insisted.

‘No, he won’t!’ Mrs Weasley declared, glaring at Harry.

‘Yeah, I will.’ Harry said, he was looking at Ginny rather than Mrs Weasley so he didn’t see the glare her mother was giving him.

‘She’s too young to hear these things.’ Arthur Weasley told Harry gently.

Harry frowned at Ginny’s parents. ‘I’m sorry, are you both forgetting that she was literally possessed by Voldemort for nearly a year? Give her a little credit.’

Mrs Weasley looked at her daughter at these words as if she had completely forgotten the event.

‘Fine.’ Arthur said calmly. ‘You can all stay.’

Mrs Weasley sulked off to an armchair facing the fire and threw herself down in it with a huff.

Everyone sat in silence for a moment, and then Harry spoke.

‘Where’s Voldemort? What’s his plan?’

‘No idea.’ Sirius told him. ‘There’s been no deaths to go on, no movements to track. Theo Nott got a message out that his dad had joined back with him so we’ve been following him for signs, but he’s just been poking around the Ministry.’

‘The Ministry, why?’ Harry asked.

‘I’ll get to that.’ Sirius said. ‘Voldemort clearly isn’t trying to draw attention to himself, nobody but his Death Eaters were supposed to know he still lived. Your escape ruined all of his plans. Snape in his reports says that Voldemort’s been acting really odd since it happened.’

Lupin nodded. ‘Apparently he’s been sleeping more and not using any public magic… though this could just be a side effect for messing about with the potion that brought him back.’

‘Maybe he’ll die on his own. Save us the job.’ Armand said cheerfully picturing the idea. ‘That’d be the day.

‘Because of your survival.’ Mr Weasley said loudly, getting the briefing back on topic. ‘Armand and Dumbledore were able to move against him within the hour of his return.’

‘I put all the other Ministries on high alert, called a council meeting, and declared a state of emergency in one night because of your warning. Voldemort will have a hard time getting any of the foreign support I’d be willing to bet my wand arm he’d been counting on.’ Armand told Harry.

Harry nodded. ‘What’s the Order been doing?’

‘Undermining Voldemort’s plans at every turn.’ Lupin told him.

‘How do you know his plans?’ Harry asked without a pause for breath.

‘Dumbledore had a pretty good idea on his own, and Snape’s information has been a miracle really, and then there’s the tailing of known Death Eaters like Mr Nott.’ Sirius said.

‘And what is his plan?’ Hermione asked.

‘Not a surprising one.’ Lupin said. ‘He wants to build up his army again. Back in the day, he had huge numbers of wizards and creatures at his command.’

'So you're trying to stop him getting more followers?' Harry asked.

'We're doing our best,' Lupin said. ‘It’s quite hard to even convince people he’s really back because of bloody Fudge and that sodding paper.’ He said hotly.

‘Why is Fudge still being like this? Surely the shock should have faded by now?’ Harry asked.

‘Accepting that Voldemort is back would mean the darkest days in recorded history have returned. Fudge has grown to like his power and cushy desk.’ Armand said. ‘So he’s saying that the Oracle and I want to overthrow him and install Dumbledore as a new puppet Minister. Bollocks to anyone with a brain when you think that the Ministry of Magic only operates by Crown consent.’

‘Why not withdraw your consent?’ Ginny asked.’

‘Because there would be riots in the streets if he did.’ Sirius said. ‘People feel safe with a big Ministry rather than a Monarch they probably only see at Christmas… no offence.’

‘None taken, it’s hard to govern an entire planet.’ Armand said.

There was a pause in the interview.

‘You said about Theo’s dad?’ Hermione said, though she wasn’t sure exactly how his letter to Tracey had ended up in Order hands. Perhaps Tracey’s parents had gotten it to Dumbledore? Or Tracey herself? But then it occurred to her that Draco was also aware of the note, and would have instantly told either his cousin, uncle, mother, or cousin about it.

‘Yes.’ Sirius said. ‘He’s been sniffing around the… we think he’s looking for something for Voldemort?’

‘Like a weapon?’ Harry asked.

‘There’s not any Elvan Weapons stored at the Ministry, right?’ Hermione asked the table.

‘No. Most of them are stored away safely in the Royal Vault, it’s got another room I keep them all in. There’s one in Moody’s possession, one frankly ridiculously powerful one with the High Oracle, and anything not in my vault after that sank with Atlantis.’ Armand told her.

Hermione let out a breath at this information. ‘So, what’s he after then?’

‘Something he didn’t fully get last time.’ Sirius began.

‘No!’ Mrs Weasley was on her feet again. ‘That’s enough. You might as well sign them up to the Order if you tell them any more.’

‘Good.’ Harry and Ginny said together.

‘We’re of age, we want to join.’ Fred said.

‘You’ve not finished school, so no.’ Mrs Weasley said sternly.

‘Molly-’ Mr Weasley began.

‘No. They’ve had plenty of information for now.’ Mrs Weasley said sternly to her husband.

‘I agree with Molly.’ Armand said in a level voice.

This rather ended the argument. It was one thing to bicker with Molly Weasley, it was quite another matter to talk back to the King.

‘There are dangers involved that none of you can fully comprehend.’ He told the outraged youths gently. ‘Remember what happened to Mr and Mrs Longbottom? Or Marlene McKinnon? We’re not being boring old sods and trying to keep you out. We’re trying to keep you safe for as long as we can.’

Mrs Weasley got a little bit teary at this, as did several other adults, and Hermione and her fellow youths realised with a shared sinking sensation that Mr and Mrs Longbottom and McKinnon would have been good friends and comrades with the adults in this room.

‘I want you all in bed, now.’ Mrs Weasley said with a thick voice. Her eyes were getting misty.

‘Don’t forget your package, Hermione.’ Armand said as Hermione began to step towards the door.

* * *

_Kitten,  
I cannot put into words how difficult it has been for me to find this book. But, I knew you would enjoy it.   
What’s it like at the Order headquarters? Do you think they will need the Abbey?  
Armand says I’m being relieved by a temporary council so I can come back to England. I should be with you by Harry’s trial.   
Can’t wait to see you.  
Your Lord._

Hermione smiled and tucked the note into a lockbox inside her trunk. She’d kept all of his letters from over the summer.

She tore off the brown paper and ripped open the box hastily only to freeze completely and drop the book into her lap at the sight of the title it held.

_The Prophecy of Triad  
English Translation. _


	86. Summer - part two

The Wizarding bible… only something like four translated editions out there… Draco must have spent a fortune.

It was strange to see _The Prophecy of Triad _written on the leather-bound front cover rather than its unknown symbolic language. Only a few High Oracles in history had ever been gifted with the understanding of that Divine Tongue – hence the translations.

Sat on her bed, Hermione stared in shock at the book in her lap.

Hesitantly, she raised a finger and traced it lightly over the cracked and worn spine of the great scripture.

She felt like she should be wearing gloves for preservations sake as she reached to open the book, but then she remembered she was a witch and could kill smudges and re-join loose pages. Heck, she had the thousand-year-old hair of a Mermaid and Queen in her wand, she would be able to heal the cracked spine.

The inscription on the front page, written in ink by the ancient High Oracle to translate (Hermione really wished they kept their names, it would really help to tell them apart) dated the text before the founding of Hogwarts, before Armand I made the crossing to England with his two sons – one squib and one magical, and when the Ancient Temples were the only Temples.

Hermione couldn’t help think of the original Prophecy of Triad in Hufflepuff’s library, those symbols that nobody could look at without a headache. The symbols that poor Daphne was tormented with, thrust at her and unable to understand. No wonder most True Banshee’s went mad.

_Most of the words of the Gods’ do not have a modern equivalent. They are words of power. I have translated those words which I am allowed the sight for. _Read the final lines of her personal message.

Hermione took a deep breath and turned the first page.

_The Book of Vutris_

Hermione had never read a book faster in her life, she absorbed every word as she went, it was utterly fascinating to her to imagine beings of such power.

_And the Queen of the Gods did call forth such wicked power with the Elvan weapon forged for her, that in a single day and night, floods consumed the once peaceful city of Atlantis and it disappeared into the depths of the sea forever. The Order of the Black Rose fell into obscurity and the Great Evil was defeated. _

Hermione began making notes.

_The Book of Atune_

Sun was beginning to peak in through the curtains now, Ginny shifted in her sleep as Hermione turned the next page.

_The Witch was pulled into the depths of the well. As she sunk right the way down, right the way deep, she found she could breathe the water as air. For the Orb gifted the power of transformation to those nearby._

The sun was rising heartily now, Hermione really should be getting to sleep… but there was only one part left…

_The Book of Ledur_

Hermione thought she could hear people walking around downstairs in the kitchen, and wondered what time it was. Hearing the front door opening and shutting let her know that Sirius had headed to his twelve-hour session, it must have been five am.

_And Ledur did say, the gates to Hell are hidden. They must slither as snakes to enter my kingdom. The trials of seven they must face if they seek the power of three._

‘Oh, Hermione! You’re already up! Wonderful.’ Mrs Weasley had thrown open hers and Ginny’s door. ‘When did you wake up?’

‘Er… just now.’ Hermione lied as she stowed the priceless script under her pillow. She’d come up with a better hiding place for it later. Perhaps she’d have time to whip up an energy potion during breakfast.

Mrs Ginny began to shake Ginny awake. ‘No… five more minutes.’ Ginny let out a sleepy groan.

‘Breakfast is in ten minutes.’ Mrs Weasley said sternly to her daughter, who had buried her head under her pillow. ‘Then we’re cleaning out the drawing room.’

Mrs Weasley tore open the curtains, and light filled the room, Ginny groaned and pulled her blanket over her pillow buried head.

Mrs Weasley ripped the blanket off her daughter as she walked back out of the room and shut the door. A moment later, the girls could hear her upstairs tipping one of the twins (probably George) out of bed.

‘That was such a bad night’s sleep.’ Ginny groaned as she pulled herself out of her nice warm bed.

‘Shut up, you were snoring like a chainsaw.’ Hermione laughed.

‘What’s a chainsaw?’

Hermione rolled her eyes. ‘A Muggle cutting tool. It doesn’t matter. They’re very loud is my point, and so were your snores.’

Hermione and Ginny both dressed in jeans and t-shirts, it was a little hot, but they had both learned the hard way that you didn’t want to have too much exposed skin cleaning out this house.

‘We didn’t learn much last night, did we?’ Ginny grumbled as she pulled her hair into a ponytail.

‘There was the weapon they told us about.’ Hermione said.

Ginny nodded. ‘We didn’t hear about that o the old Extendables, did we?’

‘What do you reckon it might be?’ Hermione asked.

‘Could be anything.’ Ginny said as she pulled on her shoes.

‘There can’t be anything worse than the Avada Kedavra, can there?’ Hermione mused. ‘And he can already do that.’

‘Maybe it can kill loads of people at once?’ Ginny offered.

Hermione shook her head. ‘No, only Elvan weapons have that kind of power… unless the Ministry has a massive Hungarian Mirror trap in its basement which I severely doubt.’

‘What’s that?’ Ginny asked.

‘A Hungarian Mirror trap? You get sucked into a mirror if you touch it and if you don’t escape through another refection within seven minutes you basically disappear from existence and die.’ Hermione said.

‘Cheery.’ Ginny said. ‘Wonder if we could throw one at Voldemort?’

Hermione chucked at the idea of a team of Royal guards chucking little hand mirrors at the Dark Lord.

Then she sighed. ‘Really, it could be anything. Apparently, there’s no elvan weapons at the Ministry so it can’t be anything we couldn’t overcome. It could be anything from information to some experimental magic the DOM are working on.’

‘Hmm.’ Ginny hummed in agreement as the two – now ready for the day – girls stepped from their room.

They were the last ones down for breakfast. Hermione quickly ate her cereal and set about making up a batch of Energy potion, she had two cups of the sweet green nectar.

‘There are way more Doxys’ than mum thought, and she’s found a nest of dead Puffskeins under the couch.’ Fred was telling Ginny, who was grumbling at the days work from her seat next to Harry.

Ten minutes later and breakfast had been cleared away. The group made their way with Mss Weasley to the drawing room.

‘How long until the Abbey is ready?’ Ginny groaned at the sight.

‘A few months yet.’ Hermione shared in her groan.

It was a long, high-ceilinged room on the first floor with olive green walls covered in dirty tapestries. The carpet exhaled little clouds of dust every time someone put their foot on it and the long, moss green velvet curtains were buzzing as though swarming with invisible bees.

Mrs Weasley handed out tea towels and the group looked rather odd as they fastened them around their noses and mouths, Hermione was very glad she’d put her hair up in its usual bun.

‘Now, Hermione, I know the King gave you permission to use magic. But I have this handy spray. So, you shouldn’t need to.’ Mrs Weasley said as she brandished several spray bottles. She had a Doxycide, a black liquid that smelt rather like petrol to Hermione and Harry. I was a good thing Hermione enjoyed the smell, it always reminded her of long drives to the sea with her parents.

‘I’ve never seen an infestation this bad.’ Mrs Weasley said, shaking her head. ‘Merlin knows what that house-elf’s been doing for the last ten years…’

Hermione’s face was obscured by her tea towel, but the glare she gave Mrs Weasley was obvious just through her eyes alone. ‘Kreacher is very old, he probably couldn’t manage-’

‘You would be surprised at what that elf can manage when he wants to, Granger.’ Fred said.

‘Oh, do stay away from that closet, dear.’ Mrs Weasley suddenly said to George, who was leaning on the nearest available surface, a locked cabinet that was shaking. ‘I had Sirius check it before he left for work and he agreed there’s a Bogart in there.’

George straightened up. ‘Want me to deal with it?’ He offered, pulling out his wand.

‘No, no, dear. I’ll sort it out later.’ Mrs Weasley waved her sons offer off and stepped up the curtains again. ‘Sirius said that knowing his mother it could end up being something worse.’

‘More reason for me to do it than you.’ George grumbled, but didn’t put up more of a fight than this since his mother had begun to glare at him.

A loud clanging sounded from the entrance hall, followed by wailing screams filling the hall. Tonks had tripped over the umbrella stand again.

'STAINS OF DISHONOUR, FILTHY HALF-BREEDS, BLOOD TRAITORS, CHILDREN OF FILTH!’

Mrs Weasley let out a sigh and hurried off to check in with the Order member and silence Mrs Back.

The moment the door shut behind her, everyone strained to listen to the report from Tonks.

They heard Mrs Weasley walking down the hall, to be greeted by Tonks’ cheery voice. 'Hestia's just relieved me, so she's got Moody's Cloak now, thought I'd leave a report for Dumbledore…'

The two women presumably disappeared into the kitchen and beyond their hearing.

Giving up on eavesdropping without a pair of Extendable Ears to hand, the primary topic of Weapon-guessing renewed itself.

‘Who do y’reckon has it?’ George asked.

‘Hopefully it’s our side if it’s held by the Ministry. They’re being dicks about him being back, but they’re not supporters.’ Ginny said.

‘Maybe Dumbledore has it?’ Fred asked.

‘He wouldn’t give anything to the Ministry to guard, he put the Philosopher’s stone in Hogwarts vaults rather than give it to them.’ Hermione reminded everyone.

‘The weapons surely a lot bigger than the stone?’ Harry wondered.

‘Not necessarily.’ Fred said. ‘Look at Ginny and Hermione. They’re both miniature and Ginny’s Bat-Bogey hex is awful and Hermione… is Hermione.’

Hermione rolled her eyes. ‘I am not miniature. I am average height. It’s not my fault you’re giants.’

‘Shh!’ George said suddenly, throwing his hand out to hit his brother lightly in the chest. ‘Listen.’

Footsteps were coming back up the hall.

‘Mum.’ Ginny said.

Ginny and Harry instantly began a Quidditch discussion, while Hermione stuck up a conversation with the twins about their NEWT Charms exam that they would be sitting this year.

Mrs Weasley smiled from the doorframe. ‘Ah, Hermione. You’ve been such a good influence on my boys.’

Fred rolled his eyes at Hermione once his mother had her back turned. If anything, they had been a bad influence on her. She’d never once been told off by a teacher pre-twin, now she was a regular in detention with them.

Mrs Weasley was bending over to check the page on Doxys in Gilderoy Lockhart's _Guide to Household Pests_, which was lying open on the sofa. Hermione wondered which witch or wizard the fraud had obliviated for this best-seller.

'Right, you lot, you need to be careful, because Doxys bite and their teeth are poisonous. I've got a bottle of antidote here, but I'd rather nobody needed it.' Mrs Weasley said straightening up from the book.

She straightened up, positioned herself squarely in front of the curtains and beckoned them all forward.

'When I say the word, start spraying immediately,' she said. ‘They'll come flying out at us, I expect, but it says on the sprays one good squirt will paralyse them. When they're immobilized, just throw them in this bucket.'

Nearly an hour, several bites, and Fred and George trying (and succeeding) to pocket a few paralysed Doxys to experiment on, and they were done.

There was a bucket full of sleeping Doxys by Harry’s leg, at which Crook-shanks was now sniffing. Doxys were grim creatures, very similar to fairies but with several rows of needle-sharp teeth and completely covered in black hair.

Fred and George had managed to pocket two creatures apiece for later testing. ‘We want to see if we can use their venom in our Skiving Snackboxes.’ One of them told Hermione.

‘How are they coming along?’ Hermione asked as everyone walked back upstairs to have a shower and wash off the lingering Doxycide.

‘Great!’ George beamed at her. ‘Your notes on the Nosebleed-Nougat really helped. We tried them on our own without your adjustments and mum thought we’d been duelling. The bleeding just wouldn’t stop.’

‘Glad to help. Can’t have you two bleeding to death.’ Hermione said lightly.

‘And what you said about the puking pastels really helped, it never occurred to us that er… ill people? That ill people could use them for the wrong reasons, a limit on the vomiting was a great idea.’ Fred said gratefully.

‘We’ve just had adverts in the Prophet for a mail service thanks to Harry’s money. We’re saving the rest for our premises after we sit our exams this year. Who knew we’d find so much useful information in NEWT classes?’

Hermione and Ginny dipped into their room. Ginny had gotten the worst dosing of the petrol-scented Potion, so she would shower first.

They were tackling the cupboards in the drawing room after lunch, much to the kids’ displeasure.

The dusty, glass-fronted cabinets stood at either end of an equally dusty mantlepiece. Both were crammed to the brim with an odd assortment of objects: a selection of rusty daggers, claws, a coiled snakeskin, a number of tarnished silver boxes inscribed with languages nobody could understand (Hermione confirmed it wasn’t the Divine language, it didn’t match the examples she had seen) and, least pleasant of all, an ornate crystal bottle with a large opal set into the stopper, full of what everyone was quite sure was blood.

Despite the horrible work, Harry seemed to be enjoying himself, Hermione noted. He was with his girlfriend and his friends for the first time in weeks, Hermione supposed it didn’t matter what they were doing for him.

It took several hours to clear the cabinets; it didn’t help that Kreacher kept sneaking off with select items. But Hermione told the others to just let him keep them if it meant that much to him.

The group were sent upstairs by Mrs Weasley for half an hour of free time before dinner. Hermione was content to read more from the Book of Triad tucked under her pillow, but this was not an option once there were Order members to eavesdrop on.

Mundungus had arrived at Headquarters about ten minutes after an exhausted Sirius and Kingsley had arrived about five seconds after.

‘Should we get the Ears?’ Fred asked, humping up from his perch at the end of Hermione’s bed.

This was rendered completely unnecessary though, as Mrs Weasley did her best impression of Mrs Black a moment later.

'WE ARE NOT RUNNING A HIDEOUT FOR STOLEN GOODS!'

‘Oh dear.’ Ginny said. She was sat on her bed with Harry. Poor George was sitting on the faded rug all alone.

'I love hearing Mum shouting at someone else,' Fred grinned, with a satisfied smile on his face as he opened the door an inch or so to allow Mrs Weasley's voice to penetrate the room better, 'it makes such a nice change.'

George snorted from his seat on the ground.

‘-COMPLETELY IRRESPONSIBLE, AS IF WE HAVEN'T GOT ENOUGH TO WORRY ABOUT WITHOUT YOU DRAGGING STOLEN CAULDRONS INTO THE HOUSE-’

‘Oh, dear me.’ Hermione said, agreeing with Ginny. Mrs Weasley was about to be arrested for murder at this rate, she sounded incredibly angry.

George was shaking his head. ‘You can’t let her build up steam like that or she’ll go on for hours.’

Fred nodded as he regained his seat at Hermione’s feet. ‘She’s been dying to have a go at him ever since he sneaked off when he was supposed to be guarding you, Harry.’

‘Oh. There goes Mrs Black.’ Ginny said with a sigh. Mrs Weasley’s screams had set off the portrait in the hall.

Dinner was a quiet and awkward affair. Mundungus was sitting at the end of the table like a scolded child, he was merely stabbing his chicken rather than eating it.

After dinner, Hermione had been examining the Black family tree tapestry. There was the unpleasant truth of Draco’s family on there, The Duchess of Wiltshire’s sister was Bellatrix Lestrange, but Draco had already told her this. Then she saw that the Malfoy’s already had ties to the Black family through a bastard line a few centuries ago. _Casual incest. _Hermione thought to herself.

After noticing that both Sirius and Tonks mother (The Duchess’ other sister, who married a Muggle-born) had been struck from the record, Hermione excused herself as Harry and Sirius came into the room.

Hermione had been reading from the Prophecy of Triad in one of the clean sitting rooms, Harry and Ginny were playing a game of chess near the window, when Sirius entered with a bloodstained bag of dead rats.

‘I’ve just been feeding Buckbeak, he’s up in my mothers’ room.’ He said in explanation of the bag he carried. ‘I couldn’t imagine anything she’d like less than a Hippogriff sleeping in her bed.’ He grinned.

Then he turned to Harry. ‘I’ll be gone before you get up in the morning.’ He said.

Harry, from the shock on his face, seemed to have forgotten about his trial the next day.

‘I’m sorry I can’t come with you.’ Sirius said quickly. ‘I’ve conveniently had an exam scheduled for the entire day of your trial by the Ministry. Arthur’s going to take you, but I’ll just be upstairs if you need me.’

Harry nodded at this. ‘It’s alright, I’ll be fine with Mr Weasley.’

Sirius nodded. He offered Harry a manly pat to the shoulder, wished him good luck, and retired to bed.

Hermione, who’s energy potion was wearing off now, thought she would go up to bed herself. No doubt Harry would want a little bit of time alone with Ginny before the ordeal of tomorrow.

Indeed, when Ginny returned to bed later that night her face was nearly as red as her cheeks, she was muttering something about courting gifts.

* * *

Harry and Mr Weasley were both gone by the time Hermione and Ginny had woken up.

Mrs Weasley tried to get everyone to carry on fixing up the Drawing room while they were gone, but nobody could concentrate. Mrs Weasley being of a similar mind, gave everyone the day off and they all gathered in the kitchen to worry together around the dining table.

‘The hearings on Arthur’ floor, in Amelia Bones's office. She's Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and the one who'll be questioning Harry. I’ve always found her to be very nice.' Mrs Weasley said, though Hermione thought she might have been consoling herself rather than anyone else.

Freddie had returned from Paris with a letter from Draco at about lunch time. Hermione had sent him a letter somewhere between accounts in the Book of Vutris thanking him and some general chitchat.

Mrs Weasley had raised her eyebrows but not said anything when she saw an included parcel that held a new winter cloak to replace the one that had been burnt away in the Ancient Temple beneath Hogwarts.

This Slytherin-green cape felt incredibly soft, almost like silk, but it would keep Hermione toasty warm. It was trimmed with white fur at the collars and Draco assured her in his letter that it was from the Trémie Molle, giant rabbits in France that needed to be shaved every summer otherwise they would overheat and die.

Hermione turned back to the letter once her new cloak was stowed away in her trunk.

_Yes, it has occurred to me that I can breathe fire now. I haven’t had chance to try changing into a dragon since I got here though. We’ll have to try it when I get back to school. It would be cool if I could like half transform just my throat inside and breathe fire as a human. That’s not possible though, is it?  
Do you think I made the right decision with the arsonists? Where their sentences a good length? Not too long but not too short?  
Now – your letter. I did some digging for you this morning while I was interviewing council members for a regent replacement while I’m away at school. They’ve heard through their channels at the Ministry that Voldemort is after information, not a weapon, from the Ministry. Though I suppose that the right information could very well be a weapon.  
In other news, I should be with you in a few days. I’ve picked two council members to share the load while I’m away so I might as well come back for the final week of summer.  
See you soon, Kitten.  
Your Lord._

Hermione grinned at the news he was coming home again; she would be counting down the days until she could throw herself in his arms… as platonic best friends do.

The fact that Lucius Malfoy had said quite firmly that he would kill Hermione if they got together was sort of ruining their buzz. The agreement that they would both continue to lead their lives made her feel terribly sad sometimes, and she couldn’t help fretting that he was off meeting some Veela in Paris.

No doubt the Lieutenant of France, the Duke of Abbington, and the nephew of the King, would have many suitors.

Then again, Draco was already engaged to Pansy. So, there was always that to dwell on if she _really _wanted to get upset.

Off in France, Draco had the thoughts that Hermione was one of the most sought-after witches in the country (to anyone not an insane blood-purist) to keep him awake at night.

After a few hours of dining table sitting, a Weasel Patronus burst into the room. It gave Fred such a shock that he tipped off the edge of his chair right into Hermione’s lap. She unceremoniously dumped him onto the floor.

The Weasel was speaking with Mr Weasley’s voice. ‘He’s been cleared. Be home in about ninety minutes!’

This caused much rejoicing in the room, that is, until Mrs Weasley said they could get half an hour of cleaning done before she needed to start at a celebratory dinner.

They moved on to a new cabinet in the drawing room, one that was near the window. It was just as dusty and crammed as the others. This one though, was filled with much darker objects.

They found an unpleasant-looking silver instrument, something like a many-legged pair of tweezers, which scuttled up George's arm like a spider when he picked it up, and attempted to puncture his skin.

Fred seized it from his brothers’ arm and smashed it with a heavy book entitled _Nature's Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy_. (The blood-purist book then joined the remains in the rubbish sack)

Sirius arrived home an hour early at this point, he’d done that well in his test they’d let him have an early finish. He joined them in the drawing room cleaning for the remaining fifteen minutes.

There was a musical box that emitted a faintly sinister, tinkling tune when wound, and they all found themselves becoming curiously weak and sleepy, until Ginny had the sense to slam the lid shut; a heavy locket that none of them could open; a number of ancient seals; and, in a dusty box, an Order of Merlin, First Class, that had been awarded to Sirius's grandfather for 'services to the Ministry'.

'It means he gave them a load of gold,' Sirius said with an eye roll throwing the medal into the rubbish sack. ‘This is why you want the Order of Queen Blythe; you can’t bribe the King into giving it you, the royal family has enough money to outlast the sun.’

Several times Kreacher sidled into the room and attempted to smuggle things away under his loincloth, muttering horrible curses every time they caught him at it. Though Hermione didn’t snitch on him when she saw him pocket the locket that nobody could open. What harm could it do to let him have it? When Sirius wrested a large go den ring bearing the Black crest from his grip, Kreacher actually burst into furious tears and left the room sobbing under his breath and calling Sirius names the kids had never heard before.

'It was my father's,' Sirius told them, throwing the ring into the sack. 'Kreacher wasn't quite as devoted to him as to my mother, but I still caught him snogging a pair of my father's old trousers last week.'

With a stern look at Sirius, Mrs Weasley had said they were done for the day and set off to make Harry’s “well done for not getting expelled” feast and for the first time in her life Ginny volunteered to help with the cooking of a cake.

The front door had swung open exactly ninety minutes after the Weasel Patronus had appeared. Mr Weasley had disappeared quickly again to deal with some cursed toilet, leaving them with Harry.

'I knew it!' Fred said gleefully, punching the air. 'You’d get away with murder!'

'They were bound to clear you,' Hermione told him though her voice was a little shaky still with relief. ‘There was no case against you, none at all.'

Ginny had pulled him in for a searing kiss that not even Mrs Weasley had complained at, instead she had pulled Harry into a tight hug once Ginny had let go of him.

‘Tell us everything!’ George ordered the second everyone had had a hug.

‘We got in through a telephone box, it was the strangest thing ever … oh and they had these cool paper aeroplanes flying around with messages instead of using owls which was cool…’ Harry began.

‘What’s dads new office like?’ Ginny asked him. ‘I’ve not been to see him since he got out of that shoebox.’

Mr Weasley’s promotion to heading the new Muggle Relations department had meant that his old box of an office had been transformed into an entire full-sized office with several cubicles for his staff, with a private room for Mr Weasley.

‘Er, it’s a normal office size?’ Harry offered. ‘It’s nice, he’s got lots of pictures of all of you in there… you didn’t tell me you used to wear Pigtails.’ He snorted until Ginny elbowed him.

‘But right, the trial...’ Harry said. ‘they’d moved my trial up so it was lucky we were there so early… and I was meant to be in someone’s office but I ended up having a full trial court-’

‘You what?’ Ginny gasped.

‘I was in courtroom ten, which is where they tried all the Death Eaters. Armand was furious, he told them all off for putting me there.’ Harry said.

‘The King was there?’ Fred asked.

‘Did I not say that? Oh, well yeah.’ Harry fumbled through his story. ‘Fudge had barely begun when Dumbledore and Armand came bursting through the doors as my witnesses. They brought Mrs Figg, the squib who saw it all, and she was questioned.’

‘How did that go?’ Hermione asked.

‘Fine, she was quite good actually. A bit nervous, but good… then Madam Bones seemed amazed I could produce a fully formed Patronus at my age.’ Harry said.

'A corporeal Patronus is hard for fully fledged wizards.’ Hermione said in explanation.

‘Then what happened?’ Mrs Weasley asked.

‘Well, Dumbledore gave a little speech about how wrong the entire meeting was. Then Armand took the stand and oh boy did he take the stand.’ Harry said, gaining an impressed yet slightly fearful look.

‘What did he say?’ Hermione asked.

‘The first thing he did was remind them that the Ministry operates at his pleasure, and from now on he will be sitting in as chief for any criminal trials.’ Harry said.

‘Ha! So, it doesn’t matter that they sacked Dumbledore as chief?’ Ginny said.

‘Exactly.’ Harry said. ‘Then he told Fudge off for sitting in the King’s chair instead of the lower Ministers chair without permission… er… oh yeah, he called my whole trial a farce of law that shouldn’t have transpired.’

‘Wow.’ Hermione said. ‘Bet Fudge liked that.’

‘Hmm.’ Harry hummed in agreement. ‘Yeah he stayed behind after my trial to yell at him some more.’

‘Go Armand.’ Ginny said appreciatively.

‘What about Dumbledore?’ Fred asked.

‘That was odd. He literally ran right out of the trial without speaking to me.’ He said.

‘He’s probably busy with Order business.’ Hermione reminded him.

‘I guess…’ Harry said.

Then he looked over his shoulder to make sure that Mrs Weasley wasn’t listening any more. She wasn’t.

‘And that corridor I keep dreaming about… I saw it. It’s in the Department of Mysteries.’ Harry told them.

Hermione sat back in her chair. ‘Interesting. Very interesting. Draco wrote while you were out and said he’s heard old Voldy is after information. Vutris knows what information the DOM is keeping hidden away.’

‘So, did everyone clear you? Was it a unanimous vote?’ George asked.

‘Nearly. Percy voted against me-’

‘Git.’ Fred said.

‘And so did this horrible witch in pink-’

‘Git.’ George said.

‘nd Fudge, obviously-’

‘Another git.’ Fred said with a smile.

‘But most of them found me innocent. I think Dumbledore and Armand really shamed them into it.’ Harry said with a fond smile for his rescuers.

Hermione and the twins moved off to set the table for dinner with Sirius, who had given Harry another manly shoulder pat to say well done when he’d come in.

Harry and Ginny remained sat at the end of the table, their hands gripped together underneath it.

Harry wrenched his hand from Ginny’s grip as if shocked and clapped it to his forehead as he let out a hiss of pain.

‘What is it?’ Ginny asked quietly.

Harry took her hand again and clenched his jaw. ‘Scar, it’s nothing it happens all the time now… I was just thinking about Dumbledore and Armand coming through that door… I wonder what Voldemort is up to right now.’

Mrs Weasley had really outdone herself for dinner. Fajitas. There were many different spices of chicken on offer, and sauces and peppers to add on.

Suitably gorged. Everyone was sent off to bed with the miserable promise of more cleaning in the morning with Mrs Weasley.

Snape might have referred to their work as ‘spring cleaning’ to Hermione a few times now when he’d popped in. She heartily disagreed.

‘I’d like to see you do battle against this house.’ She told him a few days later as he sat down for a hastily prepared sandwich after he’d dropped off a report for Dumbledore.

He raised an amused brow. ‘War?’

‘Yes. War.’ She said firmly.

And war it was, the house was putting up a very good fight against the army they had on offer. Hermione had even resorted to magic a few times after items had genuinely attacked people.

‘Fred has a new scar on his hand from a biting teapot.’ Hermione told him.

‘What a lame way to get injured.’ Snape mused seriously.

There was something in his expression that made Hermione giggle, then she sat with him as he finished his chicken sandwich for a further minute.

‘Do you know when Draco’s getting here?’ She asked.

‘Any day now.’ Snape said. ‘Exact Royal movements aren’t common knowledge anymore. Much safer this way… we lost the Queen in the last war; Armand isn’t taking any chances this time.’

Snape had left the house, his report safely given to Mrs Weasley to pass on, to return to his spying duties.

Hermione had hoped he’d lingered longer. With him there, she managed to escape the cleaning (battle) for a while.

As she stood, she saw Kreacher sneaking by her with an armful of rescued treasures. She let him by without objection. Kreacher was doing an excellent job undoing their hard work. He was fully aiding and abetting the house and its collection of dark objects.

Hermione returned to the group. It had taken three full days to finish the drawing room – apart from the cabinet they were waiting for Moody to take a look at – and they had now moved on to a separate dining room. This one was much grander than the one in the kitchen, no doubt where Sirius’ parents had entertained once upon a time.

Sirius was undergoing what seemed to be a week of tests and exams, so he was often given early finishes. He was spending most of the final week keeping everyone laughing as they cleaned spiders the size of saucers from the dining hall.

Hermione had been wrangling a mad whisk with Fred when Kreacher came into the room and began insulting everyone loudly to himself. Sirius had warned him to stop.

‘Master will not turn Kreacher away, no, because Kreacher knows what they are up to, oh yes, he is plotting against the Dark Lord, yes, with these Mudbloods and traitors and scum...'

At this name calling, Sirius, ignoring Hermione's protests, seized Kreacher by the back of his loincloth and threw him bodily from the room.

Hermione had been about to tell him off when the front door of the house was opened by King Armand, and walking in behind him with a smile as bright as the sun as he laid eyes upon Hermione, was Draco.

He’d grown. Hermione noticed as she pushed her way past the King and wrapped her arms around Draco’s waist and buried her face in his chest.

Draco had smiled down at Hermione and wrapped his arms around her with equal firmness.

‘Hello, Kitten.’ He whispered into her hair.

‘Hmm.’ Hermione hummed in content.

Someone cleared their throat and they broke apart. Hermione got a good look at Draco, he was tanned from the French sun, was dressed in a grey suit, and had Excalibur hung from his waist in a new sword belt that hadn’t been transfigured from someone’s jacket.

He took her in too. ‘You’ve gotten quite fit.’ He said. Then blushed. ‘I mean working out fit.’

Hermione grinned. ‘Thanks. Mum went on a fitness kick and I joined in.’

Draco had stepped past her to have a quick hello to everyone, and to discuss Harry’s farce of a trial, and then he’d been back to Hermione’s side.

‘Cast me off like dirty laundry, she has, now that you’re back.’ Fred complained dramatically with a hand to his forehead. He was only ten per-cent serious.

Hermione rolled her eyes. ‘What are you compared to a Duke?’ She teased him.

He clutched a hand over his heart. ‘You wound me, Lady Granger.’ He laughed her off and moved to chat with his brother.

Draco’s eyes flicked to Fred and then to Hermione a few times. ‘Are you two going out now or something?’

Hermione’s eyes widened in shock. ‘What? Me and Fred? No.’

‘You’re flirting.’ He told her.

‘No, I’m not.’ She said defensively. ‘And what’s it to you if I am?’

‘Nothing. Sorry.’ He said, scrunching his eyes shut in frustration. ‘Let’s not fight. I’ve missed you.’

Hermione pulled him in for another hug. ‘I’ve missed you too… and don’t worry, there’s nothing going on with Fred or anyone else.’

When he let go of her, he was giving her a serious look. ‘It’s okay if there is, you know. I don’t expect you to become a nun while you wait… If… if there’s someone else ever I’d understand… my father renewed his threats to you in a charming letter over the summer.’

‘What did he say?’ Hermione asked.

‘Oh, the usual. “Mudblood scum, royal lineage, murder.” The usual.’ Draco told her. ‘But I hear that’s not the only threat of murder you’ve been facing?’

Hermione frowned before she got it. ‘Oh, Voldemort?’

‘Yes, Voldemort!’ Draco hissed. ‘He’s not killing anyone or attacking anyone and yet he’s put a hit out on you! You’re not to go anywhere alone this year, do you understand me?’ He said seriously.

‘They’d just kill whoever was with me.’ Hermione said.

‘You don’t go anywhere alone. Ever. Promise me.’ He said.

Hermione could see the worry in his eyes. ‘Fine.’ She sighed. ‘I promise not to go anywhere alone… I suppose Daphne would be a useful defence, she could just scream and knock people out… and Neville’s got his super Wolfblood strength.’ She mused.

Kreacher came into the room then nursing a new red mark on the back on his ear from where Sirius had thrown him.

‘Hello Kreacher.’ Hermione said brightly and apologetically at the same time. ‘Would you like me to get you some ice?’

Kreacher glared at her and ignored her question. ‘The Mudblood is talking to Kreacher as though she is my friend, if Kreacher's mistress saw him in such company, oh, what would she say-’

'Don't call her a Mudblood!' Draco thundered at the elf, who had sunk into a deep bow at the sight of a royal in his house.

'It doesn't matter,' Hermione whispered to the Duke, 'he's not in his right mind, he doesn't know what he's-'

'Don't kid yourself, Hermione, he knows exactly what he's saying,' Fred said from his seat next to his brother, both of them were eyeing Kreacher with great dislike.

‘What are you doing in here?’ Kreacher asked the elf.

‘Kreacher is cleaning,' The elf replied instantly. 'Kreacher lives to serve the Noble House of Black.'

'And it's getting blacker every day, it's filthy,' Sirius said to the sniggers of the twins.

'Master always liked his little joke,' Kreacher said, bowing again, and continuing in an undertone, 'Master was a nasty ungrateful swine who broke his mother's heart-.

'My mother didn't have a heart, Kreacher,' Sirius snapped at the servant. 'She kept herself alive out of pure spite.'

Kreacher bowed again as he spoke. 'Whatever Master says,' he muttered furiously. 'Master is not fit to wipe slime from his mother's boots, oh, my poor mistress, what would she say if she saw Kreacher serving him, how she hated him, what a disappointment he was-.

'I asked you what you were up to,' Sirius barked coldly. 'Every time you show up pretending to be cleaning, you sneak something off to your room so we can't throw it out.'

'Kreacher would never move anything from its proper place in Master's house,' The elf said defensively, then muttered very fast, 'Mistress would never forgive Kreacher if the tapestry was thrown out, seven centuries it's been in the family, Kreacher must save it, Kreacher will not let Master and the blood traitors and the brats destroy it.'

'I thought it might be that,' Sirius grumbled, casting a disdainful look at the opposite wall. 'She'll have put another Permanent Sticking Charm on the back of it, I don't doubt, but if I can get rid of it I certainly will. Now go away, Kreacher.'

‘We could always set fire to it if you don’t mind putting in a new wall.’ Draco said, moving to examine the tapestry and tracing a finger over his own place. He and his mother, where they appeared, were both circled with a golden thread to show their royal status.

‘Go away.’ Sirius said tiredly to Kreacher.

It seemed that Kreacher did not dare disobey a direct order; nevertheless, the look he gave Sirius as he shuffled out past him was full of deepest loathing and he muttered all the way out of the room.

‘He comes back from Azkaban ordering Kreacher around, oh, my poor mistress, what would she say if she saw the house now, scum living in it, her treasures thrown out, she swore he was no son of hers and he's back, they say he's a murderer too-’

'Keep muttering and I will be a murderer!' Sirius snapped irritably as he slammed the door shut on the elf.

'Sirius, he's not right in the head,' Hermione pleaded, 'I don't think he realises we can hear him.'

'He's been alone too long,' Sirius agreed, 'taking mad orders from my mother’s portrait and talking to himself, but he was always a foul little-'

‘Dinner is ready!’ Mrs Weasley called.

Hermione, Draco, and Sirius remained by the Black family tree. Draco traced a finger over his mothers name.

‘We’re related twice over.’ Draco said with an eye roll, pointing out the bastard connection a few centuries prior.

Sirius snorted at this. 'If you're only going to let your sons and daughters marry pure-bloods your choice is very limited; there are hardly any of us left. Molly and I are cousins by marriage and Arthur's something like my second cousin once removed. But there's no point looking for them on here - if ever a family was a bunch of blood traitors it's the Weasleys.'

Draco nodded. ‘If I have my way, the royal family will end up a bunch of blood traitors.’ He muttered to himself. ‘Tom’s a Pure-blood, but there’s always hope their kid will marry a muggle-born or maybe even a squib!’

‘I never knew you had a brother.’ Hermione said, noticing the name next to Sirius’ burnt out name.

Sirius jabbed a finger at the very bottom of the tree, at the name 'Regulus Black'. A date of death (some fifteen years previously) followed the date of birth. ‘He was younger than me, and my mother’s darling boy.’

‘He died quite young.’ Draco said, noticing the date of birth and death were uncomfortably close together.

‘Yeah.’ Sirius said. ‘Bloody idiot… he joined the Death Eaters.’

‘You’re kidding!’ Hermione gasped.

‘Haven’t you seen enough of this house to tell you the kind of people my family were?’ Sirius said hotly.

‘How did you turn out so normal?’ Draco asked with a grin.

Sirius grinned back at this. ‘James Potter was an education… and then of course Lily Evans cursed me that one time in first year when I turned her hair blue… it took old Pomfrey two weeks to get rid of the tentacles.’

Draco grinned and went to sit at the dining table next to his uncle, who was remaining for dinner.

‘Were your parents Death Eaters as well?’ Hermione asked.

‘No. But they thought Voldemort had the right idea all right, believe me. Bet I bet my parents thought Regulus was a right little hero for joining up at first.' Sirius said darkly.

‘Was he killed by the Aurors?’ Hermione asked.

‘No.’ Sirius said. ‘From what I found out after he died, he got in so far, then panicked about what he was being asked to do and tried to back out... Well, you don't just hand in your resignation to Voldemort.’

‘Voldemort killed him?’ Hermione asked.

‘More likely he was killed on his orders. I doubt my brother was worth one on one time with the Dark Lord.’ Sirius said with a shake of his head.

‘Dinner!’ Mrs Weasley called again.

But Sirius had taken to staring at the family tree with utter disdain. ‘I don’t like being back here.’ He glared especially at his mother’s name. 'I never thought I'd be stuck in this house again. It's ideal for Headquarters, of course. 'My father put every security measure known to wizard-kind on it when he lived here. It's unplottable, so Muggles could never come and call - as if they d ever have wanted to - and now Dumbledore's added his protection, you'd be hard put to find a safer house anywhere. Dumbledore is Secret Keeper for the Order, you know - nobody can find Headquarters unless Sirius said. he tells them personally where it is…’

‘Oh.’ Hermione said in realisation. ‘That explains Snape giving me the address on a bit of paper.’

Sirius nodded and then smiled. ‘I do have one consolation. I like to picture that my parents can see the use their house is being put to now… well, my mother’s portrait should give you some idea to her reaction.'

But he still looked rather put out. ‘When the war is over, you can sell this place and move in with Harry somewhere.’ Hermione assured him.

‘By the time the war’s over Harry will probably be a full-grown man with a wife.’ Sirius said honestly.

Hermione glanced over at the dinner table, Ginny and Harry were sat together laughing away at some private joke.

‘Then you can babysit his children… better get a big house, the Weasley’s aren’t known for small families.’

This made Sirius laugh heartily.

'Hurry up, you two, or there won't be any food left,' Mrs Weasley called.

Hermione and Sirius both inhaled their dinner, it was very yummy, Mrs Weasley did a wonderful roast dinner.

‘Oh look! The Hogwarts letters have arrived! Snape must have brought them!’ Mrs Weasley said, noticing a stack of envelopes on one of the counters as she moved to do the washing up.

Mrs Weasley made quick work of passing them out.

‘Oh, I only need two new books.’ Harry said happily.

Hermione scanned her letter. ‘Same. _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade seven_, by Miranda Goshawk… and _Defensive Magical Theory_, by Wilbert Slinkhard… never heard of him.’ Hermione mused. ‘But I suppose defensive magic will be handy this year, I thought we’d be studying more curses and serious stuff.’

Fred and George were nodding, they usually shared a Defence Against the Dark Arts class with Hermione.

‘Actually.’ Hermione said. ‘I’m just happy I won’t have a teacher trying to curse his students every other class.’ She thought of the fake-Moody and shuddered.

‘At least we’ve got a teacher this year.’ Draco said. ‘I heard Dumbledore was having real trouble finding one for the year.’

‘Not a shock is it?’ Hermione said to him. ‘Look at what happened to the last four. One dead, one’s memory removed, one sacked, and one locked in a trunk for nine months.’ She said, counting them off on her fingers.

Hermione’s eyes scanned over the word “Prefect” in her letter. She tipped the envelope upside down and the Slytherin-green pin fell into her open palm.

‘Snap.’ Draco said, tapping her new badge with his.

Hermione grinned. ‘We’ll do patrols together.’

Draco grinned back. ‘You do realise most Prefects spend their time breaking up… Hufflepuff party behaviour, right?’

It was a slight shock to hear the words “Hufflepuff party,” this would be the first year that they were allowed to stay for the “religious ceremony” more commonly known as an orgy.

The fact that she would likely not be finishing this year as a virgin made her feel quite nervous. Though, a glance down the table at Harry and Ginny showed they were probably days away from _that _milestone.

Hermione got jealous of them sometimes. Why couldn’t she so openly love Draco like they loved one another? It wasn’t fair.

But then it seemed odd to be attending orgies and Quidditch games when Voldemort was on the rise, so she put the thought from her mind.

‘Did you get your badge?’ Draco asked Harry with a grin.

‘I didn’t get one.’ Harry said quietly.

‘What?’ Hermione frowned. ‘I thought you were like, guaranteed.’

Harry shrugged.

‘You’ve caused too much trouble.’ Ginny grinned at him. (Nobody was as skilled at cheering Harry up than Ginny) ‘I wouldn’t want to go out with some boring rule follower, no offence.’ She said to Draco and Hermione, who both waved her off.

‘When should we go to Diagon Alley?’ Harry asked. ‘We’ve got a few days yet.’

‘Oh, I’m not sure you should be going out in public like that, dear.’ Mrs Weasley told him.

‘I’ll give you a Royal Guard for the day, Harry. That was you can go.’ Armand told him, this earned a great smile from Harry.

‘Thank you, sir!’ Harry said excitedly.

‘Think nothing of it. Tonks will be sticking to Draco like glue until he goes back to Hogwarts anyway. So there’ll be a bit of added protection there too.’

Fred snatched the Prefect badge out of Hermione’s hand. ‘Shame it’s got a snake on it.’ He teased her.

Hermione rolled her eyes and snatched it back out of his hands. ‘Be nice, or I’ll stab you with the pin.’

Fred saluted her. ‘Yes, sarge. Please don’t dock any points, sarge!’

Hermione rolled her eyes again. ‘You’re such a tit.’

Fred winked at her.

Draco busied himself in his roast potato.

‘I did think you’d get that badge, though.’ Ginny mused once Harry seemed suitably cheered. ‘I suppose you have just caused too much trouble.’

‘Hmm.’ Harry mused. ‘I wonder who’s got it?’

‘Not Ron.’ Ginny said. ‘He’s been bloody suspended enough times… that just leaves three people.’

Harry shrugged and reached for a Butterbeer for himself and Ginny. Mad-Eye Moody lumbered into the room as Harry poured himself a second pint.

'Oh, Alastor, I am glad you're here,' Mrs Weasley said brightly – she’d had a few glasses of wine by then - as Mad-Eye shrugged off his travelling cloak. 'We've been wanting to ask you for ages. Could you have a look in the writing desk in the drawing room and tell us what's inside it? We haven't wanted to open it. just in case it's something really nasty.'

'No problem, Molly.' He grumbled. Moody's electric-blue eye swivelled upwards and stared fixedly through the ceiling of the kitchen.

The pupil contracted. 'Desk in the corner? Yeah, I see it… yeah, it's a Boggart... want me to go up and get rid of it, Molly?' He growled, standing back up to go upstairs.

‘No, no, I'll do it myself tomorrow,' Mrs Weasley waved him off, 'you have your drink. We're having a little bit of a celebration, actually.’ She pointed at Draco and Hermione. ‘New Prefects.’

'Prefect, eh?' growled Moody, his normal eye on Draco and his magical eye swivelling around to gaze at Hermione next to him. 'Well, congratulations,' Moody said, 'authority figures always attract trouble, but I suppose Dumbledore thinks you can withstand most major jinxes or he wouldn't have appointed you.’

‘Thanks for that, you’re such a ray of sunshine to the whole affair.’ Draco said sarcastically.

Moody came over and messed up his hair. ‘You’re still a weakling.’

‘I am not!’ Draco protested.

‘How many push ups can you do?’ Moody growled.

Draco clenched his jaw and got down on the floor. ‘Hermione, sit on my back.’

* * *

The next day the rather large group, accompanied by Tonks and a guard Hermione had never seen before, left for Diagon Alley.

They took the Knight Bus there of all things. ‘It’s that dumb they’ll never suspect it!’ The unknown guard said.

Hermione thought this guard might get along with Luna Lovegood.

‘Where to first?’ Draco asked.

‘Well, Fred and I have some business with – I mean. We wanted to go into that shop.’ George pointed out the premises the twins had told her about a few weeks ago and the two boys promptly disappeared before their mother could ask them any questions.

‘If you give me your lists, I’ll get your books while you get new robes.’ Mrs Weasley said with a smile.

‘I’ll stay with you, ma’am.’ The unknown guard told her.

Draco, Hermione, and Harry handed Mrs Weasley a few coins to pay for their books before they set off with Ginny.

‘Who needs new robes?’ Tonks asked.

Everyone’s hands went up.

Robe measuring went by very quickly and the four students left Madam Malkins each carrying a paper bag with several new sets of robes. Both of the boys had grown in length, and both of the girls had grown in bust.

Harry elbowed Draco.

‘Ow! Oh, yeah.’ Draco said. ‘Hey, Gin. Want to come look at the new brooms?’

‘Yeah, cool.’ Ginny said enthusiastically. ‘You not coming?’ She asked Harry.

‘I want to nip into the bank.’ He told her.

‘I can’t let you go wandering off without a guard.’ Tonks said, unusually stern.

‘Hermione can come with me… and the banks as safe as it gets.’ Harry pleaded.

Tonks sighed. ‘Fine. No detours or I’ll get sacked.’

Tonks watched the two walking into the bank before turning back to her charge, who was admiring the new Firebolt with Ginny.

‘Want to tell me what that was?’ Hermione asked with a bemused grin. ‘Draco’s the worst actor I’ve ever seen, and nice subtle elbowing.’

Harry presented his vault key to the available Goblin.

‘Right. I asked Draco to distract Ginny for a bit so I could steal you.’ Harry told her nervously.

‘Steal me? Why?’ She asked.

‘Because I want your opinion.’ Harry said as they began to follow the Goblin over to one of the mining cart/trolleys they would ride to his vault in.

‘Advice?’ Hermione frowned in confusion.

‘Well, I don’t know what girls like!’ Harry said hotly.

‘Not following.’ Hermione said as their trolley took a sharp right and dropped about ten feet.

‘There’s loads of courting jewellery in my family vault.’ Harry offered in explanation.

Hermione gained a cheesy grin. ‘You want to give Ginny the first gift.’

Harry blushed slightly and nodded. ‘Do you think she’ll…’ He trailed off.

‘She’ll love it.’ Hermione said as the trolley pulled to a stop. ‘You’ve been together for like, a year? It’s time.’

‘Great.’ Harry said as his vault door was opened.

Hermione realised she had never seen the inside of the Potter vault. As it swung open, she realised that Harry if he wanted, could get away with never working a day in his life.

There was only one shelf of jewels compared to the walls lined with cases in the royal vault, and Harry wandered over to it.

A large corner of the room was taken up with what looked like antique furniture hidden beneath tarps, and there were what looked like several covered up portraits asleep against the wall.

Hermione noticed a few property deeds as she walked over to the jewels with Harry. ‘What are these?’ She asked, picking a few up. One was for a cottage in Regis Terra, another for a house in Hogsmeade, two near Denshaw Abbey, one in the Scottish Highlands, and one she recognised as the Potter Cottage in Godric’s Hollow.

‘That’s the Potter estates.’ Harry said after a brief glance at the papers she held. ‘They’re all rented out, the Goblins are managing everything until I turn seventeen.’

‘Man, real estate is a good investment.’ She said as she scanned over a line of parchment placed near the documents with the current fees for renting the homes. The cottage near the Palace was probably funding Harry’s vault single-handily.

‘Come help me.’ Harry huffed and Hermione returned the property deeps back to their place.

‘That’s the one my dad gave to my mum.’ Harry said, pointing out an ornate silver comb with diamond stones. ‘I’ve seen pictures of her with it.’

‘Why don’t you give that one to Ginny, then?’ Hermione asked.

‘No… I’d just get upset.’ He said honestly.

‘What about this one?’ Harry asked, picking up a golden hair comb with ruby gems.

‘That would clash with her hair terribly… to be honest, I’m not sure Ginny is a hair comb kind of girl… do have any of the pins?’ She asked, scanning her eyes over the shelf. There was quite a nice selection of jewellery there for the future Mrs Potter.

Harry nodded at this. ‘What’s the difference between a comb and a pin?’

‘Er… a comb is more decorative and a pin you can actually use to tie your hair up quickly.’ She said.

‘Oh, yeah. Ginny would want a pin then.’ He said, then turned to two boxes at the end of the shelf.

‘This one is cute.’ Hermione said, opening the first box. It was long, gold, and sharp. Set with an intricate flowering pattern up the concealed blade, the handle was a large diamond. Not a royal level diamond, but a very nice diamond.

Harry shook his head. ‘Ginny’s not as flashy as you… no offence.’ He reached for the second box.

‘None taken. Ginny’s not massively girly.’ Hermione shrugged. ‘Neither am I to be honest but I will admit to liking a nice glittery necklace.’

Harry rolled his eyes and Hermione thought she heard him mutter something like “girls” under his breath.

He opened the box and showed Hermione the pin that lay nestled inside on a bed of black velvet.

It was much simpler. The long silver spike was patterned with spiralling vines, and it ended with a jet-black gem.

‘She’ll love it. It’s perfect.’ Hermione smiled down at the pin. ‘You didn’t really need me after all.’

‘I needed you to tell me the difference between a comb and a pin.’ He said.

Harry tucked the box deep within his pocket, scooped up a handful of gold to last the first few Hogsmeade visits, and the two journeyed back to the cart and the waiting Goblin.

‘We’ll say there was a long line to be served.’ Hermione told him as they walked out of the bank.

Harry let out a breath. ‘Why do you think Dumbledore didn’t make me a Prefect, really?’

Hermione, who had been expecting this, let out a sigh. ‘He probably thought you had enough on already… or he might plan on making you Quidditch Capitan next year… it’s not a doubt of your ability or worthiness I promise.’ She reassured him.

‘Do you really think so?’ Harry asked quietly as they approached the Quidditch shop, Draco shot the pair a grateful look, it looked like he’d been scraping the bottom of the barrel of broom facts to keep Ginny entertained and not questioning Harry’s absence.

‘I do.’ Hermione said. ‘I wouldn’t put too much stock in being a Prefect anyway. Bunch of swots if you ask me.’

‘You’re a Prefect.’ Harry reminded her.

‘I’m a Slytherin, it doesn’t count.’ She said mightily.

‘You’ve been gone a while?’ Ginny said upon their return.

‘Long line at the bank.’ Harry said.

Ginny shot Hermione a look that told her she didn’t believe the ruse at all, and Hermione winked at her and mouthed “act surprised” behind Harry’s back and then casually brushed at the back of her head.

Ginny grinned and dropped a kiss to Harry’s cheek.

‘Hey.’ Hermione said as they started their walk with Tonks to find Mrs Weasley.

‘Yes, Kitten?’ Draco asked, offering her his arm.

She linked her arm through his. ‘What are the Elvan Artefacts hidden in the royal vault? I don’t remember seeing any.’

‘Oh.’ Draco said. ‘They’re in a secret room to make sure nobody accidentally touches them.’

‘You have a hidden vault hidden within your already ridiculously protected vault?’ Hermione asked.

‘Yup. Some of them are insanely dangerous.’ He told her. ‘Armand only took me in there for the first time after I was made a Duke… next time I need to go in I’ll take you and show you.’

Hermione grinned. ‘Promise?’

He held out his free pinkie finger and Hermione gripped it with her own. The solemn oath was made.

* * *

‘Hey.’ Draco said, sitting on the end of Hermione’s bed and waking her up.

‘Shh.’ She said. ‘You’ll wake Ginny up.’

‘Ginny’s not here, dear.’ He told her.

Harry and Draco had been moved to once of the free bedrooms after Draco’s arrival.

Hermione sat up in her bed. ‘Where is she?’

‘Making out with Harry in our room, she’s sporting a shiny new hair pin.’ Draco told her. ‘So, I thought I’d come and annoy you.’

Hermione rubbed the sleep from her eyes and propped herself up with her pillow, doing so meant she had to move the _Prophecy of Triad_ from under her pillow.

Draco raised a brow. ‘You’re sleeping with it under your pillow? You nerd.’ He said fondly.

Hermione batted his arm. ‘I just wanted to keep it safe.’

‘So how did you like the sacred text? He asked.

‘They’re really intense and I didn’t understand most of it.’ She told him seriously.

‘So you loved it?’ He asked.

Hermione grinned. ‘Yeah it was perfect! I can’t believe you got it for me, please don’t tell me how much you spent.’ 

‘Favourite part?’ Draco leaned down on her bed and let out a tired yawn.

‘That bit about hell? I didn’t think Wizards had a concept of hell.’ She told him.

‘We don’t. We believe in like erm, limbo? Purgatory.’ He said.

‘But it is on about the entrance to hell being under a door?’ Hermione pointed out.

Draco shrugged. ‘No idea what it’s on about half the time. Most the stuff in there happened thousands of years ago.’

Hermione nodded. ‘Oh! That bit in the book of Atune is obviously about Mermaids.’

‘I know, how cool is that?’ Draco grinned, knowing Hermione would have been excited by that… especially since her wand now contained a Mermaid hair.

‘And Vutris sunk Atlantis with an Elvan weapon!’ Hermione said in excitement.

‘That’s so cool!’ Draco smiled; his head was down on the bottom of Hermione’s bed now. He gave a great sleepy yawn, and promptly fell asleep at the end of Hermione’s bed.

Ginny returned to the bedroom half an hour later to see Hermione and Draco both fast asleep on Hermione’s single bed. She smiled gently at the pair before turning on her heel to return to Harry.

* * *

Mrs Weasley had let out a gleeful shriek when she had seen the hair pin in Ginny’s hair the next morning when everyone rose early and came down to breakfast without the need for her to wake them up. It had been tremendously awkward as she gushed.

Mr Weasley, had just clapped Harry on the shoulder as he walked by after finishing work and asked Molly what was for tea. That was the much-preferred reaction by the couple. Mrs Weasley was acting like they were getting married next week. The word “grandkids” had been mentioned and Bill had even stepped in to tell his mother to zip it.

The doorbell would ring several times a day with Order members coming and going, each one would set Sirius’ mother off another round of screams about blood traitors and mudbloods. She especially didn’t like Lupin – he was the target of some rather nasty comments. They gleaned very little from the brief glimpses and snatches of conversation they were able to sneak before Mrs Weasley recalled them to their tasks.

Tonks joined them for a memorable afternoon in which they found a murderous old ghoul lurking in an upstairs toilet, and Lupin, who was staying in the house with Sirius but who left it for long periods to do mysterious work for the Order, helped them repair a grandfather clock that had developed the unpleasant habit of shooting heavy bolts at passers-by. Mundungus redeemed himself slightly in Mrs Weasley's eyes by rescuing Ginny from an ancient set of purple robes that had tried to strangle her when she removed them from their wardrobe.

Harry had been greatly cheered over his lack of Prefect badge after one dinner when Tonks had stayed over.

'I was never a prefect myself,' Tonks told him brightly. Her hair was tomato red and waist-length today; she looked like Ginny's older sister. 'My Head of House said I lacked certain necessary qualities.'

'Like what?' Ginny asked, who was choosing a baked potato.

'Like the ability to behave myself,' Tonks grinned.

Ginny laughed, and everyone else grinned.

'What about you, Sirius?' Ginny asked.

Sirius, who was right beside Harry, let out his usual bark-like laugh.

'No one in their right mind would have made me a prefect, I spent too much time in detention with James. Lupin was the good boy, he got the badge.'

'I think Dumbledore might have hoped I would be able to exercise some control over my best friends,' Lupin grumbled over the table. 'I don’t need to say that I failed dismally.'

Harry's father had not been a prefect either, this significantly lightened his mood.

They were going to be returning to school the next morning, all of the trunks were packed and ready by the front door. Ron would be retuning from Romania while they were all asleep, Charlie had only been able to manage an overnight Portkey.

Mrs Weasley yawned widely. 'Well, I think I'll sort out that Boggart before I turn in… Arthur, I don't want this lot up too late, all right? Night, Harry, dear.'

Moody pulled a square out from his pocket and began passing it around after a few more drinks.

It was the original Order of the Phoenix.

'Found it last night when I was looking for my spare Invisibility Cloak, seeing as Podmore hasn't had the manners to return my best one… thought people might like to see it.' Moody said, he was showing Harry mainly, but Ginny, Hermione, and Draco were all sat next to him.

Harry took the photograph. A small crowd of people, some waving at him, others lifting their glasses, looked back up at him. Hermione instantly recognised a few faces smiling up at her.

'There's me,' Moody said, pointing to a perfectly intact Moody. This photo was from before the Queen died then. 'And there's Dumbledore beside me, Dedalus Diggle on the other side… that's Marlene McKinnon, she was killed two weeks after this was taken, terrible what happened to her, they got her whole family too. That's Frank and Alice Longbottom-'

Hermione looked at Alice Longbottom and her round, friendly face. She was the image of her son, Neville. Neville was currently off being an amazing Herboligist in Brazil.

'-poor devils,' Moody growled. 'Better dead than what happened to them… and that's Emmeline Vance, you've met her, and that there's Lupin, obviously… Benjy Fenwick, he copped it too, we only ever found bits of him …shift aside there,' he added, poking the picture, and the little photographic people edged sideways, so that those who were partially obscured could move to the front. Several of the people in the picture sounded a bit put out at the news that had been horrifically killed.

'That's Edgar Bones… brother of Amelia Bones, they got him and his family, too, he was a great wizard… Sturgis Podmore, blimey, he looks young… Caradoc Dearborn, vanished six months after this, we never found his body... Hagrid, of course, looks exactly the same as ever... Elphias Doge, you've met him, I'd forgotten he used to wear that stupid hat… Gideon Prewett, it took five Death Eaters to kill him and his brother Fabian, they fought like heroes… budge along, budge along...'

The little people in the photograph jostled among themselves and those hidden right at the back appeared at the forefront of the picture.

That's Dumbledore's brother Aberforth, only time I ever met him, strange bloke… that's Dorcas Meadowes, Voldemort killed her personally for making so much trouble, brilliant girl... Sirius, when he still had short hair… there’s Armand and Marie, the lovely Marie... and… there you go, thought that would interest you!'

Hermione saw Harry go pale as he had the image of his parents thrust on him suddenly. Then she saw that Wormtail was stood next to James with his arm around his shoulder.

'Eh?' Moody said, evidently under the impression he’d just given Harry a treat.

'Yeah,' Harry said, attempting to grin.

‘Harry, do you mind helping me pack up my books?’ Ginny asked. The two quickly left the table.

‘Is that Queen Marie, you said?’ Hermione asked quickly.

Marie was the spitting image of her daughter Matilda, Hermione wondered how Armand could bare it.

‘Yeah.’ Moody grumbled. ‘A rare sort, she was. Completely bonkers.’

Draco laughed at this.

‘Some of the things she used to come out with… a muggle inclusion program, ending the secrecy of magic…she was all for us living openly with muggles.’

Hermione raised a brow at this. ‘What was she like?’

‘She was… kind.’ Moody said, his voice was taking an unusual emotion that Hermione had never seen before. ‘Very kind. Ridiculously so, sometimes.’

Hermione wondered if it was very hard for Moody to discuss his old friend who had been killed on his watch.

Draco clapped Moody on the back. ‘I’m ready for bed, Granger?’

‘Yeah, I’m coming up too.’ She said.

They both stood and wished Moody a goodnight.

They were out in the corridor when they heard the sobs and raised voices of Ginny and Harry.

They rushed into the drawing room that held the Bogart. ‘What’s going on?’ Hermione gasped.

Ginny and Harry appeared to by yelling for Mrs Weasley to stop something, Ginny was also laying dead on the floor.

'Riddikulus!' Mrs Weasley sobbed.

There was a crack, and dead Ginny was replaced with dead Arthur.

Draco stepped forwards with his wand out and forcibly knocked Mrs Weasley out of the way.

'Riddikulus!' He said clearly.

There was another crack and Lucius Malfoy was looming over them with a belt in hand.

‘'Riddikulus!' He said firmly. The image of his father vanished in a puff of white smoke just as Lupin and Sirius came charging into the room.

‘What’s going on?’ Sirius gasped at the sight of a hysterical Molly Weasley.

Hermione, who was feeling very sick at the image of Lucius Malfoy clearly about to whip Draco with the belt, turned to the two men. ‘Mrs Weasley didn’t do too well against the Bogart, dead kids and husband – not pretty.’

'Oh!' Mrs Weasley sobbed, and she broke into a storm of crying, her face in her hands.

'Molly' said Lupin bleakly, walking over to her. 'Molly don't...'

Next second, she was sobbing her heart out on Lupin's shoulder while Sirius stood next to them awkwardly petting her hair.

'Molly it was just a Boggart,' Lupin said soothingly, patting her on the head. 'Just a stupid Boggart.'

'I see them d-dead all the time!' Mrs Weasley moaned into his shoulder. 'All the t-time! I d-dream about it.'

Mrs Weasley sobbed for a moment as everyone stood around her.

'D-don't tell Arthur,' Mrs Weasley was mopping her eyes frantically with her cuffs. ‘…being silly...'

Lupin handed her a handkerchief and she wiped at her cheeks, her eyes had gotten red and blotchy.

'Oh, I'm so sorry. What must you think of me?' She said shakily. 'Not even able to get rid of a Boggart...'

'Don't be silly,' Hermione said, trying to smile, but to be honest she felt like she’d just aged ten years. It hit differently to see a grownup crying.

'I'm just so worried.' She said, tears spilling out of her eyes again. 'Half the f-family's in the Order, it'll b-be a miracle if we all come through this… and P-Percy's not talking to us… what if something h-happens and we've never m-made it up with him? And what's going to happen if Arthur and I get k-k-killed, who's g—g-going to look after Ron and Ginny?'

'Molly, that's enough,' Lupin said firmly. ‘This isn't like last time. The Order are better prepared, we've got a head start, we know what Voldemort's up to-’

Mrs Weasley gave a little squeak of fright at the sound of the name.

'Oh, Molly, come on, it's about time you got used to hearing his name - look, I can't promise no one's going to get hurt, nobody can promise that, but we're much better off than we were last time. You weren't in the Order then, you don't understand. Last time we were outnumbered twenty to one by the Death Eaters and they were picking us off one by one…’

'Don't worry about Percy,' Sirius said abruptly. 'He'll come round. It's only a matter of time before Voldemort moves into the open; once he does, the whole Ministry's going to be begging us to forgive them. And I'm not sure I'll be accepting their apology,' he added bitterly.

'And as for who's going to look after Ron and Ginny if you and Arthur died,' said Lupin, smiling slightly, 'what do you think we'd do, let them starve?'

‘I’d look after them.’ Draco said suddenly. ‘I’d put them up – and the twins – in one of my estates. They’d be fine.’

‘I’m not exactly going to let Ginny end up on the streets either.’ Harry said to the tearful woman.

Mrs Weasley smiled tremulously.

'Being silly,' she muttered again, mopping her eyes.

‘Off to bed.’ Sirius said to the four kids in the room and they were only too happy to oblige.

At the top of the stairs, Draco absently grazed his lips on Hermione’s forehead before he disappeared up the stairs to the boys’ floor.

As Hermione nipped into her room, she heard Harry say: ‘of course I’d look after you. I meant what I said when I gave you that pin.’

Hermione smiled at this, and she was in bed by the time Ginny stepped into the room with misty eyes and swollen lips.

‘I think I’m going to marry him.’ Ginny nodded.

‘I’d be surprised if you didn’t.’ Hermione told her.

‘I’ve never seen my mum get like that.’ Ginny wiped at her eyes as she pulled on her nightie.

‘Want to bunk with me?’ Hermione offered.

‘Yes please.’ Ginny said in a small voice.

A moment later and Ginny had climbed into the single bed next to Hermione. A friend’s comforting presence did a lot for both of them, and they drifted to sleep a few minutes later.

* * *

Ron was at the table the next morning for a quick breakfast, apparently, he’d gotten in a few hours ago and kipped on the couch in the main living room.

‘I’m so sorry for everything I did to you, Hermione.’ He said sincerely as they both placed their bowls in the sink at the same time. ‘I had a lot of self-doubt, and it manifested itself in the form of unchecked rage and aggression. I was a major jerk.’

Hermione, knowing this to be the therapy talking, and knowing he had lost a leg to being a dick, decided to let bygones be bygones. It’s not like they would ever be besties, so it didn’t matter.

‘Thank you.’ She said.

He nodded and then moved out of the room, no doubt to finish packing.

Harry and Draco were yet to make an appearance, so Hermione offered to go and kick them awake.

She did this to escape the shouting.

'COULD HAVE DONE HER A SERIOUS INJURY, YOU IDIOTS!'

'FILTHY HALF-BREEDS, BESMIRCHING THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS!'

As guessed, Harry and Draco had both slept through the racket.

Hermione bent down and dropped a kiss to Draco’s forehead, and he blinked awake and smiled at her.

‘Morning.’ He said, his voice was deep and husky in the morning. ‘Am I dreaming?’

Hermione grinned. ‘No, you need to get up or we’ll miss the train.’

‘Hmm.’ Draco said. ‘Alright.’ He sat up with a yawn and a stretch.

Harry was sleeping spread eagle on his back with his mouth open. Hermione roughly shook him awake.

‘Hmm.’ He groaned without opening his eyes.

Hermione took a step back. ‘Harry! Ginny’s hurt!’

Harry shot out of his bed at top speed.

‘What? Where is she? What happened?’ He asked rapidly.

‘She’s fine now. I healed her skull right up.’

It was then the screams of Mrs Weasley and Mrs Black penetrated through the floors.

‘WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?’

‘ALLOWING MUDBLOODS AND WEREWOLVES TO POLLUTE MY HALLOWED HALLS!’

‘What happened?’ Draco asked as he pulled off his top (Moody was wrong, he was very toned) and pulled on a fresh shirt.

‘Er… Fred and George tried to levitate their trunks down the stairs to save time – lost control of them – and sent Ginny flying down two flights of stairs.’ She said.

For once, Harry did not look remotely amused by something the twins had done.

‘They’re very apologetic.’ Hermione told him quickly.

Hermione saw Draco stripping off his pyjama shorts in the corner of her eye and fled the room before he could feel that it was okay to change his boxers with her in the room.

Ginny was still sat at the kitchen table with a bag of ice on her head. ‘How’s the wounded soldier?’ She asked.

Ginny looked to her. ‘I’m fine. Just a headache now.’

‘Hmm.’ Hermione said. She gestured for Ginny to move the icepack and she placed it on the table. Hermione began to gently probe at Ginny’s head.

‘How did you get so good at healing magic?’ Mrs Weasley asked as Hermione worked her magic a little more over Ginny still-healing skull.

‘I make and deliver a lot of the potions for Madam Pomfrey, I’m in there a lot… she’s shown me a few things.’ Hermione told Mrs Weasley without looking up from her work.

Placing her wand into Ginny waiting hand, Hermione probed at the skull some more.

Ginny winced again and Hermione added a few more wand waves.

‘I’ll come and check on you on the train.’ Hermione told her as she stowed her wand back up her sleeve. ‘But I think you’re fine, it’s still a bit soft where I’ve fused it so before the feast I want you to go and have a cup of Skele-Gro.’

‘Yes, boss.’ Ginny said.

Hermione turned to Mrs Weasley. ‘Have you got any Pepper-Up potions she could have?’

Mrs Weasley hurried off to a nearby cabinet. Ginny drank what Mrs Weasley thrust into her hands in one go and winced at the strong taste.

‘I hear you went two rounds with a suitcase.’ Draco said as he came into the room for breakfast. Hermione biffed him over the back of the head for insensitivity.

Harry, was much more suitably concerned as he entered the kitchen five seconds later.

‘Are you alright? How’s the head?’ Harry asked, taking Ginny’s head in his hands for a visual inspection. Satisfied he couldn’t see her brain, he let her go and dropped a kiss light where her wound had been.

‘I’m going to check on her halfway to Hogwarts.’ Hermione told the fretting boy. ‘And she’s to go and have a shot of Skele-Gro when you get to school.’

Harry nodded seriously at these orders.

There came a clunk on the floor and for a moment Hermione thought Moody was in the house, then Hermione realised it was just Ron without a shoe on his artificial leg.

‘You’ll scratch the floors, dear.’ Mrs Weasley said to him.

‘Sorry mum.’ He said. ‘I’ve somehow lost my shoe.’

‘Kreacher probably has it.’ Ginny told him.

‘I’ll come rummage his den with you.’ Hermione said. ‘I’m pretty sure he’s nicked one of my spell books.’

Kreacher’s little hole was full to bursting of the items he’d salvaged over the summer.

Hermione had done a quick check to make sure he hadn’t pocketed anything dangerous, he hadn’t. He did indeed have Ron’s shoe and her missing spell book.

Hermione went to stow the book _Advanced spells for the Dual Core Wand, _away in her trunk while Ron slipped his shoe on over his metal leg.

Sirius had managed to bag the morning off lessons. His exam wasn’t until twelve o’clock that day, so he was able to be a part of the guard taking Harry to the train station.

Draco would be travelling there separately; Tonks was going to be Apperating him directly onto the platform a minute before the train departure.

'WILL YOU LOT GET DOWN HERE NOW, PLEASE!' Mrs Weasley bellowed. Hermione moved to the front door, taking that as the queue that it was time to go.

It took them twenty minutes to reach King's Cross on foot and nothing eventful happened at all.

Once inside the station they lingered casually beside the barrier between platforms nine and ten until the coast was clear, then each of them leaned against it in turn and fell easily through on to platform nine and three-quarters, where the Hogwarts Express stood belching sooty steam over a platform packed with departing students and their families.

They had gone in groups for safety, leaving the house in two-minute intervals. Sirius had taken Harry and Hermione. Mr Weasley had taken Ginny and Ron. Moody had taken Fred and George. There had been a no show in their guard who was supposed to take their luggage, so Molly had gone ahead with it.

‘I hope the others make it in time.’ Mrs Weasley said anxiously as she stepped onto the platform with the cases piled up on a trolley.

They were just waiting on Fred and George, but the worry was for nothing, they stepped through the barrier with three minutes to spare, grumbling that Moody had made them take the strangest route and double back twice to make sure they hadn’t been followed.

Sirius was getting a lot of attention from parents on the platform, but he’d been confirmed as innocent, so they could all suck it in Hermione and Harry’s opinion.

Sirius pulled Harry into a tight hug and then told him to get on the train quickly before someone killed him.

‘I’ll be reporting Sturgis to Dumbledore.’ Moody growled. ‘You shouldn’t have had to do that luggage, Molly… that’s the second time he’s not turned up in a week.’

Then he turned to the youths, his magical eye whizzing over the four of them.

'Keep your head down and your eyes peeled, and don't forget to careful what you put in writing. If in doubt, don't put it in a letter at all.'

A warning whistle sounded; the students still on the platform started hurrying on to the train.

'Quick, quick,' said Mrs Weasley distractedly, hugging them at random and catching Harry twice, 'Write… be good… if you've forgotten anything, we'll send it on… on to the train, now, hurry!'

Everyone was on the train, the came a crack, and Draco stepped into the corridor.

‘You two coming?’ Ginny asked Hermione and Draco.

‘We’ve got to go to the Prefects’ carriage.’ Hermione told her. ‘Make sure she drinks plenty of water.’ She said to Harry.

The Prefect carriage was actually really boring. The Head Boy and Girl had told all the new Prefects their duties about patrolling, and issued rotas for their first month back at school. Hermione and Draco had unfortunately been given the Friday night patrol of the castle, and the Saturday night patrol of the grounds.

Oh well, at least they would be together to have some fun. Innocent fun. Totally platonic, friendly fun. No kissing at all. Nothing. No.

The most exciting thing to happen was that they found out who the new Gryffindor Prefect would be in their year by the fact the Head Girl, a Hufflepuff Hermione did not know very well, announced that he was off in Brazil on placement until mid-November.

It was Neville.

_There’s one in the bag for Werewolf rights. _Hermione thought to herself cheerfully as she and Draco set out to patrol.

Patrolling with Draco had been quite fun, they’d had a laugh.

Within five seconds of setting off, Hermione opened the ajar bathroom door fully to the shrieks of its _two_ occupants. Hermione had slammed the door and Draco had nearly fallen down in laughter. Hermione had blushed scarlet and said to herself that she was never going to use that cubicle again.

They’d come across their friends a few compartments later. Daphne had leapt to her feet to give Hermione and Draco, her two best friends, tight hugs and a kiss on the cheek. Blaise was sat with a book quietly, he seemed rather subdued without his constant companion Neville Longbottom. Theo had been sat quietly next to Tracey boldly clutching her hand for what appeared to be comfort, she gave Hermione and Draco a nod of acknowledgement 

They’d had to navigate through swarms of couples reuniting in the upper years, Hermione wasn’t normal a prude by _my god_ these people didn’t come up for breath.

‘Who was your first kiss?’ Draco asked as they broke apart two third years doing battle with their tongues.

‘Er… does that Muggle boy in my school who kissed me when I was four count? No? Then Theo.’ She told him lightly. ‘What about you?’

‘Hmm. Well, there was that time I tried to kiss Daphne when we were little.’ Draco mused.

Hermione snorted. ‘Didn’t she push you into a fountain?’

‘Yes, she did.’ Draco nodded as he laughed at the memory.

Then they had come upon Harry and Ginny sharing a compartment with the twins, their friend Lee, and Luna.

Hermione had a quick check of Ginny’s skull and her general state and decreed that she wouldn’t drop dead in the immediate future.

Draco left some money for them to buy whatever they wanted from the trolley as long as they bought a little something for himself and Hermione.

An hour, and the breaking up of one fight and two students locked in an embrace becoming rather raunchy later, and they dropped back into the compartment with Harry and Ginny (the one with their Slytherin friends was already stuffed to the brim) to find they had taken up Draco’s offer of money with relish. There were enough sweets purchased to feed everyone on the train.

‘Who are all the Prefects, then?’ Harry asked once Hermione and Draco were comfortable. He hadn’t quite worked up the nerve to ask who had beaten him for the title last time they had been in.

‘Well, for the Hufflepuff’s it’s Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott,' Draco said.

'And Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil for Ravenclaw,' Hermione said.

‘The Gryffindor Prefects are Parvati Patil and… Neville.’ Draco told Harry.

This was the one name Harry could have heard without becoming jealous or upset, in fact, he beamed at his friends good-fortune. ‘Brilliant. I bet his nan was chuffed when he told her.’

‘Anyone else think some of the things his nan says to him borders on abuse?’ Hermione said as she pulled her book from her bag to read for the rest of the journey.

‘Oh yeah.’ Harry said. ‘One hundred per-cent, she ruined his confidence back when we were eleven.’

‘He’s alright now.’ Draco said. ‘Brilliant wizard actually now I come to think of it… skilled with a wand thanks to a bit of training from Lady nerd over here.’ He nudged Hermione. ‘And has anyone else noticed he’s actually more comfortable in himself now he’s a Werewolf?’

‘I think the super strength and senses helps a lot on that one.’ Hermione said.

The weather remained undecided as they travelled further and farther north. Rain spattered the windows in a half-hearted way, then the sun put in a feeble appearance before clouds drifted over it once more. When darkness fell and lamps came on inside the carriages, Luna rolled up The Quibbler, put it carefully away in her bag and took to staring at everyone in the compartment instead. Everyone was long since used to Luna now though, so this didn’t bother anyone.

They would be approaching the school any moment, and Harry sat with his forehead pressed against the train window, trying to get a first glimpse of Hogwarts in the moonless night.

‘We’d best get changed.’ Draco said, checking his pocket watch. ‘We should be pulling in soon.’

The boys all stepped out while the girls got changed, and lounged with their back to the glass doors, then the girls had stepped out while the boys got changed.

Hermione and Draco pinned their prefect badges carefully to their chests.

‘Like your shiny medal then?’ George teased Draco.

‘Meh, I prefer my Earldom and Duke medals.’ Draco said. ‘They’re way shinier.’

There wasn’t much George could say back to that one, Draco had a special gift for heading off the twins in Hermione’s mind.

At last, the train began to slow down and they heard the usual racket up and down it as everybody scrambled to get their luggage and pets assembled, ready to get off.

As Draco and Hermione were supposed to supervise all this, they disappeared from the carriage again, leaving Harry and the others to look after Crookshanks and Pigwidgeon.

'I'll carry that owl, if you like,' Luna said to Harry, reaching out for Pigwidgeon. ‘He’s a cheery little thing, isn’t he?’

Harry was hoisting Hedwig's more securely into his arms. ‘Yeah, he gets pretty annoying though. Have you got Alfred?’ He asked Ginny.

Ginny patted her robe pocket were her miniature dragon was fast asleep. He was sleeping more and more now, it had occurred to everyone by now that a miniature dragon as such couldn’t have a terribly long lifespan, but nobody was saying that aloud or risk Ginny’s upset.

They all shuffled out of their compartment, feeling the bracing Scottish air as they stepped out into the cold. Hermione and Draco were shivering further down the platform as they directed second years to the carriages instead of the boats.

But they were frowning at the person directing the first years to the boats. ‘First-years in a line over here, if you please!’

It was Professor Grubbly-Plank on the platform instead of Hagrid.

‘Where’s Hagrid?’ Harry asked Ginny.

‘No idea.’ Fred said to him.

‘We need to move, we’re in the way.’ Ginny said, pulling on Harry’s arm to move him out of the way. She was moving her new hair-pin and attracting several gasps and pointing fingers. Nobody else was really surprised at this sight, they had all seen Harry and Ginny snuggled up in corners of the castle at some point. Most people were surprised they weren’t on bracelet or cufflink territory yet.

‘Where d’you reckon he is?’ Harry asked.

Ginny shrugged. ‘Probably off on Order business still.’

Harry nodded at this. ‘I hope he’s alright.’

‘Someone would have told us if he wasn’t.’ Ginny said.

‘Would they?’ Fred grumbled, and Harry completely agreed.

Hermione and Draco came to join them in the queue for a coach once they’d directed a suitable number of students.

Then Harry stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of the coaches. The hundred or so horseless stagecoaches were no longer horseless.

Pulling the carriages were reptilian horses he’d heard Hermione and Neville talking about, he couldn’t remember the name, but he could remember that people didn’t like them and now he completely understood.

They were completely fleshless, their black coats clinging to their skeletons, of which every bone was visible. Their heads were dragonish, and their pupil-less eyes white and staring. Wings sprouted in a twisting fashion - vast, black leathery wings that looked as though they ought to belong to giant bats. Standing still and quiet in the gathering gloom, the creatures looked eerie and sinister.

Hermione saw him staring and she moved forwards to stroke her hand down the hind of one. ‘They’re quite harmless, don’t worry.’

But that wasn’t really what was bothering Harry, all he could picture now was the reason he could see these creatures. Cedric getting hit with the green light, his lifeless eyes staring up at Harry from the floor of the graveyard.

‘What are they called?’ Harry asked as he climbed into the carriage beside his girlfriend.

‘They’re Thestrals.’ Hermione told him.

Once they were all settled the ghostly-creatures set forth a gentle pace up to the castle, up to home.

* * *

Over in the misty manor, nestled in the hills of wales, sat Voldemort alone in his chambers.

His wand was in his hand.

‘Incendio!’ He tried.

Nothing.

‘Wingardium Leviosa!’ He tried next.

Nothing.

Nothing.

Nothing.

It had been many weeks now since his vision of Vutris… his powers had still not returned to him. Thankfully his mind link with Potter still remained, along with his ability to speak Parseltongue. But he couldn’t use a wand. Couldn’t use magic.

He was as good as a squib.

The plan had been laid down by Malfoy and Nott to gather the information, and they both knew he wanted the Orb of Power – though they knew not why.

He couldn’t tell them. His Death Eaters would desert him if they found out, that much was certain – or they could try worse.

He would tell Bellatrix upon her release at the hands of the Duke, she was utterly devoted to him. She would die trying to get the Orb for him if needed.

In anger, he threw his wand down atop his four-poster bed and let out a frustrated groan.

If he could just find his son and heir, he could re-do the restoring potion to full effect, he could be strong again.

But that wasn’t likely.

The Orb of Power would have to do.

Voldemort sniggered as he climbed into bed. Vutris had stripped him of his magic, but he would use an artefact of her creation to restore him to immense powers.

Greater powers than any wizard had ever experienced.

He would be invincible.

* * *

* * *

Forgive me my errors. I began this chapter at 11pm and finished it at about 4 pm. I wrote it straight through the night with an admitted nap at 12-2pm.

It’s getting odd for me now. This is now something like the 9th longest Dramione story going. It’s longer than some of the really big ones that I remember reading years ago! You know, ones like Draco Malfoy must die… it’s very odd for me… Just going to go ahead and shamelessly ask that you all recommend this story on sites like Tumblr or whatever it is people are using for Fic recs these days. #RB

Feed me your comments and your Kudos. Sustain me. I really love all your comments and plot theories, keep them coming.

E x


	87. Detention and Pixie Dust

Ginny had been taken straight to Pomfrey for her shot of Skele-Gro, and Hermione had slipped away for a moment to put her permission form for the Ledur trip on Binns desk. They weren’t going until after Easter, right before she would sit her NEWTs, but it never hurt to be prompt.

She turned back and re-joined the queues of students filing into the Great Hall, then took a seat at the Slytherin table in her usual spot.

‘What happened to not going anywhere alone?’ Draco grumbled to her.

Hermione rolled her eyes. ‘I went up one flight of stairs to Binns classroom. You’d barely sat down by the time I got back.’

‘Someone could have broken in and murdered you in that time.’ Draco told her.

‘No, they couldn’t.’ Hermione said dully. ‘I’m not dealing with over-protective Draco this year. I’ll be careful, but we’re safe at Hogwarts.’

‘A Death Eater literally murdered a teacher here last year.’ Draco said.

‘Yes, and that ended so well for him.’ Hermione said. ‘His husk is drooling on a cot in St Mungo’s.’

The four long house tables that filled the Great Hall were sat under a blank, black nights sky. Mirroring the outside weather could get a little dull on nights like these.

The ghosts emerged from the walls and began floating aimlessly through the hundreds of floating candles that lit the vast Hall. The Bloody Baron, the Slytherin Ghost, stopped to bow to Draco and Hermione as usual before he moved on down the table to talk to some seventh-years. Hermione had noticed, rather disturbed by it too, that there wasn’t a single seventh-year Slytherin girl remaining now. They’d all been married off over the summer – not one had been allowed to come back to sit their NEWTs.

The Hall was full of chatter, it was one of those rare times in the year that people would actually have to sit at their house table, and everyone was busy telling their house-mates what they had gotten up to over summer. Draco was being grilled by their friends about his new duties as Lieutenant of France.

Then it was Millie’s turn to tell them all about her days studying high fashion in Paris, apparently she had helped the Madam in designing Princess Matilda’s dress for this Regency themed Christmas ball soon to come.

‘We’ll have to get out Prefect days changed.’ Draco said in realisation.

‘Why?’ Hermione asked.

‘Because I might not be in the country at weekends? We’ll have to swap; I’ll go speak to the Head Boy now before the speeches start.’ He jumped up and hurried over to the Ravenclaw table to talk to Roger Davies.

Rodger began nodding and pulled out a sheet of parchment. People were just settling down when Draco came back over.

‘All sorted. We’re doing Tuesday grounds and Thursday castle.’ He told her.

‘Great!’ Hermione said, at least this way her weekends could still be free, though the fact Draco would be spending a lot of them in France sucked.

The doors swung open to reveal the bright and nervous faces of the new first years.

‘Were we that small?’ Draco asked in disbelief.

Hermione nodded. ‘I used to be the same height as you.’ She recalled the days fondly, the days before all the boys had shot up in height.

‘Hagrid’s definitely not here.’ Draco whispered to her.

A quick scan of the teachers’ table that the new first years were now walking towards confirmed this. Hagrid’s size meant he was impossible to miss in a line up.

‘He must still be on business for the Order.’ Hermione mused.

Then Draco clenched his jaw. ‘Bloody unbelievable.’

‘What?’ Hermione asked.

Draco nodded to the new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor. ‘That’s Delores Umbridge.’

Hermione’s eyes followed his, she scanned over Professor Dumbledore sitting on his golden chair at the centre of the long teachers’ table. He was wearing silver robes scattered with silvery stars and it almost looked as if he’d woven a few silver ribbons into his long beard.

Hermione settled her eyes on the witch next to the headmaster for the first time properly.

‘Mil, I’ve got a fashion project for you.’ Hermione said, nodding at the woman.

‘Sweet Merlin.’ Millie said at the sight.

The woman was squat, with mouse-brown hair which she had tied back with a horrible pink hairband. It matched the awful pink skirt and cardigan she was wearing. Hermione would be willing to bet her Hattie Tiara that the woman would be wearing pink underwear and socks too.

‘Why do I know that name?’ Hermione asked Draco.

She stared in focus at the toadlike face of her new teacher. ‘I could swear you told me something about her once…’

‘Yup.’ Draco said darkly. ‘She keeps trying to bring in anti-half breed legislation.’

Hermione glared at the woman as the memory stirred. She noticed Umbridge glaring down the table in disdain at Firenze the Centaur Divination teacher.

‘My uncle said she was at Harry’s trial as well.’ Draco told the group.

A quick glance at the Gryffindor table confirmed this, Harry was glaring at the woman as he apparently told Ginny rapidly who the woman was.

‘Someone should tell her there’s more than one colour.’ Millie said with an eye roll. ‘She likes pink, fine. But mix it up a bit with a bit of red or pink at the minimum.’

‘If she works for Fudge, what is she doing here?’ Blaise asked.

‘I don’t know.’ Draco said. ‘I’ll send some letters and find out.’

Hermione was glaring at the woman though. ‘You don’t need to send a single letter. She’s here because Fudge is interfering at Hogwarts… you know, one bloody year I’d like to get a normal bloody teacher for that class.’

Hermione pictured the dual-mastery she wanted to do next year. Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts went together hand in hand, but not if she had a useless teacher next year.

There was only one Masters student this year now, a Hufflepuff girl called Alexandra who was studying Ancient Studies with Binns (Hermione thought that perhaps her entire masters might be a solo research paper, because there was no way that anyone sane would consent to a year alone with Binns).

Professor McGonagall, was carrying a stool on which sat the Sorting Hat.

She set the stool down in the centre of the hall and the chatter of the Hall faded away.

A rip near the hat’s brim opened wide and the Sorting Hat began to sing.

_‘In times of old when I was new  
And Hogwarts barely started  
The founders of our noble school  
Thought never to be parted:  
United by a common goal,  
They had the selfsame yearning,  
To make the world's best magic school  
And pass along their learning.  
'Together we will build and teach!'  
The four good friends decided  
And never did they dream that they  
Might some day be divided,  
For were there such friends anywhere  
As Slytherin and Gryffindor?  
Unless it was the second pair  
Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?  
So how could it have gone so wrong?  
How could such friendships fail?  
Why, I was there and so can tell  
The whole sad, sorry tale.  
Said Slytherin, 'We'll teach just those  
Whose ancestry is purest.'_

‘Did well with me then, didn’t he?’ Hermione rolled her eyes as she whispered to Draco.

He grinned but carried on listening to the song.

_‘Said Ravenclaw, 'We'll teach those whose  
Intelligence is surest.'  
Said Gryffindor, 'We'll teach all those  
With brave deeds to their name,'  
Said Hufflepuff, 'I'll teach the lot,  
And treat them just the same.'  
These differences caused little strife  
When first they came to light,  
For each of the four founders had  
A house in which they might  
Take only those they wanted, so,  
For instance, Slytherin  
Took only pure-blood wizards  
Of great cunning, just like him,  
And only those of sharpest mind  
Were taught by Ravenclaw  
While the bravest and the boldest  
Went to daring Gryffindor.  
Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest,  
And taught them all she knew,  
Thus the houses and their founders  
Retained friendships firm and true.  
So Hogwarts worked in harmony  
For several happy years,  
But then discord crept among us  
Feeding on our faults and fears.  
The houses that, like pillars four,  
Had once held up our school,  
Now turned upon each other and,  
Divided, sought to rule.  
And for a while it seemed the school  
Must meet an early end,  
What with duelling and with fighting  
And the clash of friend on friend  
And at last there came a morning  
When old Slytherin departed  
And though the fighting then died out  
He left us quite downhearted.  
And never since the founders four  
Were whittled down to three  
Have the houses been united  
As they once were meant to be.  
And now the Sorting Hat is here  
And you all know the score:  
I sort you into houses  
Because that is what I'm for,  
But this year I'll go further,  
Listen closely to my song:  
Though condemned I am to split you  
Still I worry that it's wrong,  
Though I must fulfil my duty  
And must quarter every year  
Still I wonder whether Sorting  
May not bring the end I fear.  
Oh, know the perils, read the signs,  
The warning history shows,  
For our Hogwarts is in danger  
From external, deadly foes  
And we must unite inside her  
Or we'll crumble from within  
I have told you, I have warned you . . .  
Let the Sorting now begin.’_

The hat bowed to the four tables and then became quite still again. The usual applause for his song was there, but it was also met for the first time by muttering and whispering, and many people glancing over at Harry.

‘Well…’ Blaise said, ‘branched out a bit, hasn’t it?’

‘Hmm.’ Crabbe said quietly in agreement.

‘I read in _Hogwarts: A History, _that the Hat feels itself honour-bound to give the school due warning whenever it feels-’ Hermione started to tell her group.

But she was cut off by Professor McGonagall beginning to read out the first-years names.

Slytherin had gained an admirable crop, an entire four half-bloods among them. The days of blood-purity really felt like they were coming to an end some days, and then Hermione realised there was a literal war brewing over it pretty much.

Dumbledore stood up from his golden chair to address the room. ‘Welcome to our old and new students! The speeches can come later, let’s eat!’ He grinned.

There was an appreciative laugh and an outbreak of applause as the heaving plates of food appeared before them.

'How can it know if the school's in danger if it's a Hat?' Tracey asked as Theo passed her the plate of sausages.

‘Well, it lives in Dumbledore’s office, doesn’t it?’ Hermione said. ‘It’s probably one of the most well-informed things in this conflict.’

‘Hmmm.’ Draco hummed in agreement.

Hermione turned to Theo, who was sitting silently beside Tracey (Hermione wondered what was going on there) and cutting a sausage up into bite-sized chunks.

‘Have you heard anything?’ She asked him quietly over the table.

His knife paused and he looked up at Hermione with a slightly distraught expression. ‘Only that my dads back in with his old pals and he keeps going to the Ministry of Magic every five minutes… I’m not meant to even be speaking to you either.’

‘To me?’ Hermione asked. ‘Is that because of my blood or ripping Voldemort’s face open?’

‘Both.’ Theo said quietly.

‘Yet here you sit.’ Hermione said.

‘My dad can go fuck himself.’ Theo told her, then turned back to cutting up his sausage.

Hermione stared at her plate for a moment in thought, she was terribly sad at what she was about to propose. ‘Guys.’ She addressed the table without looking up. ‘If you want to distance yourselves from me so you don’t get in trouble at home, I’ll completely understand.’

It was silence that greeted her for a moment, and then she was met by a wall of protests.

‘Absolutely ridiculous!’ Blaise cried.

‘No way!’ Tracey said.

‘Don’t be silly.’ Daphne said.

Crabbe and Goyle shared a look.

‘We wanted to talk to you about this over summer.’ Crabbe said that quietly that Hermione wasn’t sure she’d heard him correctly.

‘Since our dad’s got arrested, we’re both head of our families… and, well… over summer…’ Goyle trailed off.

‘Theo’s dad approached us about joining the Death Eaters.’ Crabbe said.

There were gasps around the table at this, everyone but Theo seemed surprised.

‘What did you do?’ Millicent gasped.

‘Well, we were over at my house.’ Crabbe said. ‘I told him to get off my land before I threw him off.’

‘So, I reckon our stance is pretty firm for them.’ Goyle told the group.

‘No point in us distancing ourselves from you now.’ Crabbe smiled fondly at her.

‘We’re officially blood-traitors!’ Goyle grinned as if this was the most exciting news he’d ever shared.

‘Welcome to the fold.’ Draco grinned at the two boys. ‘But you’re probably going to need some extra security now, these aren’t people you just lightly refuse.’

‘We’ll be fine.’ Crabbe said.

‘No, you won’t.’ Theo muttered into his plate.

Draco nodded. ‘You should see the extra security Armand has brought in… I’ll let him know you’ve refused them and he’ll put a watch on your houses.’

Goyle nodded. ‘If you think that’s best.’

‘I do.’ Draco said.

‘Why has the King put so much extra security on? Surely he’s not at risk.’ Pansy asked from her spot at the edge of the group, everyone turned to look at her in slight shock, Pansy rarely spoke anymore.

‘The Dark Lord wants him dead.’ Theo told her. ‘I heard my dad saying so.’

Draco nodded. ‘Yeah, work reached Dumbledore that part of Voldemort’s planned takeover involves the death of the royal family. So that was fun to hear.’

Millie frowned at him. ‘Surely that doesn’t include you? Your dad…’

‘Is a Death Eater?’ Draco finished for her. ‘I suppose. But I’ve made my stance on this pretty clear to him several times now. I’m a blood-traitor through and through. But I’m not really in anyone’s way unless he’s trying to get control of France…’

‘He’ll want to get control of the UK first.’ Hermione nodded.

Draco shrugged. ‘He might as well get us all in one go.’

‘There is no way anyone could kill one of you.’ Blaise said, shaking his head.

‘They killed the Queen last time.’ Draco reminded his friends. ‘All it takes is one spell to hit you.’

This was met by silence.

‘Well, this is cheery.’ Tracey said after a minute. ‘Let’s talk about something else. Daphne, what’s the school choir working on?’

‘Er – Flitwick sent us all the first song over summer, it’s a war one.’ Daphne told her.

‘No – no war talks at this table for the rest of the night.’ Tracey cut her off. ‘Millie, will you be going back to France?’

Millicent nodded. ‘Yeah, she said I can go back for another year. Mum and dad were happy I’d be out of the country for another summer.’

‘Why’s that?’ Tracey asked.

‘Because of that thing you don’t want us to mention?’ Millicent told her. Of course, her parents would want her safely out of the country while there was a war brewing.

Tracey sighed and put her head in her hands in defeat.

Everyone shared a look.

‘Quidditch should be good this year.’ Draco said suddenly. ‘If we all get back on the team, that is.’

Tracey perked up at this, she was a big Quidditch fan.

Once all the students had finished eating and the chatter had begun to fill the Hall again, Dumbledore got to his feet once more.

A hush fell over the Hall the moment he took the podium, every head turned to examine the headmaster.

‘I beg a few moments of your attention before we all go off to bed for a few start-of-term notices.’ Dumbledore told them. 'First-years ought to know that the Forest in the grounds is out-of-bounds to students - and a few of our older students ought to know by now, too.'

Hermione and Draco shared an amused glance, how many times had they nipped into the forest for a quick ritual before they had discovered the Ancient Temple? How many times would Hermione be going into there with Neville over the full moon now? She supposed they were the exception.

‘There is an extensive list fastened to Mr Filch’s office door of things that are banned in the corridor… and we have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.’

There was a polite but unenthusiastic round of applause. Hermione saw Draco and Harry shoot each other a concerned look over the width of the Great Hall, Dumbledore hadn’t said how long Grubbly-Plank would be covering for Hagrid.

‘Maybe it’s a big job that’ll take all year?’ Hermione whispered to Draco, who shrugged.

‘Try-outs for the house Quidditch teams will take place at Captains’ discretion, those wishing to put their names forwards should speak to their -’

‘Hem, hem.’ Came a high squeak as Professor Umbridge rose to her feet, not that she was much taller standing than she was sitting. Finally, someone shorter than Hermione.

Dumbledore broke off his speech, looking enquiringly at his new teacher. She stepped forwards, around the staff table, and it became clear she was intending on making a speech.

Dumbledore looked slightly taken aback, but then he schooled his expression into one of calm and slight interest and took his seat. Other members of staff weren’t exactly as good at managing their expressions.

Professor Sprout’s eyebrows had disappeared into her hair, McGonagall’s mouth had become a thin line of anger, and Snape’s eyes had rolled that hard Hermione thought they might pop out of his head. No teacher had ever interrupted Dumbledore before (with the exception of declaring a Troll in the Dungeon), clearly this woman was not aware of how things were done at Hogwarts.

‘Thank you, Headmaster,' Professor Umbridge said, her voice was high and frankly annoying, like a snooty little girl, 'for those kind words of welcome.'

She gave another little throat-clearing cough, 'hem, hem,' and continued. ‘It is just lovely to be back at Hogwarts! And how nice it is to see your happy little faces smiling up at me.’

A quick glance around confirmed that the only faces Umbridge could possibly see were frowns. Nobody was apparently a fan of being addressed as though they were five years old.

‘I am so looking forwards to becoming friends with all of you!’ She continued, though she was looking directly at Draco for this line.

‘I refuse to be friends with someone dressed like that.’ Millicent muttered to Goyle, who repressed a snigger.

Hermione was looking across the Hall at the twins, who were sharing a grin. Fred caught her eye and sent her a wink. Most teachers’ were very fond of Fred and George and their mischievous ways, but Hermione couldn’t imagine this Umbridge woman would be among their fans.

Professor Umbridge cleared her throat again, ‘hem, hem,’ and continued in a business-like manner that felt rather like she was reading from a script.

‘The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the wizarding community must be passed down the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching.'

Umbridge paused at this juncture to scan her eyes over the staff table, they were all staring back at her in boredom, their expressions of shock had now been edited.

'Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation… because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognised as errors of judgement. Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited.'

Most of the audience had begun chatting amongst themselves, losing interest in her long-winded speech, but there were several students clever enough to read through the lines of Umbridge’s speech.

Dumbledore clapped politely as Umbridge took her seat, the staff and students followed his lead. It was the shortest clap in Hogwarts history. Hermione, to her amusement, noticed that Snape had brought his hands together just the once and left them together.

Dumbledore stood again. ‘Thank you, Professor Umbridge. That was certainly most illuminating.’ He nodded his head at her as if in gratitude. ‘Now, as I was saying, those wishing to try out for their house teams need to give their names to their head of house, who will pass them on to their Captains.’

'Yes, it certainly was illuminating,' said Hermione in a low voice to Draco, who nodded.

‘Very clear… the Ministry is interfering with Hogwarts.’ Draco muttered back.

‘That’s got to be the dullest speech I have ever heard.’ Daphne said to the table.

‘You’ve got to listen for the important bits, like "pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited"?' Hermione said to the table.

‘Yeah, that was an odd one.’ Blaise nodded.

Dumbledore dismissed the school after his speech, and there was a great clattering of students getting to their feet.

‘How’s Neville getting on?’ Hermione heard Tracey asking of Blaise as she and Draco moved the herd their new first years to the Dungeons.

‘Small people! This way!’ Draco called.

Hermione elbowed him in the ribs. ‘Don’t call them that! First years, this way!’

To say that the new Slytherin’s were a bit taken aback to being led to their new common room by the Lady Granger and Draco, Duke of Abbington and Lieutenant of France, was an understatement. They became very flustered and several tripped over their feet as they made their way through the corridors.

Hermione spotted Harry walking off in the direction up to the Gryffindor tower with Ginny and the Twins, he was doing a rather good job of ignoring all the stares and fingers pointing at him with Ginny to hold his hand.

They led the fumbling first years down into the dungeons quickly and neatly, they only lost one of them and they quickly found the boy on the wrong staircase.

‘The password changes every few weeks, the new one will be posted on the notice board a few days before the change, though.’ Draco told them as they approached the secret entrance.

‘Vivat rex.’ Hermione said.

The secret door swung away and they stepped into the common room, most people had already moved off to bed.

‘Boys follow me down the stairs, girls’ follow Hermione up that corridor… now lads, don’t go trying to sneak up that corridor or you’ll get stuck. Trust me when I tell you, you don’t want Snape to have to come and rescue you-’ Draco’s voice trailed off as he led the boys down the stairs.

‘This way, girls.’ Hermione said as she led the girls down the corridor. ‘Your timetables will be given to you in the morning by Professor Snape, he’s not as scary as he appears, don’t worry.’

Hermione left the new Slytherin girls at their door and moved to her own room. All the girls in her room were already in bed by the time she got in there, Pansy and Millie were already asleep.

Hermione very quickly and quietly had a pre-bed shower and by the time she emerged from the bathroom in her pyjamas, Daphne and Tracey were asleep too.

…

‘Pretty much identical to last year.’ Hermione said examining her new timetable.

Draco was fingering the thin chain of his time-turner that hung around his neck, ‘just as bad as last year, you mean. Why on earth did I do so many subjects… and this is after I dropped Muggle studies!’

Draco hit his head down onto the table and left it there. Hermione would allow him to feel sorry for himself for exactly a minute, and then she would start balancing things on his head.

But he brought his head up and snatched Hermione’s timetable. ‘This is completely different to r timetable last year, you ninny.’

‘Not really. Only a few subjects have swapped places.’ She said, snatching it back.

Then Harry arrived with Ginny in tow, they both had their timetables too, but Harry was in a mighty huff.

‘What’s up?’ Draco asked as Harry threw himself onto the Slytherin bench.

‘He had a little spat with Seamus last night apparently.’ Ginny said as she climbed onto the bench and reached for the toast.

‘He wouldn’t shut up about his bloody mother… she thinks I'm a liar and Dumbledore's an old fool.’ Harry grumbled.

‘He said that to your face?’ Hermione gasped.

‘Pretty much, oh and then he asked me to describe how Cedric died.’ Harry said.

‘Lovely.’ Hermione said, she scanned the Gryffindor table and came to rest as Seamus, she sent him a nasty glare and he recoiled in his seat.

‘It’ll pass. Everyone was weird with me after I was possessed and -’ Ginny began.

‘- and they’re still weird with you now!’ Harry protested.

‘Yeah, but I play into their fear a bit when they’re annoying me.’ Ginny told him with a grin. ‘I made that Masters boy wet himself last year.’

This did make Harry grin. ‘I forgot about that! That was brilliant.’ He said fondly.

_Poor Harry. _Hermione thought, people were especially staring at him now that he was sitting on the Slytherin table. _Is this how Dumbledore was treated all summer when he was sacked from the Wizengamot and the International Confederation of Wizards? _

‘They’re going to know you are right in the end, Haz.’ Draco told him seriously. ‘Something will happen, and everybody will know the truth.’

‘How many more people like Seamus am I going to have to deal with until then?’ Harry grumbled.

‘Want to borrow Excalibur?’ Draco asked with a grin, putting his hand on the hilt of his sword. ‘People don’t tend to mess with you when you’re carrying a Gods sword.’

Harry had grinned and rolled his eyes, then he had reached for the toast pile.

‘When are you getting Ginny the first bracelet, then?’ Daphne asked suddenly.

Harry, who had been drinking some orange juice, chocked loudly and Draco had to thump him on the back a few times.

Everyone stared at Daphne for a moment as if she had just asked a very impertinent question.

‘What?’ Daphne protested at their shocked looks. ‘I’ve seen the one you’ll give her and she loves it!’

‘I haven’t even picked one out yet!’ Harry said defensively.

‘Oh…’ Daphne said, trailing off. ‘Oops.’

‘Life with a True Banshee is so much fun.’ Draco said excitedly. ‘Quick, embarrass someone else next!’

Daphne rolled her eyes at the boy. ‘For a matter of fact, I saw you fall down the stairs of the French Palace and just lie on the floor for a full five minutes over the summer.’

Draco blushed scarlet at the memory.

‘I thought you were hurt at first.’ Daphne continued. ‘But then I saw you start to sing to yourself.’

Draco held an arm up, as if he planned to physically restrain her. ‘Yes, alright. Thank you, Daphne.’

‘I’ve never heard you sing.’ Hermione said to Draco in interest.

‘I don’t sing.’ He said firmly.

‘I think you sing very well.’ Daphne said. ‘I’m not going to stop pestering you until you do a duet with me for the choir.’

‘Oh look, it’s time for class. Come on Harry.’ Draco said quickly as he got up. It was still a good ten minutes before class. Harry grumbled a little but he stood up and allowed himself to be dragged off by Draco.

Ginny stretched, repositioned the black stone pin in her hair and set off for Care of Magical Creatures, picking Luna up from the Ravenclaw table on her way.

‘Do you know when he’s going to give Ginny that bracelet?’ Hermione turned to Daphne.

Daphne winked at her. ‘They’re going to have a long conversation first, he’ll be all “but you’re so young” and she’ll be all “but I know what I want” and then he’ll give her the bracelet a few days later and speak to her dad over Christmas.’

‘Sounds like you’ve seen a lot.’ Hermione said with a raised brow.

‘They’re not the first of us to get married.’ Daphne said.

‘Really?’ Hermione gasped. ‘Who is?’

Daphne just grinned and winked at her before turning to walk off towards the Greenhouses.

‘Granger!’ Snape barked from behind her. ‘You’re going to be late to Ancient History.’ He said, gesturing her to shoo.

Hermione was the last one to the classroom, and quickly took her seat. She turned to ask Cedric is she had missed anything and –

Oh.

No Cedric.

No desk buddy.

But she sat next to Cedric in nearly all of her classes… or, she used to.

Hermione found herself wiping at her eyes as Binns began his lecture on Elvan conflicts.

To say that Hermione’s first two days of classes had been completely depressing, would be understating things. She sat alone now in any class she didn’t share with the twins, there was nobody to pass sarcastic notes to, nobody to do homework with. Her friend was gone.

It was in this state that she turned up for her first Prefect duty with Draco on Tuesday night, it was their turn to inspect the grounds for frolicking students.

‘Kitten… you nerd.’ Draco said, pointing to the Prefect badge on her robes.

‘You’re a Prefect too!’ She protested with a harsh poke at Draco’s badge.

‘That’s because I’m cool.’ He said.

Hermione rolled her eyes.

‘I heard that the outside patrol always catches students up to no good.’ Draco said cheerfully. ‘Let’s start with the rosebushes, there’s bound to be a few students necking in there.’

Hermione pulled her wand out; everyone had admired her new stick – the cherry with Dragon and Mermaid was going down very well. ‘We could dump cold water on them!’ She said gleefully.

Time spent with Draco always did a lot to cheer her up, he could always see when she needed a bit of amusement.

They had indeed caught a decent number of students up to no good, though their expectations of seeing people just kissing wasn’t quite met.

The first two couples had just been kissing and generally feeling each other up… the third couple… not so much.

‘Holy Vutris!’ Hermione shrieked as she dove away from the rosebush.

Even Draco had gone red.

Obscured in the rosebush was a sixth year Hufflepuff with a fourth year Gryffindor. The girl had been on her back completely naked while the boy had his face buried between her legs.

They emerged, a moment later, completely red.

‘Detention for a week with Snape.’ Hermione said instantly. ‘WHAT WERE YOU THINKING DOING THAT IN A FUCKING PLANT!?’

Then Hermione remembered that she had been doing that in classrooms all last year with Viktor Krum. ‘Get back inside.’ She waved them off and they were quick to take the dismissal.

‘We’ll have to get used to seeing things like this, you know.’ Draco said after he had composed himself, they had begun their lap of the lake.

Hermione gave him a bemused look.

‘Well, we’re allowed to stay at Hufflepuff parties now right till the end.’ He said. ‘We’ll be seeing a lot worse than that this time next week.’

Hermione shuddered at the idea, she’d heard enough from Fred and George’s exploits to know exactly what went on at those parties.

She twiddled her wand in her hand as they did their lap of the lake. They caught two more couples hidden in the tree-line having a snog and sent them back to the castle with points deducted and detentions the following night.

‘Honestly, what’s gotten into everyone.’ Hermione said with an eye roll as they watched the pair of third years, they had just broken up walk back to the castle.

‘It’s just everyone reuniting after summer.’ Draco said. ‘Things will have calmed down by next week.’

‘I hope so – WOW!’ Hermione held an arm out to stop Draco walking, he followed her line of sight to the edge of the water.

There were nearly a hundred Merpeople emerging from the water, looking right at them. They sat at the edge of the lake; their tails hidden underneath the water. Draco’s hand instantly went to the hilt of his sword and kept it there.

‘Hello.’ Draco said to them, calmly. He turned to the Merperson at the front of the crowd, assuming them to be their leader. ‘Can we help you?’

She raised a scaly finger to point at Hermione. Or rather, Hermione’s wand.

She looked in surprise at her Cherry wand and then back to the crowd. ‘Can you – can you feel the Mermaid hair inside it?’ She gasped.

The head Merperson nodded and held out her hand.

‘I can’t give you my wand.’ Hermione said.

The fishlike woman retracted her arm and bared her teeth at Hermione, letting out a hiss.

Draco pulled Excalibur from his sword belt and pointed the blade at the Merwoman.

The jewel glinted at them threateningly in the moonlight. The Merpeople hissed at the sight of it, clearly aware that this blade could control them.

‘Back to the depths with you.’ Draco said calmly.

Instantly, most of the Merpeople vanished back down the water. The leading Merperson waited for a moment longer, to stare longingly at Hermione’s wand, and then she threw herself backwards into the dark water – all sight of the Merpeople vanished and the water became still again.

‘What the fuck was that?’ Draco turned to her in shock as he re-sheathed his mighty sword.

Hermione was staring down at her wand. ‘They could sense the Mermaid hair… how cool is that?!’

Cool indeed. The fact that the Merpeople had apparently wanted Hermione’s wand was shoved to the side in Hermione’s mind as she focused on the magical properties of Mermaid hair over the next few days.

‘Really, Draco.’ Hermione said the next evening, he was sat on the grass beside her and Daphne as they painted. ‘It’s not like they can come out of the water and take it from me.’

‘I wonder why they want it?’ Daphne asked, she had heard the entire story from Hermione upon her return.

‘No idea. It’s not like I speak Mermish.’ Hermione said. ‘I wonder if I could get Dumbledore to ask them…’

‘I reckon he’s a bit too busy for that.’ Draco said.

Hermione was painting a scene of Hogwarts from a first-year perspective, coming at the castle from the lake and lit by hundreds of twinkling stars.

Daphne was drawing Hogwarts during a severe storm, again.

‘Do you still hear the rain?’ Draco asked his oldest friend as he took in her painting compared to the current sunny sky.

She nodded. ‘Yeah, it’s getting louder now.’

‘Well, Voldemort’s back. Bad things are going to happen commonly now… I bet his return must explain a lot for you?’

Daphne stared out over the lake blankly for a moment before she spoke. ‘Yeah, everything is starting to make sense now.’

‘Daph! Snape wants to see you.’ Blaise came calling over the field.

‘I’ll take your stuff back to the castle.’ Hermione told her best friend, and received a grateful smile before Daphne disappeared into the castle with Blaise.

Hermione and Draco sat in a pleasant silence for a few minutes as Hermione finished her painting. Then she turned to Draco. ‘Will you undo me?’

Now that they were older, Hermione and Daphne had to wear aprons over their robes any time they painted now. At their age, they couldn’t appear covered in paint.

‘In a second. You should sign that painting.’ Draco said.

‘No!’ Hermione said. ‘That would ruin it!’

‘Sign the back then.’ Draco said.

Hermione let out a huff and pulled a pencil out of her art kit. Moving around her easel she signed the painting with her signature “L.G” and dated it.

‘Happy?’ She asked.

Draco grinned. ‘I am… turn around, then.’

Hermione turned as instructed and Draco raised his hands to undo the bow at the back of the apron.

Then his fingers traced lightly up her spine to get to the apron’s buttons, which he undid slowly, his hands were steady as he undid the buttons, but they did linger between buttons.

‘All done.’ He said, his voice low and husky, his hands had come to rest on her hips.

Hermione stepped forwards out of his hands and pulled the long apron off, then she turned to her painting. ‘Do you think it’s any good?’

Draco snorted. ‘You could make a living selling your paintings, Kitten.’

‘Hmmm.’ She said, not believing. ‘If you say so… come on, help me pack up. I want to go and have a bath in the Prefects Bathroom before dinner.’

‘Can I come?’ He joked, waggling his eyebrows.

Hermione raised a brow at him and he fell silent.

‘Right… I’ll carry the easels back?’

* * *

‘What on earth is possessing you to still get that pile of rubbish?’ Millicent asked Hermione the next morning.

Hermione was just in the process of paying a Knut to the Daily Prophet owl. ‘Best to know what the enemy is saying.’

She began to scan through the paper at such speed that many on the table realised just how she had read so many books.

‘Anything we should know?’ Draco asked.

‘Armand is in Germany… Matilda and Tom are actually back at Regia for a change… but no, nothing Voldemorty or Harry-bashing.’ She turned to the back page and turned out a pen. ‘It’s a terribly corrupt paper, but they do a good crossword.’

The boys around her turned to discuss their mountains of homework, OWL year had come as a bit of a shock to her friends.

‘At least Divination was good.’ Draco said to the snorts of his friends.

‘What happened?’ Hermione asked as she filled in four down (Who was the first Queen? Blythe).

‘Well, he has to teach us the exam syllabus. So we’re doing dream theory… but he doesn’t hold much stock in it.’ Blaise said.

‘That’s putting it lightly. “Dream interpretation is a terrible way of predicting your future. But it’s on your OWL so we have to do it,” is what he actually said.’ Draco laughed.

Hermione smiled.

‘So, we’re doing dream journals for the month but I doubt he’ll even check them, he thinks it’s so useless.’ Harry said. _As if I need a dream journal to tell me what my constant nightmares about a graveyard meant. _Harry grumbled to himself.

‘There’s not to interpret on my dreams. What can I say my dreams of playing Quidditch mean?’ Blaise teased.

‘If Madam Sybil was still here, she’d probably say that you were going to fall to your death from a great height.’ Ginny said from her seat beside Harry.

‘How tough does fifth year get, Hermione?’ Tracey asked.

‘Very.’ Hermione said. ‘You’ll lose the will to live about five times.’

‘Well, it wasn’t going to be easy, was it?’ Theo said to Tracey, Hermione noticed they were holding hands under the table. _Seriously, when did that become a thing? _‘Your OWLs affect the jobs you can apply for and everything. We get career advice this year too, right?’ He asked Hermione.

‘You never got any career advice.’ Draco said to Hermione.

‘Didn’t need it.’ She shrugged. ‘I’m doing a Masters. I imagine I’ll get my meeting or something next year… Masters students usually get a sit down with Dumbledore, I think.’

‘I doubt I’ll get a meeting, either.’ Draco said.

‘Why not?’ Blaise asked.

‘I’ve already got my job? The Lieutenant of France, remember?’ Draco said with a dramatic eye roll.

‘What do you want to do after Hogwarts?’ Hermione put to the table.

‘No idea.’ Most of them chorused back.

‘I might join the Temple of Vutirs.’ Daphne said. ‘I wouldn’t need any Oracle training, would I?’

‘Your family name would die out if you did that!’ Crabbe protested.

‘It’d die out anyway? My children would take their father’s name. I’m the last Greengrass.’ Daphne reminded him.

‘Oh yeah.’ Crabbe said.

‘I was thinking about joining up to be a Curse Breaker.’ Theo said. ‘It’d get me far away from my dad at any rate.’

‘I’ll probably move to Paris for the fashion world.’ Millicent mused.

‘What are your plans?’ Blaise asked Hermione.

‘No idea.’ Hermione said. _It could go either way. I could end up a Duchess, a Royal Mistress, or a Ministry worker…_

‘What do you want to do?’ Draco asked Harry.

‘I think I’d like to be an Auror, like Sirius.’ Harry said.

‘I wouldn’t mind doing something with Quidditch.’ Ginny said.

‘I didn’t know you play?’ Theo asked her.

‘Hmm.’ Ginny said. ‘I’m going to try out this year.’

‘You get in.’ Daphne said. ‘You’re really good.’

Ginny grinned. ‘Thanks!’

Fred and George chose that moment to wander over, they weren’t doing nearly as many NEWTs as Hermione, so they had many more free periods than she did.

‘Move over, squirt.’ Fred said to Draco before shoving him aside and squeezing in next to Hermione. ‘You excited for the Hufflepuff party?’ He asked her.

‘Meh.’ Hermione said.

Fred rolled her eyes. ‘You’ll be fighting the suitors off.’

‘You’re not really selling them to me there, “oh, come and get harassed!” sounds really fun.’ She said sarcastically.

‘How are you all getting on with OWL year?’ George asked much more politely as he slid into an empty seat next to Blaise.

‘Shit.’ Draco said, grumbling he’d been pushed from his seat by Fred. ‘I’ve got two classes after breakfast. Runes and then I’ve got to go back and have Divination.’

‘Ouch.’ George said. ‘You can have a bit of Nosebleed Nougat on the cheap, if you like.’

‘Why on the cheap?’ Draco asked sceptically.

‘Oh.’ George said lightly. ‘You’ll just keep bleeding until you pass out. We haven’t figured the antidote out yet… although, Hermione has given us some very handy notes so you won’t, you know, bleed to death.’

‘Lovely.’ Draco said. ‘Although… that does sound a bit better than my morning.’

‘Speaking of your Skiving Snackboxes… I heard you’re experimenting on first years.’ Hermione said, addressing both twins.

‘So?’ Fred asked.

‘You can’t do that.’ Hermione said.

‘Says who?’ Fred asked with a grin.

‘Says me.’ She said back. ‘Or, if you’d like. I could always get Snape on the case.’

Fred rolled his eyes. ‘You’d never do me in like that… you’re far too fond of me.’

Hermione rolled her eyes and turned back to her breakfast.

‘Half our year had minor breakdowns coming up to OWLs.’ George said, ignoring Hermione and Fred bickering. ‘Remember?’

‘Hmm.’ Hermione said. ‘Patricia Stimpson kept coming over faint.’

‘Kenneth Towler came out in boils.’ Fred said, as though this were a fond memory.

‘No, that was because you put Buldabox powder in his pyjamas.’ George said.

‘Hey, I bet we could turn that into a marketable itching powder!’ Fred said excitedly.

Both boys leapt up, no doubt t plan their new product.

‘Don’t forget to dilute it!’ Hermione called at their retreating backs.

Hermione shook her head after they left. ‘Nice to see them making such a good use of their NEWT year.’

Hermione had her first Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson that afternoon. Straight after lunch, Hermione had headed off to the classroom with the twins happy she wouldn’t be alone at a desk for once.

She’d already heard from her friends that Umbridge was useless, Harry had already scored his first detention by having an argument over the return of Voldemort in his class. All on his first day back at school.

When they arrived for their double class, they found Professor Umbridge sitting behind her desk, examining everyone as they entered.

She wore the same pink fluffy cardigan as she had during the assembly, but she had changed her pink hairband for a black velvet one that somehow looked even worse.

‘Well, good afternoon!’ She said as everyone sat down. Hermione was sharing a desk with Fred while George sat on the desk behind them with Angelina Johnson.

Nobody replied to this.

‘Hem, hem.’ Professor Umbridge tutted. ‘That won’t do. I should like you to reply “Good afternoon, Professor Umbridge,” let’s try that again. Good afternoon class!’

Addressing a classroom of seventh years thus, some of whom had already turned eighteen, wasn’t received very well.

But, taking the path of least resistance, they all chorused back, ‘good afternoon, Professor Umbridge!’

Umbridge nodded. ‘Wands away and quills out, if you please.’ She said in her ridiculous high pitch voice.

Fred and Hermione shared a look, “wands away” never led to a particularly interesting lesson once you reached NEWT level. 

Professor Umbridge opened her handbag, extracted her own wand, which was an unusually short one, and tapped the blackboard sharply with it; words appeared on the board at once:

_Defence Against the Dark Arts  
A return to basic principles._

Another exchange of a concerned glance with Fred. NEWT year probably wasn’t the best time to return to basic principles.

‘Your teaching in this subject has been very disrupted, hasn’t it?’ Umbridge stated as she turned to the class once again. ‘You will all be pleased to hear that in this important year we will be following a structured, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic… Please open your books and copy this down.’

Never mind just Fred and Hermione, there were worried glances everywhere now.

Umbridge tapped at the wand with her short and stubby wand and the first message vanished as new chalk writing replaced it.

_Course Aims:  
1\. Understanding the principles underlying defensive magic.  
2\. Learning to recognise situations in which you can legally use defensive magic.  
3\. Placing defensive magic into a context for practical use.  
4\. NEWT revision._

‘Has everybody got a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?’ Umbridge asked.

It occurred to Hermione, as Draco had obviously shown her the work he had done in his class on Monday, that the only difference between their course aims was “4. NEWT revision.”

People began pulling their books out.

‘That won’t do. When I ask a question, I expect you to reply. Does everyone have a copy of Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard?’

‘Yes, Professor Umbridge.’ Rang through the room, it wasn’t enthusiastic in the slightest.

‘Good.’ Umbridge said. ‘Please read Chapter One, Basics for Beginners.’

Hermione put her hand straight into the air as everyone else opened their books.

Professor Umbridge, seemed determined to ignore her.

This went on for several minutes. ‘It’s illegal to ignore a member of court.’ Hermione said loudly. (It wasn’t, she didn’t think, but Umbridge wouldn’t’ know that.)

Professor Umbridge pretended she had just noticed Hermione’s hand in the air. ‘Oh, Lady Granger! Did you have a question about the chapter, dear?’

‘No.’ Hermione said.

‘Well, that’s what we’re doing now.’ Umbridge flashed overly white teeth as she forced a smile. ‘If you have other queries, we can go over them at the end of the class.’

‘I have a question about your course aims, actually.’ Hermione pressed on.

‘Well, Lady Granger. I think the course aims are perfectly clear if you read them through carefully.’ She said in a sickeningly sweet voice.

‘I disagree.’ Hermione said. ‘There’s nothing up there about using defensive spells… or offensive spells for that matter, which are on our exam curriculum.’

Umbridge blinked at her for a moment. ‘I can’t imagine a scenario where you would need to use spells in my classroom.’

Several heads snapped at Umbridge at this in shock.

‘We’re not going to use any magic?’ Fred asked in shock.

'Students raise their hands when they wish to speak in my class, Mr -?'

'Weasley,' Fred said, thrusting his hand into the air.

Professor Umbridge turned her back on him. Hermione put her hand straight back up.

‘Yes, Lady Granger. Did you wish to ask another question?’

‘Yes. Surely the whole point of Defence Against the Dark Arts is to practise defensive spells?' Hermione said coolly, no wonder Harry had gotten himself kicked out of his lesson with this odious woman. She felt like she was heading that way herself, but she didn’t care. Clearly this was another waste of time teacher as Lockhart had been.

'Are you a Ministry-trained educational expert, Miss Granger?' Professor Umbridge asked, in her falsely sweet voice.

'No, but - '

'Well then, I'm afraid you are not qualified to decide what the "whole point" of any class is. Wizards much older and cleverer than you have devised our new programme of study. You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way - '

There were several mutters in the classroom at the mention that there were cleverer wizards than Hermione. That girl was ranked against men like Dumbledore and Merlin.

‘If we’re going to be attacked, it’s not going to be risk free.’ Hermione said, quoting what Harry had said in his class.

Professor Umbridge’s false smile faded at once. 'I do not wish to criticise the way things have been run in this school… but you have been exposed to some very irresponsible wizards in this class, very irresponsible indeed - not to mention,' she gave a nasty little laugh, 'extremely dangerous half-breeds.'

Hermione was on her feet at that one, as were Fred and George. Hermione waved Fred and George down and they re-took their seats.

‘If you are referring to Remus Lupin, he was the best teacher we ever had.’ Hermione said angrily. ‘I think the King has made his stance on your horrible “half-breed” policies pretty clear.’

‘You have been frightened into believing that you are likely to meet Dark attacks every other day - ' Umbridge tried to speak over Hermione.

Nobody could speak over Hermione. ‘My history would confirm that to be true! First year Voldemort attacked me in the woods! Second year he possessed a student and set a Basilisk loose on the school! Third year I had to fight a Were-’

Umbridge decided she didn’t like being spoken over, so she shouted over Hermione tallying the reasons they needed practical magic. ‘It is my understanding that my predecessor not only performed illegal curses in front of you, he actually performed them on you!'

‘Well, he was a Death Eater that Voldemort sent to the school so he could lure Harry into a trap. And then, of course, Cedric Diggory – you remember him, right? Yeah, he murdered him and got his body back.’ Hermione said.

‘ENOUGH!’ Umbridge shrieked at her.

Hermione didn’t sit back down at these words though; she folded her arms stubbornly.

‘Ten points from Slytherin, Miss Granger.’ Umbridge said, her voice like ice now. ‘I can only think your behaviour is due to your young age… perhaps you are not ready to be in your NEWT year… not to worry, dear, I’ll see about having you moved back down to your correct year.’

There were several gasps.

Hermione let out a half smile. ‘You’re welcome to try it.’

‘I don’t take your meaning.’ Umbridge said, an ugly frown plastered on her toad-like face.

‘I’ve already sat my OWLs and I’m the top in the year. Bounce me back and you’ll have the King to deal with.’ Hermione said firmly.

Umbridge gulped. ‘I don’t know who you think you are young lady -’ Umbridge stopped abruptly. ‘Come here, please.’ She said.

Umbridge turned to her desk and began to scribble something down on a scrap of parchment. ‘You will serve detention with me tonight.’

‘I have Prefect duty tonight.’ Hermione said dryly.

‘You will come to my office after your Prefect duty.’ Umbridge said.

‘You want me to come to your office at ten pm?’ Hermione said.

‘Tomorrow evening, then!’ Umbridge sniped.

She turned to Hermione with the now sealed parchment. ‘Take this to Professor Snape please, dear.’

She thrust the parchment at Hermione.

She took it from Umbridge without a further word. There was no point in getting another word in with this woman. Hermione picked up her bag from under the table, stuffed her useless textbook into it, and with a glance at Fred who seemed quite shocked she’d picked such a fight with a teacher, she fled the classroom.

Just before she slammed the door behind her, she heard Umbridge talking to the class as if they were infants again. ‘The Ministry of Magic guarantees that you are not in danger from any Dark wizard. If you are still worried, by all means come and see me outside class hours. If someone is alarming you with fibs about reborn Dark wizards, I would like to hear about it. I am here to help. I am your friend. And now, you will kindly continue your reading.’

Hermione stalked down to the dungeons and kicked the door to Snape’s classroom open, thankfully it was all her friends in there for their OWL lessons.

‘Granger! I hope you have a good reason for interrupting my class!’ Snape barked.

‘Not really.’ Hermione said as she handed Snape the parchment from Umbridge.

He tore it open. ‘My, my.’ He said. ‘Sounds like an eventful lesson… very well, you can supervise the class. They’re ruining their batches of Draught of Peace.’ Snape said, he brandished the note at her. ‘We’ll talk about this after class.’

‘What did you do?’ Draco asked as she moved to stand near him. He was sharing a desk with Harry and Blaise, bless them, they had left a space for Neville to sit at upon his return.

‘I took a page out of Harry’s book and got myself kicked out of Umbridge’s class.’ Hermione said.

‘Nice one.’ Harry said. ‘And when will you be joining my in detention?’ He asked.

‘Tomorrow night.’ She told him.

‘What does she get you to do?’ Hermione asked. ‘You need to stir counter-clockwise, not clockwise.’

‘Write lines.’ Harry said darkly. ‘I’m sure she won’t make you do what I am though, she hates me far more.’

Once the class had ended, Hermione saved several potions from utter ruin, Hermione presented herself in front of Snape’s desk for a scolding.

He burst out laughing.

‘You’re not angry with me?’ She asked.

‘No, lass.’ He said – he was spending far too much time in Scotland. ‘We’ll arrange some private lessons so you can actually pass your exams… but I do want you to be careful, we can’t trust Umbridge. You can bet that anything she sees here is going right into the ear of Fudge.’

Hermione nodded. ‘I’ll try and be more careful.’

‘See that you do. She’s given you a detention tomorrow, I can’t get you out of it. But I can insist that you serve it with me as your head of house. So, report here tomorrow night and we’ll get you going with your NEWT work.’ Snape leaned forwards then to examine the paperwork on

Hermione nodded. ‘Thank you, sir.’

Snape looked up at her from his marking. ‘What are you still doing here? Run along.’

Hermione grinned and hurried out of the room, she had to get down to the Quidditch pitch.

* * *

Quidditch trails for Gryffindor were taking place that evening before dinner. Harry would be missing them due to his detention, but his place on the team had been confirmed by the Captain.

Ginny had made an impression, to put it shortly.

. Ginny, as Daphne had said, had been named as Chaser for the Gryffindor team. She had been that good, in fact, that Angelina Johnson had made Alecia Sninnet Keeper in order to make room for Ginny.

‘We’re going to flatten you!’ Harry had teased Draco over dinner that evening. He was keeping one hand under the table after his detention for some reason. 

‘No! We’re going to flatten you!’ Draco huffed back. ‘Stop annoying me or I’ll knock you off your broom.’

Harry had just laughed it off.

Her second Prefect duty with Draco had taken place that night after dinner. This time they were patrolling the castle. This was something Hermione was glad for because it was absolutely chucking it down. _Miserable Scottish weather_, she had complained to herself.

It had been much less eventful, than their outdoor patrol. They had caught one couple having a snog behind a tapestry and sent them on their way. Apart from that, Hermione had pretty much just gone for a night-time stroll of the castle under the light of the full moon. 

‘Have you noticed Harry’s behaviour?’ Draco asked.

‘Hmm.’ Hermione said. ‘He does seem to be struggling still, he’s very frustrated. I asked him to pass me a fork yesterday and he snapped at me.’

‘It’s a good thing he has Ginny or he’d probably be much worse.’ Draco said.

‘Poor sod.’ Hermione mused. ‘Voldemort loves nothing better than creating discord, according to Snape. We’ll have to keep an eye out for him.’

‘I hear Snape tried to get your detention moved to be with him.’ Draco said.

Hermione recalled Snape’s thunderous expression as he came up to her after dinner to tell her the news, Umbridge wasn’t allowing Snape to take Hermione for detention.

‘Yeah, I don’t mind. How bad can writing lines be?’ Hermione asked.

* * *

As it turned out, writing lines could be very bad.

Hermione had reported to Umbridge’s office with Harry the next evening for their detentions.

‘Harry. Write your usual lines.’ The pink woman squeaked at him.

Hermione took in the horror that was Umbridge’s office. The surfaces had all been draped in lacy covers and cloths. There were several vases full of dried flowers, each one residing on its own doily, and on one of the walls was a collection of ornamental plates, each decorated with a large technicolour kitten wearing a different bow around its neck.

Harry let out a frustrated sigh and sat down. He picked up a red quill that had no ink provided and began to write.

‘Now, miss Granger.’ Umbridge said, pulling her attention back to her. ‘You’re going to be joining Mr Potter in writing some lines for me.’

She gestured for Hermione to sit down next to another red quill and she did as instructed.

‘What would you like me to write?’ She asked as Harry let out a wince.

‘I want you to write – I must learn my place.’ Umbridge smiled. _Threaten me with the King, will you? _ Umbridge thought smugly to herself. _Prissy little Mudblood._

‘How many times?’ Hermione asked, not bothering to argue.

‘As long as it takes to sink in.’ Umbridge smiled.

Hermione restrained herself from an eye roll and sat down beside Harry. She picked up the red feather quill, thought it was an unusual bit of kit, and began to scribble out the lines.

_I must learn my place._

_I must learn my place._

_I must learn my place._

_I must learn my place._

Hermione had written the line out five times, due to her rapid speed, before she felt a burning agony in her hand.

The words had appeared on the parchment in what appeared to be shining red ink. At the same time, the words had appeared on the back of Hermione's right hand, cut into her skin as though traced there by a scalpel - yet even as she stared at the shining cut, the skin healed over again, leaving the place where it had been slightly redder than before but quite smooth. A look to her side at Harry showed his hand was being cut with the line “_I must not tell lies”. _

Hermione looked up in horror at Umbridge. She was watching Hermione with a sickening smile.

'Yes?'

‘Blood quills are illegal.’ Hermione said, completely in shock. Harry was still scribbling away at his lines.

‘Are you going to set the King on me?’ Umbridge’s top lip curled.

‘Worse.’ Hermione said. ‘Harry, put your quill down. We’re leaving.’

‘You will go when I dismiss you.’ Umbridge barked.

Hermione ignored her and got to her feet, then, she forcibly took the quill from Harry and yanked him by the arm to his feet.

Umbridge was blocking the door, so Hermione pulled her wand and pointed it square at her new teacher’s chest.

‘Trust me. You don’t want to fight me.’ Hermione said coldly.

There must have been something livid in Hermione’s expression, because Umbridge stepped aside. ‘I’ll be speaking to-’

‘Speak to whoever you like.’ Hermione brushed her off and she pulled Harry from the room.

Once they were a good corridor away, she pulled Harry’s right hand forwards to examine it. Unlike Hermione’s slightly red but mostly healed hand, Harry’s looked to be scarred with his words.

‘WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME?’ She hissed as she began to drag Harry towards the dungeons.

Harry just shrugged. ‘Where are we going?’

‘To cause some trouble.’ Hermione told him.

She kicked open the door to Snape’s private brewing rooms, he was in there experimenting with a new potion using Dragon’s blood.

‘Granger?’ He asked in surprise.

‘Umbridge just tortured me!’ She said. ‘And she’s been doing it to Harry for a week!’

Hermione instantly showed Snape her red hand and then thrust Harry’s in front of him too.

‘She’s making students write lines with blood quills.’ She said finally.

Snape went very quiet for a minute as he stared at Harry’s hand, then at hers again. 

‘Please brew a scar potion for Mr Potter. I’ll be right back.’ He said, his voice strangely high. ‘Don’t put it on him just yet though, we’ll need evidence.’

Hermione pushed Harry to sit at the edge of Snape’s desk while she pulled out an unused cauldron and lit a flame with her wand.

Snape returned five minutes later with Dumbledore and McGonagall in tow.

‘Show me your hand, Potter.’ McGonagall went straight for Harry and took his hand. She looked utterly repulsed.

Dumbledore came to take a look next. ‘I don’t want either of you alone in a room with Professor Umbridge. Understood?’

They both nodded.

‘Excuse me, I’m off to file an official complaint with the Ministry.’ Dumbledore said.

‘Write to Armand too, she just attacked a member of court.’ Hermione said to him.

He nodded and swept from the room.

‘Well… Potter… let’s get you back to your common room.’ McGonagall said, though she looked rather pale.

Hermione scooped some of the hastily brewed scar remover into a jar for Harry, and handed it to him. ‘Once in the morning and once before bed.’ She told him.

‘Thanks.’ He muttered and allowed McGonagall to pull him from the dungeon.

Snape shut the door behind them. ‘If that bitch tries this on you again, you have my full permission to curse the hell out of her and I’ll help you hide the body.’

* * *

‘I’m sorry, WHAT?’ Hermione asked Harry the next day.

‘Shh!’ He protested. ‘You heard me.’

‘You need to tell Dumbledore that, immediately.’ Hermione said. ‘Umbridge touched you and your scar hurt? Harry, that’s serious.’

‘I know it’s serious!’ He snapped, then let out a sigh. ‘Sorry… I know you’re trying to help.’

‘I’ll tell Snape if you want and he can pass it on?’ Hermione offered. 

Harry nodded. ‘I’m going to write to Sirius, I’ll tell him.’

‘Remember what Moody said about not putting anything obvious in letters.’ She warned him. She took in his scowl and matched it with a grin. ‘You can’t argue with me, it’s my birthday.’ She reminded him.

Harry grinned and rolled his eyes.

‘What are you two over here plotting?’ Fred asked, coming to throw an arm around Hermione’s shoulder. Harry fell back to walk with Ginny, slinging an arm around her shoulder and whispering in her ear.

They were all walking up to the Hufflepuff party together.

‘Nothing interesting.’ Hermione said. ‘Although I do have a bone to pick with you.’

‘With me?’ Fred asked.

‘Yes. With you. What’s this I’ve been hearing about testing your products out on first years after I told you not to?’ Hermione said sternly as she pushed his hand from her shoulder.

‘Don’t be such a bore!’ He protested. ‘We paid them!’

‘Doesn’t matter.’ Hermione said firmly. ‘You do it again and I’ll snitch on you to your mother.’

Fred pouted, but nodded.

The door to the Hufflepuff common room was left wide open for them to go through. The party was already in full swing, they had arrived fairly late.

‘Drink?’ Draco asked her.

Hermione nodded. ‘Are there any cocktails about?’

‘Let’s go find some.’

Draco had made her a fruity cocktail and pressed a light kiss to her cheek as he handed it to her. ‘Happy birthday, kitten.’

Hermione grinned. ‘Thanks, my Lord.’ She knocked the drink back. It would be the first of many.

A few hours later, Hermione and her friends were suitably buzzed with alcohol when the midnight order came for anyone under fifth year to clear out.

Everyone was stood around with drinks in their hands when the two seventh year Prefects stepped forwards to address the crowd, both with drinks in their hands.

‘Now – this is the first time to our new fifth years.’ The girl said to the hollers around the room. ‘So, to you I say feel free to get as involved as you want. There is no need to rush in if you’re not ready for it.’

‘There’s some of the harder stuff in the next room if anyone wants it.’ The male Prefect said. _Does he mean harder sex? _Hermione thought to herself, utterly clueless.

‘If anyone tries to pressure you into something you don’t want or is making you feel uncomfortable in any way, either call out or approach Nicholas or myself and we’ll have them removed.’ The female prefect told them.

There were nods of acknowledgement.

‘Any doors that are shut please don’t go through; our underage student rooms are behind them. If you don’t want to partake publicly, there are rooms and beds available through most of the open doors.’ The male prefect, Nicholas, (Hermione thought he might be in her Runes class) said. ‘Let’s begin the ritual then, shall we?’

Cheers went up.

The female prefect, Hermione thought her name was Helen though she had never spoken to her, went over to the fire and tossed some pink powder into the flame. Instantly, the flames burned a bright purple for a moment and emitted the sweetest smell of… Hermione wasn’t quite sure of what… but she liked it.

‘Holy Vutris.’ Prefect Helen said. ‘We ask you watch over this ceremony and bless all who attend.’

A tingle passed through the air, and Hermione felt suddenly… excited.

She felt very aware of Draco standing next to her, as she once had down in the Ancient Temple before they had leapt at one another and tried to rip each other’s clothes off.

Seeming to recognise this memory, they both took a slow step away from each other.

‘Let us begin.’ Prefect Nicholas said.

Pretty instantly, several established couples disappeared up the stairs together and a few started snogging on the couches.

‘Wow. They really dive in head on.’ Hermione said at the sight of one girl being stripped by her companion for the evening in plain view of everyone.

‘I think I need another drink.’ Draco said wide eyes as the girl’s breasts were pulled free for everyone to see.

‘Granger.’ Fred greeted her. ‘Want a drink?’

‘Merlin yes.’ Hermione said quickly, rather taken aback by the number of couples now having a go at one another on the couches. People weren’t having sex yet, but there was some raunchy stuff going on.

Quite openly, the girl who had all her clothes removed, was now kneeling down in front of the man on the couch.

‘Georgie? Drink?’ Fred turned to his brother.

George, however, was a little bit preoccupied with Angelina Johnson. She was leading him up the staircase to the private beds that awaited, he had a mighty grin on his face.

‘Never mind... Just you and me then, dear.’ Fred said to her, turning to face her with a grin.

‘Wipe that smile off your face, Weasley. We’re just having a drink.’ She told him as he led her through the next room.

A glance backwards showed Daphne to be chatting with Millie, Crabbe, and Goyle… Theo and Tracey were sharing drinks in front of the fireplace, standing rather close to each other… then there was Draco, chatting with Pansy as they both knocked back shots. Harry looked to be slipping out of the Hufflepuff common room, no doubt heading for some alone time with Ginny.

The next room had changed in the ten or fifteen so minutes since she was last in there for a cocktail. Sure, the table was still crowded with bottles of alcohol that kept magically refilling. The new change in the room was in the form of small bags of powder scattered about the room.

Fred pulled her towards the drinks table, mixed her a fruity cocktail, and noticed her staring at the many students now snorting the powder.

‘Is that Pixie Dust?’ Hermione asked.

‘Yeah… do you want to try it? A little birthday hit?’ He asked as he knocked back his own shot of alcohol.

Hermione looked at him in alarm and he let out a laugh. ‘It’s alright, you don’t need to look so scared. Nobody’s going to force you to do it.’

‘Have you ever done it?’ Hermione asked curiously.

‘Sure.’ He said with a shrug. ‘A few times, yeah. It’s quite good.’

‘You’ll fry your brain.’ She said reprovingly.

Fred let out a snort. ‘Pixie Dust isn’t harmful in low quantities… doing it every now and then at these parties won’t kill me or you. And, it’s only when you get to the tablets it gets _really _dangerous.’

‘It’s addictive.’ Hermione said.

‘Again, low quantities, rare party use… it’s fine.’ Fred shrugged. ‘You’re curious, aren’t you?’

‘Of course I’m curious.’ She said, watching as the Head boy Roger Davies put the tiniest amount of the pink powder onto the end of his finger before sniffing it off.

_It can’t be that bad if Roger is doing it… can it? _She asked herself.

‘I’ll have a shot with you, if you want?’ Fred asked, seeing her nerves.

Hermione let out a casual shrug that said “I don’t care” and stepped towards the drugs table. ‘Sure, if you want.’

Fred rolled his eyes behind her back and followed her over to the table. Several of her friends had beaten her there, Draco was already on his third finger of the pink powder.

‘Hey kitten!’ He grinned at her over the table drunkenly. ‘Come for the good stuff?’

‘Just a little try to see what it’s like.’ Hermione said.

Draco took note of Fred coming to stand very close behind her as he reached for one of the bags and his smile fell. ‘I’m gonna go find Pansy.’ He said before wandering off back to the main room.

Fred opened the bag and Hermione swivelled around nervously to face him. He was indeed stood very close, there was barely room for the little bag of pink powder between them.

Now that she was closer to the substance, she could see that this was the same pink powder that the Prefect had thrown onto the flame at the start of the party.

She looked up from the bag, she was pretty much pressed against his chest now with no way to step backward. Oddly, she found she didn’t mind. Fred made her laugh and he was strong and he _smelled _great.

‘What do I do?’ She asked. _Vutris don’t let me overdose on my first go. _

Fred tipped the little bag so that a few grains landed on his finger in a little pile. ‘Put this up your nose.’

_Ew. _‘I am not putting your finger up my nose!’ She said stubbornly.

Fred laughed. ‘Just put it up to your nose and breathe in.’

Hermione nodded and let out a nervous breath before she leaned closer to his hand so that his finger was barely brushing her nose, then she breathed in the pink powder.

It smelled sweet.

Instantly her heart rate picked up as her pupils dilated. Her cheeks instantly flushed pink and she felt a pure pleasure radiate through her body. _No wonder people get addicted to this stuff. Anyone feeling down would chase this high until they died. _

‘Wow.’ She said to Fred, a grin spreading on her face.

Every worry she’d ever had was slipping away, she felt utterly relaxed… no… that wasn’t the right word. She was excited.

Fred grinned, and poured a larger pile onto his finger before snorting it up.

‘Let’s get another bev.’ Fred said, he chucked the bag of pink powder down on the table and pulled her back to the drinks table.

It was two hours, several drinks, and watching Fred drunkenly fall down twice later, when Hermione came upon Daphne and Millie again, both still sat with Crabbe and Goyle. Fred had been pulled into a drinking competition with Lee Jordan, and she’d had an amazing time with her friend until then.

‘Hey guys.’ She grinned as she slipped down onto the couch, missing her spot and ending up half on Daphne’s knee.

Daphne brushed the hair out of her face. ‘And how drunk are you?’ She grinned in amusement.

‘I tried to keep up with Fred.’ She slurred.

‘Sweet Vutris.’ Daphne said. ‘I’m going to get you some water.’

Everyone was completely desensitised to the sex acts going on around them. On the next couch over was a couple. It was clearly one of those already established couples that didn’t mess about with other people at these parties. She wore a dark blue dress over her dark skin but it was bunched up around her thighs. His pants were open but not off as she rode him slowly, they were passionately kissing as he helped her move with a tight grip at her waist.

Hermione lay with her head on Daphne’s shoulder as she sipped at the glass of water her best friend had fetched her. She spent a moment looking at the couple in passionate embrace on the next couch and then she scanned the room for familiar faces.

Then she frowned.

‘Hey, where’s Tracey and Theo?’ She asked with a frown, scanning the room again for her friends.

Millie and Daphne shared an amused look.

‘They went upstairs.’ Daphne drunkenly slurred in her ear.

Hermione’s eyes widened in utter shock. ‘No way!’

Way. Theo and Tracey did not appear for the rest of the party, but Hermione had the full account from Daphne and Millie on what had happed while she’d been off dancing and drinking with Fred.

Apparently, they had been stood locked in a deep conversation in front of the fire for a while, and then they’d just grabbed each other and started making out. After being encouraged to “get a room” by their friends – who were just teasing – they had done just that and Tracey had led a fairly surprised Theo up the stairs. According to Millie, Theo looked like it was the best day of his life.

It was four in the morning when all the dorm torches came blaring on at a full brightness, causing several incredibly drunk students to wince.

Fred was currently passed out on the rug in front of the fire, with George kneeling next to him drawing on his face with Lee Jordan.

Pansy and Draco seemed to have disappeared from public view, Hermione wasn’t thinking about that one. Though her general worries had returned as the pink dust had worn off.

Millie was snoozing on Goyle’s shoulder when the lights came back up, and he had to half carry her back to the common room when it appeared that she’d actually passed out drunk rather than gotten tired.

Hermione let out a yawn once she was back in her bedroom with Daphne, both girls had flopped down onto Hermione’s bed still in their party dresses and makeup.

‘Urgh.’ Daphne moaned. ‘I think I’m going to be sick.’

‘If you’re sick on me I’ll kill you.’ Hermione muttered into her pillow; her eyes were refusing to open.

‘You didn’t go off with anyone at the party?’ Hermione slurred; eyes still shut.

‘I’m still talking to that girl from Beauxbatons.’ Daphne slurred back. ‘I’ll give you the gossip tomorrow, I’m too tired to get into it now.’ She finalised this by letting out a large yawn. ‘I thought you might have gone off with Fred?’

Hermione winced into her pillow. ‘We’re just friends.’

Daphne snorted. ‘Sure you are…’ Another yawn. ‘Happy birthday, Hermione.’ She said before she slipped into unconsciousness.

Hermione smiled as she drifted off. _Best sixteenth birthday ever. _

* * *

* * *

Can I just say how frustrating it was to copy out the Sorting Hats song before remembering it is only and I could have just copy and pasted it?

Does anyone else get a song stuck in their head when they’re writing a scene and it just ends up assigned to that moment forever?   
  


Spoiler alert:  
  


I’ve actually written the scene when Draco and Hermione get together, their “dementors sock” moment. I was listening to Go Slow by Gorgon City at the time and now it’s fully assigned to that. Any time it comes on, no matter where I am, I end up going through that scene.   
When they’re 23/4, they’re going to face the ultimate evil ever and when that person appears, I’ve got this stuck in my head if you want to listen to it and do some imagining: "Thunderbirds Are Go OST - The Chaos Crew". Just put that into Youtube. Don’t judge me for watching Thunderbirds either, I’m a big kid.


	88. A Disgrace

The news that Theodore Nott and Tracey Davies were dating had shot through the school with a speed never seen before in the halls of Hogwarts.

They had both come down to the Slytherin common room holding hands, hollered at by everyone and receiving some cheers, they had gone their separate ways to get a few hours kip in their proper beds.

The girls had accosted Tracey the moment she had walked into the dorm where she had confirmed that she was no longer a virgin, that she and Theo had been talking for some time, and that he was going to send for a hair comb for her.

‘His dad’s a Death Eater.’ Hermione reminded her gently once they were alone. ‘And you’re not a Pure-Blood.’

‘I know.’ Tracey said, sounding solemn. ‘But I’m pretty much Pure in the scale of things that most snobs don’t mind… my Grandfather on my mother’s side was a Muggle-born, apart from that everyone’s been Pure.’

‘Oh, I see.’ Hermione said.

‘Yeah, so if I had kids with a Pure-blood, then they would be considered Pure-bloods.’ Tracey said.

Hermione nodded. ‘Just be careful, Trace… these people mean serious business.’

Tracey nodded and Hermione saw a momentary flash of fear in her eyes before she buried it deep with a smile. ‘He’s worth the trouble.’

* * *

The owls began to sweep down over breakfast a few days later, Tracey was now wearing a golden hair comb with emeralds proudly in her bun. Apparently, Tracey had been close enough to Pure-blood that Theo’s dad didn’t mind, which was the worlds most shocking news. _But then, Voldemort’s a half-blood so he can’t say shit. _

Hermione tucked a Knut into the brown pouch of the Prophet owl and unfolded her paper.

‘I can’t believe you’ve not given up with it.’ Ginny said, shaking her head at the sight of the paper.

‘Like I said, know your enemy… and Snape told me that Dumbledore and Armand have made a formal complaint over Umbridge torturing her students so I’m waiting to hear something about that here.’

‘They won’t put it in.’ Draco said as he added a slice of toast to Hermione’s bare breakfast plate.

‘I know, but us getting a new teacher ought to get a mention… surely they’ll replace her.’ Hermione said with a shake of the head.

‘Don’t hold your breath.’ Draco told her as he pointed out that Umbridge was now sitting down with a boiled egg at the staff table.

Hermione sighed and began to flip rapidly through the paper. ‘There’s a big article about the bass players for the Weird Sisters getting married, but nothing about a teacher leaving…. There’s always tomorrow.’

‘I doubt it.’ Draco said.

‘Alright, you little ray of sunshine, there could always – oh dear.’ Hermione said as she took in the full page spread in the middle of the paper.

‘What?’ Harry asked, from the way her face had fallen it looked like considerable bad news.

‘Sturgis Podmore… well, that explains why he kept missing his guard duty… He’s been arrested.’ Hermione said, passing the article to Draco and Harry.

_TRESPASS AT MINISTRY_

_Sturgis Podmore, 38, of number two, Laburnum Gardens, Clapham, has appeared in front of the Wizengamot charged with trespass and attempted robbery at the Ministry of Magic on 31" August. Podmore was arrested by Ministry of Magic watch-wizard Eric Munch, who found him attempting to force his way through a top-security door at one o'clock in the morning. Podmore, who refused to speak, in his own defence, was convicted on both charges and sentenced to six months in Azkaban._

'Six months in Azkaban!' Ginny gasped in shock. 'Just for trying to get through a door!'

‘What on earth was he doing at the Ministry at one in the morning?’ Draco asked with a frown as he scanned the paper.

‘Probably something for the Order?’ Harry mused.

‘Yeah, they probably thought he wouldn’t get caught at that time.’ Ginny nodded along with him, the black stone of her hair pin glinting in the light as she moved.

Hermione shook her head. ‘It doesn’t make any sense.’

‘What doesn’t?’ Draco asked.

‘Well, even if he was there for the Order… they’re meant to be guarding something, not trying to nick it.’ She said, then frowned down at her plate. ‘Did you put that toast on my plate?’

‘Maybe the situation has changed? And yes, I did, you need to eat breakfast.’ He said.

‘How could it have changed? And I’m not hungry.’ She said.

‘I dunno, maybe the other side is getting closer to whatever it is and they want to get it first? You had a small dinner, eat your toast.’ He said.

‘I suppose that makes sense… Fine, but I’m not feeling toast, I’ll have a banana instead.’

‘Maybe the Ministry was just trying to frame him.’ Ginny mused to Harry.

‘It wouldn’t surprise me.’ Draco said. ‘Fudge knows Armand is gathering stuff for a vote of no confidence against him, he’ll be getting desperate.’

Hermione nodded at this theory. ‘He knows he’s one of Dumbledore’s and Armand’s lot… they could use this to discredit both of them…’

At that moment, a new owl swooped down in front of Ginny and landed right on her empty plate.

‘Isn’t that Hermes?’ Harry asked, sounding amazed.

‘Who’s Hermes?’ Hermione asked.

‘It’s Percy’s owl.’ Ginny said, sounding just as surprised as Harry by the sight of the bird. 'What's Percy writing to me for?'

The very second Ginny unfastened the letter, and the owl took flight again, as if it had been told quite firmly not to linger.

Ginny unrolled the scroll and began to read. The further clown the parchment her eyes travelled, the more pronounced became her scowl. When she had finished reading, he looked disgusted. She thrust the letter at Harry, Draco, and Hermione, who leaned towards each other to read it together:

_Ginny,  
Dearest sister, I am writing to you from concern, and to give you some advice. Hopefully, you will be able to read this away from prying eyes and avoid awkward questions._

_One of my Ministry contacts tells me that you are now wearing a hairpin from Harry Potter. I must tell you Ginny, that nothing could harm your future prospects more than your continued association with him. _

_Yes, I am sure you are surprised to hear this - no doubt you will say that Potter has always been Dumbledore's favourite - but I feel bound to tell you that Dumbledore may not be in charge at Hogwarts much longer and the people who count have a very different - and probably more accurate - view of Potter's behaviour. I shall say no more here, but if you look at the Daily Prophet tomorrow you will get a good idea of the way the wind is blowing - and see if you can spot yours truly!_

_Seriously, Ginny, you do not want to be tarred with the same brush as Potter, it could be very damaging to your future prospects. As you must be aware, Potter had a disciplinary hearing this summer in front of the whole Wizengamot and he did not come out of it looking too good. He got off on a mere technicality, if you ask me, and many of the people I've spoken to remain convinced of his guilt._

_It may be that you are afraid to sever ties with Potter - I know that he can be unbalanced and, for all I know, violent - but if you have any worries about this, or have spotted anything else in Potter's behaviour that is troubling you, I urge you to speak to Dolores Umbridge, a truly delightful woman who I know will be only too happy to advise you. If you are too scared to leave him, go to her and she will help you._

_This leads me to my other bit of advice. As I have hinted above, Dumbledore's regime at Hogwarts may soon be over. Your loyalty, Ginny, should be not to him, but to the school and the Ministry. I am very sorry to hear that, so far, Professor Umbridge is encountering very little co-operation from staff as she strives to make those necessary changes within Hogwarts that the Ministry so ardently desires (although she should find this easier from next week - again, see the Daily Prophet tomorrow!). I shall say only this - a student who shows herself willing to help Professor Umbridge now may be very well-placed for a Prefect badge next year, and then possible Head Girl-ship in a couple of years!_

_I am sorry that I was unable to see more of you over the summer. It pains me to criticise our parents, but I am afraid I can no longer live under their roof while they remain mixed up with the dangerous crowd around Dumbledore. Sturgis Podmore, who is a great friend of Dumbledore's, has recently been sent to Azkaban for trespass at the Ministry. Perhaps that will open their eyes to the kind of petty criminals with whom they are currently rubbing shoulders. _

_I count myself very lucky to have escaped the stigma of association with such people - the Minister really could not be more gracious_ _to me - and I do hope, Ginny, that you will not allow family ties to blind you to the misguided nature of our parents' beliefs and actions, either. I sincerely hope that, in time, they will realise how mistaken they were and I shall, of course, be ready to accept a full apology when that day comes._

_Please think over what I have said most carefully, particularly the bit about Harry Potter._

_Your loving brother,_

_Percy._

Harry looked up at Ginny. ‘Well,’ he was trying to sound light but failing, this had clearly rattled him, ‘feel free to dump me if you want – I swear I won’t get violent.’

Ginny snatched the letter back and began to shred it. ‘I bet me going out with you is harming his “in” with the Minister. Pompous git.’

Then she took in Harry’s truly hurt expression.

‘I’m not breaking up with you because of my ridiculous brother, Haz.’ She said firmly, taking a tight grip on his hand.

Draco pushed back from his seat on the bench. ‘Right, I’ve got an hour before Quidditch practice, I’m going to the library to get working on Sprout’s self-fertilising shrubs essay.’

‘I’ll join you.’ Harry said with a sigh, getting to his feet and following Draco out of the Great Hall.

Ginny let out a sigh as she watched the two boys go. ‘I’m going to _murder _my brother… In fact, I’m going to get Fred and George in on it… want to come and find them with me?’ She asked, getting to her feet.

‘Can’t. I’ve got my lessons with Snape.’ She said with a sigh. NEWT level Defence Against the Dark Arts with Snape was utterly brutal.

‘Have fun… ohh, that looks nice Millie.’ Ginny said as she walked past the rest of the Slytherins’ sat a tiny gap away from them.

Millie had her head buried in her fashion sketch book. ‘Thanks.’ She said without looking up.

Hermione turned to the test of her friends, Daphne seemed to be quite occupied in reading a letter she’d just received from a certain French Witch, so Hermione turned to Blaise.

‘Have you heard from Nev?’ She asked him, Blaise had a small stack of letters delivered to him that morning.

Blaise grinned and brandished the fattest envelope. ‘He’s having a great time. He’s just had a full moon there and they brewed him the Wolfsbane and he got to explore the Rainforest all night… and he’s loving his classes. He’s going to come home even more of a Herbology nerd than he was when he left.’ He said fondly.

Hermione grinned. ‘Send him my love when you reply.’ She said, getting to her feet. ‘I’ve got to go meet Snape and get my arse kicked.’

‘You put Flitwick on his arse at the last duelling club.’ Blaise said lightly, ‘consider it a humbling experience for you.’

‘It’s certainly humbling.’ She grumbled as she walked down to Snape’s private rooms in the dungeon.

‘You’re late.’ He said as she walked into the room.

She glanced up at the clock. ‘I’m five minutes early.’

‘You’re late if I say you’re late.’ He said. ‘Wand out, we’re jumping straight in. Try and keep your wand in your hand this time. And if I hear you say a single spell, I’m putting you in detention.’

Hermione grumbled but readied herself.

Snape began his barrage of NEWT level spells for Hermione to fight off and she returned with her own.

Once they had both been knocked off their feet by their spells meeting in mid-air, Snape decreed their day’s lesson nearly complete.

‘Good work. Now fix my rooms.’ He said, folding his arms.

Oddly, the grand repair spell was something she struggled with when it came to non-verbal magic. But she gave it her best shot and dragged the tip of her wand slowly across her body.

A bookcase leapt back together and the several leather-bound books neatly sorted themselves back into place. A desk in the corner of the room behind Snape had its legs straightened and the stack of papers that were now thrown around the room in chaos neatly arranged themselves in the centre.

‘Good work. Cleaning the mirror was a bit much.’ He said, noticing that she’d apparently had a polish.

Hermione grinned. ‘Cleaned out your cauldrons too.’

Snape turned to examine the pile of glinting cauldrons in the corner of the room. ‘Oh, you did.’ Then he frowned. ‘What am I going to get people to clean in detention now?’

‘You could get them to organise your potions cupboard, it’s a mess.’ She said in scolding.

‘I know where everything is!’ He protested.

Hermione raised her eyebrow and turned to the cupboard and swung the door open. ‘You’re keeping your Eye-of-Newt right next to your Toe-of-Frog right next to each other! Where is the sense to that?’

Snape folded his arms stubbornly. ‘Well volunteered, you can organise it then!’

Hermione grinned and pulled out her wand. ‘I’ll go alphabetical but keep dangerous or rare items on the bottom shelf.’

Hermione waved her new wand, and every single glass exploded.

‘AAAHHHH!’ She shrieked in shock as she leapt out of the way of the glass.

Snape had leapt into action though, and with a wave of his wand the glass froze in mid-air, then it leapt backwards and reformed all the vials. Ingredients safely stored away again.

He turned to Hermione with a stern look. ‘You have a very powerful wand now, Granger. You need to be more careful.’

Hermione glanced down at her new wand. ‘Mermaid hair is mad.’

‘One way of putting it.’ He said. ‘Run along, now.’

* * *

Hermione had her head resting on her hands the next day over breakfast, she’d been up all-night reading about Mermaid hair in wands. She’d massively underestimated how powerful it was.

‘I heard back from Sirius last night.’ Harry said, he’d written to him as he said he would in heavy code about the pain he felt in his scar at Umbridge’s touch.

Ginny wasn’t with him this morning.

‘Where’s Gin?’ Draco asked.

Harry grumbled. ‘After Percy’s letter, we had a little row.’

‘About?’ Draco asked. Harry and Ginny rarely fought.

Harry slumped and put his head in her hands. ‘I was saying that maybe she shouldn’t be with me if it would give her a bad name… that she’s so young.’

Hermione recalled Daphne telling her about this conversation.

‘But Ginny said she knows what she wants?’ Hermione guessed.

‘How did you know?’ Harry asked.

Hermione repressed a laugh. ‘Intuition.’

She glanced down the table at Daphne, who winked at her. Ginny would be getting the first bracelet soon.

‘I’m sure it’ll be fine.’ She told him. ‘What did Sirius have to say in his letter?’

‘He didn’t write.’ Harry said. ‘He came in the fire like usual.’

Hermione frowned. ‘That’s not very clever with Umbridge knocking about, she could be listening in to the Floo for all we know… we don’t want Sirius risking his place with the Aurors.’ 

‘Do you want me to tell you what happened or not?’ Harry snapped.

‘Fine, go on.’ Hermione sighed as Draco forced a banana into her hands for breakfast.

‘Well, he doesn’t think that Umbridge is a Death Eater. So there’s that… and he doesn’t know where Hagrid is or when he’ll be back but he thinks he’s safe… that’s it.’

Hermione nodded. ‘Good news about Hagrid.’ She said as she peeled her banana.

‘Why don’t you have some porridge?’ Draco said, pushing a bowl in front of her.

Hermione pulled her book of the day out to read as she ate her porridge with banana slices.

‘Is that one of the art books my mum sent you last year?’ Draco asked with a frown, bending close to the table to examine the title.

‘Yep. They’re actually really good. This one is all about animating pictures.’ She told him.

‘Animating?’ Draco asked.

‘Moving pictures.’ She said. ‘It’s actually really complicated. Impossible, really.’

‘And you’ll be trying it out when?’ Draco asked with a fond smile.

‘I already tried it a few times… nothing happened.’ She sighed.

‘Gasp! The all-powerful Granger doesn’t get a complicated spell on her first go! Somebody alert the media!’ Draco declared loudly, causing several people to turn in their seats.

Hermione whacked him on the arm with her heavy art book.

‘You can’t hit me!’ Draco laughed, taking the book from her hands and holding it far over her head. ‘Or I won’t get you a present when I go back to France next weekend.’

Hermione instantly stopped reaching for the text. ‘You’re going back already?’

‘Hmm.’ Draco nodded. ‘I’ve got a trial on Saturday to oversee and then there’s a council meeting on Sunday… I’ll bring you back something though.’

‘You don’t have to get me anything.’ She shook her head.

‘I know that.’ Draco said as he handed her back the art book.

Harry cleared his throat uncomfortably at this, and looked up. ‘Oh look! The news owl is here!’ For the first time this year, he was happy to see the Daily Prophet.

‘Oh, we can see what Percy meant about seeing him in an article.’ Draco said, leaning away from Hermione to look up.

Hermione’s mouth fell open in shocked horror when she saw the front page filled with a smiling picture of Umbridge.

_The Hogwarts’s High Inquisitor!_

‘Holy shit.’ Draco gasped.

‘Fuck me.’ Hermione gasped at the same time.

_MINISTRY SEEKS EDUCATIONAL REFORM._

_DOLORES UMBRIDGE APPOINTED AS FIRST EVER HIGH INQUISITOR!_

‘What does that mean?’ Harry asked darkly.

Hermione scanned the article, surely the fastest she’d ever read anything, and gave the boys the highlights. ‘She’s got massive powers now… She’s only here because Dumbledore couldn’t fill the position… She can inspect the other teachers now, bet Snape’ll like that… Ha! Apparently, the parents love her, that’s news to me.’

‘Have you seen the crap Percy’s come out with?’ Harry said, frowning at the large Weasley quote.

_"The Minister has been growing uneasy about goings-on at Hogwarts for some time," said Junior Assistant to the Minister, Percy Weasley. "He is now responding to concerns, voiced by anxious parents, who feel the school may be moving in a direction they do not approve of…. she's been an immediate success, totally revolutionising the teaching of Defence Against the Dark Arts and providing the Minister with on-the-ground feedback about what's really happening at Hogwarts.”_

‘That’s nothing to the crap my father has come out with.’ Draco said darkly. ‘How on earth did he get interviewed? He’s on house arrest!’

_“I feel much easier now that I know Dumbledore is being subjected to fair and objective evaluation.” Said the Duke of Wiltshire last night. “I’m glad to see our Ministry is keeping an eye on our children’s education.”_

‘Who wrote this crap?’ Hermione said, looking for an author, but the writer somehow wasn’t listed.

_Rumours that Dumbledore is no longer up to the running of the prestigious school of Hogwarts due to his old age… He has stepped down as Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot – perhaps it is time to step down as Headmaster and enjoy retirement?_

‘Oh, at least some people are angry.’ Harry said.

_Wizengamot elders Griselda Marchbanks and Tiberius Ogden have resigned in protest at the introduction of the post of Inquisitor to Hogwarts._

_The King was firm in his disapproval of this new initiative. He has released a quote through the Royal Press Agent, Binta Imari. “Hogwarts is a school, not an outpost of Cornelius Fudge’s office. This is a disgrace.”_

Hermione folded the paper and bashed it down on the table in a rage. ‘This is Fudge’s response to hearing about Umbridge torturing students.’ She said furiously.

Harry glanced at his hand. The words had faded now thanks to the scar cream but it was still rather red.

The group sat in silence for a moment as the news broke around the rest of the Hall.

Harry was standing up. ‘I’ll see you later. I’ve got Quidditch practice.’

‘What’s practice like without one of your Chasers?’ Hermione asked, thinking of Neville off having the time of his life in Brazil.

‘We’ve got a temporary replacement. Perkins in your year is filling in for the first match. He’s alright.’ Harry said. ‘Not exactly a chatter box though, is he?’

Perkins never spoke. Ever. Literally never.

‘I’ve got an extra Alchemy lesson today,’ Hermione groaned.

‘But it’s Sunday!’ Harry gasped.

‘Hmm. We’ve got until tomorrow to finish our coursework for the module so everyone’s going in for some last-minute work.’ She told him. ‘I best get off actually or I’ll be late.’

She really didn’t like sitting on her own in this class, she missed Cedric terribly. It used to be funny when they didn’t understand things together, now she just felt like an idiot sat there clueless on her own.

‘Ah, Granger’s managed a full orange colour to her lead.’ Snape told the class. ‘Better than the lot of you put together.’

_We both know it’s only because of my new wand. _She grumbled. She hadn’t managed solid gold quite yet, but she was still doing better than the rest of the class – most of them were sat with chunks of led merely spotted with orange.

After submitting her orange led as her official coursework for the first module, the entire class headed to the library for their Ancient History coursework.

‘Seventy inches on the sinking of Atlantis. Thirty per-cent of your final grade.’ Binns had droned to them on their first lesson back.

_On this rare instant, Vutris descended to Earth to manage the matter personally. Armed with an Elvan Trident, she sunk the city to defeat the enemy. _

Knowing it was unlikely any more of her essays would be published in the historical sections, Hermione was just concerned with getting her facts right rather than sounding eloquent. She suspected that Binns just scanned the papers for facts anyway.

_The Muggles became aware of the land mass sinking, the author Plato wrote on it in a famous work. “in a single day and night of misfortune all your warlike men in a body sank into the earth, and the island of Atlantis in like manner disappeared in the depths of the sea.” -Plato, Timaeus. That the Ancient Muggles seem aware of this battle shows just the damaging scale of events. _

She hoped that including the Muggle approach and view would help her essay stand out, most of her class hadn’t ever heard of Plato.

_The record of events isn’t entirely clear, but it is agreed by many sources (p4) that there was a great rebellion against the Gods at the hands of the remaining Elves. Many of the Dusman (warriors of the Gods who hunt demons) perished in the battle. _

Hermione wondered if Aloise could spread some light on what had actually happened. But she imagined that if she stole Draco’s pottery piece that could be used to summon the ancient warrior, that said ancient warrior wouldn’t be happy about being called across the world to be asked how her sisters had been tortured and killed.

‘Right.’ She said, blowing on the ink to dry her conclusion. ‘That’s me done; anyone want any help?’ She offered.

Most people were nowhere near a conclusion.

‘No thanks, Granger.’ Lee Jordan said. ‘Why don’t you go enjoy the rest of your day?’ He smiled fondly at her. ‘You need to spend time outside of the library some time you know.’

Hermione rolled her eyes at him but did as he said. She stopped to drop her coursework off on Binns desk before she began to head back to her common room.

_Maybe there’s something on Atlantis, on what really happened, down in Hufflepuff’s library… _Though the building of Hogwarts was hundreds of years after the fall of Atlantis, there were some very ancient Tomes in there that she hasn’t wanted to risk touching lest they fall apart in her hands.

Back in the common room Hermione headed straight to her bedroom, stalking past Pansy sitting on Draco’s knee stroking his hair and giggling at something he’d said. Hermione had absolutely no doubt in her mind what they had been up to when they’d disappeared at the Hufflepuff party. If Pansy was still a virgin, she’d eat her wand.

Hermione dumped her bag quite forcefully down on top of her trunk and turned to head back out to find Daphne or one of her other friends.

Unfortunately, Pansy chose that moment to come in to use the toilet.

‘You’re really pathetic, you know that?’ Hermione snapped at the girl, unable to stop herself.

But it seemed that Pansy was holding onto more resent and anger than Hermione had been, and she was suddenly screaming at her.

Hermione was that taken aback that she didn’t hear the first few lines, but she heard the rest of it, oh boy did she hear the rest of it.

‘AND HE MADE ME THINK I’D KILLED A TEACHER! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT I’VE BEEN GOING THROUGH YOU SELF-CENTERED COW? NO, YOU DON’T!

DO YOU KNOW THE PRESSURE I’M UNDER FROM MY PARENTS TO MARRY WELL FOR THE FAMILY?! I DON’T EVEN LIKE DRACO THAT WAY! BUT THEY FIND OUT EVERYTHING I SAY AND DO SOMEHOW SO I HAVE TO KEEP UP THE ACT AND HE KNOWS IT!

I DON’T EVEN WANT TO BE A DUCHESS!

DO YOU HONESTLY THINK I’D CARE ABOUT SOCIAL CLIMBING? I JUST WANT A COMFORTABLE LIFE FAR AWAY FROM MY BLOODY PARENTS!’

There was a firm silence between them as Hermione stared at Pansy with wide eyes.

‘I just want a husband that will love me and I refuse to spend my life married to Draco knowing that he wishes I was you.’ Pansy said finally. Then she stormed off to the bathroom.

Hermione sat down, feeling rather numb, at the edge of her bed. _I am the most unfeeling bitch in the world. _She scolded herself.


	89. Inspection

October fell over the school with a cold snap. It rained nearly every day that month, and the gloomy weather rather set the tone of the school.

Hermione pulled her emerald green winter cloak tighter around her as she walked back down to the dungeons after breakfast, she had a good half hour before her first class to accomplish her goal.

She walked quickly through the hallway, noticing just how many students were nursing wounded hands. Umbridge had great powers as High Inquisitor, and had begun to inspect her fellow staff – along with putting masses of students in detention. There wasn’t a single thing Dumbledore or any other staff member could do about the blood quills, Umbridge was allowed to dole out whatever punishment she saw fit.

Hermione thought about her sole class inspection, Umbridge was sitting in on at least one OWL and one NEWT class for each subject so she was doomed to see her a lot more. But her inspection of Charms class yesterday hadn’t been so awful.

Flitwick had politely treated Umbridge like a guest and carried on with his lesson. She had made continuous notes and asked a few students questions about his lessons, but didn’t seem that bothered about _this _inspection.

On the other hand, Firenze the Centaur had a rather different inspection. According to Draco, Umbridge had gone out of her way to provoke a rude response from the Divination teacher. Apparently, she had said the following highlights: “near-human-intelligence”, “more restricted lands”, and finished off by muttering “dirty half-breed.”

Firenze, thankfully, hadn’t reacted at all, and had given a perfect lesson. He had even looked to the stars in order to predict something on demand, and said that the entire world would mourn soon – though he could not see why – he sensed great change was coming. Every student had highly praised Firenze, so Umbridge didn’t really have a leg to stand on if she wanted to sack him.

Once she was in the cosy common room, with its roaring fire warming the old stone, she took off her cloak and made for her bedroom.

Draco had been back to France several times now over the weekends, each time he brought her back a present. Not that she needed anything, he’d bought her a tray of creamy filled French chocolates for her birthday – along with a set of books on animating paintings which she had devoured.

She tossed her cloak back down on top of her trunk and resumed her work.

One of her new art books was propped open on her bedside table, her scene of Hogwarts painting lay waiting on the bed.

‘Right.’ Hermione said, pointing her Dragon and Mermaid wand at the painting for the seventh attempt. _Super powerful wand… c’mon, you can do this… _

‘Ambulatilis.’ She did the complicated wand movement over the painting. Nothing.

Hermione let out a frustrated huff and turned back to her book.

_In the non-dominant hand –_

Oh. Hermione moved her wand into her left hand, it felt strangely alien, as if she were trying to write or draw with the wrong hand.

‘Ambulatilis.’ She completed the complicated wand movement again.

The effect was instant.

Instantly the painted stars began to shimmer as she had imagined, the water on the lake began to slosh against the group of rowboats now moving towards the castle on the lake. Lights in the castle would turn on and off, and clear shadows of a full Great Hall were clear through the stained glass. Hermione grinned. She’d done it.

And she knew exactly what to do with this magical painting, a quick glance at the clock on her wall told her she had time for a quick trip to the owlery.

She carefully wrapped the painting in a thick brown paper, penned a quick letter, and set off.

The worn stone steps that led up to the Owlery were a menace in the rain, and oh boy was it raining. They were apparently set to have the wettest school year on record, news that made Daphne rather itchy as she still awaited the ill-fated storm.

‘Ouch!’ Hermione hissed as she slipped on the final step and scraped her knee. ‘For fucks sake.’ She said, mopping up the blood gushing from her knee with a wave of her wand – the painting was thankfully undamaged.

‘Freddie?’ She called her beloved raven down from his perch next to Hedwig as she stepped into the middle of the room. There were quite a few students crammed into the circular room at this time in the morning, all rushing about to send letters home to parents before they had to get to class.

Hermione summoned over one of the school owls too, much to Freddie’s annoyance.

‘It’s a big parcel dear.’ She told the raven gently, and he nipped affectionately at her finger as she moved to stroke his black feathers.

‘Right, both of you please take this delivery to Regia.’ She said, holding up the wrapped painting. ‘It’s going to King Armand, okay?’

Hermione tied her note to Freddie’s leg, and hoped the message inside was okay.

_Your Grace,_

_Happy birthday! This doesn’t count as a gift as I didn’t spend any money on it. I remember you saying that you missed the wonder of Hogwarts, I hope this will allow you to be transported back at your leisure. _

_Hermione x_

She sent the two birds off, each clutching a corner of the painting. She hoped the King liked his gift. Once the birds had disappeared into the distance, Hermione noticed she was alone in the room now. She swore when she realised that she would be late for potions, and hurried off into the thick rain.

* * *

‘What did you two get in your OWL results again?’ Draco asked Fred over dinner that night.

‘Straight E’s.’ Fred told him. ‘Though I’ve always said George and I should have gotten Exceeds Expectations just by turning up for the exams.'

Hermione rolled her eyes at this. ‘Draco, you’re going to Ace all your exams, chill.’

Draco began to absently fidget with the chain at his neck that held his time-turner. ‘I’m going to fail everything and the entire world will know I’m an idiot.’

Hermione snorted. ‘Drake, deep breaths. You’ve got months before the exams. If I could sit my OWLs at fourteen, you can definitely manage doing a few extra subjects.’

Draco leapt to his feet. ‘I can’t just sit still; I’m going to go train.’ He stormed off with his hand on the hilt of Excalibur.

Hermione sighed and turned to Fred. ‘I best go after him, or he’ll just work himself up more.’

Fred chuckled and bid her farewell before turning to chat with Blaise about the upcoming Quidditch match.

Hermione caught sight of Theo whispering something in Tracey’s ear, her golden hair comb prominent in her hair. Ginny and Harry had reconciled after their little row, and the black stone of her pin was prominent in her red hair – though she still didn’t have a bracelet as Daphne had predicted.

Hermione hurried down the corridor, Draco had already disappeared from view, but she knew where he would go.

Hermione made her way to the portrait of Godric Gryffindor and his family, noting that she had the hair of the young girl stood by the school founder inside her wand now as she opened the secret door.

But Draco wasn’t training. He was sat on the edge of the duelling stage staring blankly down at a piece of broken pottery with a curved edge bearing the ancient name of Aloise.

‘She’ll be really pissed if you summon her because you’re scared about your OWLs.’ Hermione said lightly as she came to sit down beside him.

Draco looked up in shock at the sound of her voice and stuffed the piece of pottery back into his pocket.

‘Do you just keep that on you at all times?’ She asked.

‘Yeah, never know when you’re going to need a warrior of heaven.’ He said. Then he sighed.

‘What is it?’ She asked.

‘I dunno… I only knew her for a few days but she taught me how to use my sword.’ He said, throwing his sword away with force and calling it back into his open hand before it could hit the floor with a clang.

‘And?’ Hermione probed.

‘She could be dead for all we know… she’s so small to go around fighting demons.’ Draco mused.

‘She’s been doing it for well over a thousand years, she knows what she’s doing.’ Hermione said.

‘I thought I’d have seen her by now… it’s been well over a year since she left.’ Draco said.

‘I’m sure she’s very busy.’ Hermione said. ‘The life of a Dusman must be very hectic.’

‘It’s just Voldemort being back, I suppose it’s just got me on edge. I can’t stop worrying about _everyone._ Even people I’ve only met once.’ He said, then he shook his head and stood up. ‘Sorry, I’m being silly. I’m going to see if Blaise wants to get in a few laps before Quidditch practice. Want to come?’

‘Nah, I’m mid-page in the secret library.’ She said, standing up beside him. _Probably don’t tell him you’re in the middle of reading a detailed account about how all the other Dusman were tortured and murdered at Atlantis… _

‘You’re such a nerd.’ He said fondly.

‘Wait.’ Hermione said, stopping suddenly. ‘I wanted to speak to you actually…’

‘About?’ Draco said nervously.

‘The Hufflepuff party.’ She said.

Draco’s eyes widened. _Sweet Merlin, is she going to ask me if I’m shagging Pansy?_

‘You did a lot of Pixie Dust.’

Draco deflated and rolled his eyes. ‘Jeez mum, I didn’t do _that _much.’

‘I saw you pocket that bag.’ She said, crossing her arms.

Draco let out a huff. ‘It’s fun, I never get to have any fun… I’ll see you for Prefect rounds later.’ Then he pretty much ran from the room.

Hermione let out a huff of her own before she left the duelling room and stormed straight down the main staircase until she was in the dungeons, a quick password later and she was in the Hufflepuff tunnels.

Throwing herself into her usual armchair, the fireplace in the room leapt to life as she got comfortable in her chair. She picked up the book she had left on the coffee table, she thought it might have been the oldest book in this collection – after the _Prophecy of Triad _of course.

_Elvan Accounts _did what it said on the tin. The last written accounts of the final High Elves. It was completed by the final surviving Elf, who had died at an incredibly old age during the reign of Armand I.

_ Atlantis _

_When the Dusman were captured by the Wizarding Council of Atlantis, they were tortured and defiled – for the people of Atlantis wished to learn of their immortality and other gifts. _

_They found, that with the correct weapons of elvan craft, or by the hand of warlike being, that the Dusman could be killed._

Hermione felt sick at the image of Aloise losing her sisters like this, poor Dusman.

_Atune was enraged by the slaying of her creations – her daughters – that she asked Queen Vutris for aide, for Atune did not have the power to defeat their foe. _

_Vutris descended to Earth and walked the streets of Atlantis. She demanded that the enemy leave the state of Atlantis and return the Dusman to Atune without further harm. Or else she would unleash her full wrath upon them._

_The people of Atlantis, in their vanity, thought that they had the power and strength to conquer a God. They refused Vutris –_

The rest of the sentence had been smudged and faded beyond comprehension; Hermione could only make out a few words. _His Life. Orbs. Mermaid. _

_The Atlanteans’ were wrong. They did not have the power to defeat Vutris and her allies. _

_Vutris, enraged, called forth the Spear of Aresor and, over the course of a day and a night, sank the city into the icy depths. For the Dusman can survive underwater, the survivors watched as their captors drowned – as the White-Haired Maiden trapped the enemy in an inescapable prison – and swam to the surface to safety. _

_The Dusman that died were given a mighty tomb in the sunken city, where they remain to this day. _

_The Weapon vault of the Gods was rumoured to be in a vault underneath Atlantis, being the storage for all powerful elvan weapons. It is unknown what became of these mighty artefacts._

Hermione finished the Atlantis chapter and moved to return the ancient tome to its spot on the shelf – it was the only book that she kept on the same shelf with the _Prophecy of Triad. _

Draco was waiting for her at the door to the Slytherin common room.

‘Sorry I snapped at you.’ He said as she came to stop in front of him. His hair was still slightly damp from his post-Quidditch practice shower.

‘It’s alright.’ She said. ‘Let’s get this over with, I’m tired.’

Draco nodded. ‘Want to start at the top and work our way down?’

Hermione nodded and they set off for the Astronomy tower.

‘When do you leave for France?’ She asked as they marched up the stairs.

‘Er…’ Draco thought for a moment, his days were all blurring together at this point. ‘Friday after class… then I’ll be back Monday before classes start.’

They moved down from the tall tower quickly, sending wandering students back to their common rooms as they went.

Then they had gotten to the Transfiguration corridor, it was pitch black.

‘Looks like Peeves has been through here.’ Hermione said, noting the shattered chandelier on the ground.

Draco wagged his eyebrows at her. ‘Well then, Kitten. You’ve got me alone in a dark corridor. Whatever do you plan to do with me?’

‘Slap you about the head if you don’t start behaving.’

Hermione pulled out her wand and brought it across her chest in a sweeping motion as she had in Snape’s classroom. The chandelier zoomed back to its ceiling fixture and light swarmed into every crevice in the hall.

Draco winced and shielded his eyes from the sudden light. ‘Some warning next time.’

‘Oh no.’ Hermione said suddenly.

‘What?’ Draco asked, scanning the corridor to see what could be wrong.

‘You’re going to miss the Halloween feast!’ She said sadly.

‘I know, but I’ve got a meeting with the Minister of Finance and then I have to go to the French Ministers charity Gala in support of traditional all hallows eve rituals.’ Draco said. ‘I’d much rather be here with you… It’s a shame I can’t take you with me.’

Hermione let out a gentle smile at this. ‘I’m sure you’ll have fun without me… you seem to be doing a very good job of having some fun with the ladies at the minute.’

Draco groaned. ‘Hey! That’s not fair! We agreed that we were going to live our lives as normal until… you know. I won’t judge you if you go about shagging people! I haven’t mentioned the fact that you’re apparently starving yourself!’

Hermione held up her hands in mock surrender. ‘Fine, fine. I won’t say anything else… and I’m not starving myself!’

‘If you say so.’ Draco said, though he clearly didn’t believe her, and they continued their patrol.

* * *

The cut on the back of Harry’s hand was open again at the Halloween feast. _I must not tell lies _was marred onto the back of Harry’s hand in his elegant script. The surrounding flesh was painfully red and raised showing it to be a new wound.

‘Dumbledore said not to be alone with her!’ Hermione hissed as she dug through Harry’s bag for the soothing scar removal ointment, she had brewed from him previously, over half the jar had been used.

She began to generously apply the paste to the wound and Harry let out a tense breath at the instant soothing sensation.

‘He wasn’t alone.’ Fred said, showing her his own bleeding hand. _I will follow the rules. _‘I should have added a “not” in there and then it would be alright.’

Hermione gritted her teeth at the sight of his still bleeding hand. ‘I’ll get you some scar removal cream too.’

Hermione held out her hand after finished with Harry and Fred placed his wounded hand into hers without pause, she began to gently apply to paste and the bleeding stopped at once as the skin began to fuse together.

‘How does that feel?’ She asked as she watched the words begin to fade, leaving only a slight redness.

Fred nodded; it did feel much better. ‘Thanks nerd.’ Fred grinned at her fondly, before reaching for some pumpkin juice.

‘I can’t believe Fudge is going this far… he’s literally letting her torture students.’ She said with an angry shake of the head.

‘Where’s Drake?’ Harry asked as she began to shovel his mashed potatoes into his mouth. _Oh, to be able to eat like a growing boy._

‘He’s in France with their Minister for a fundraiser.’ Hermione said.

‘I wonder what expensive present he’ll bring you back this time?’ Fred said with an eye roll.

Hermione lightly elbowed him. ‘He doesn’t always get me a present.’

‘Yes he does.’

* * *

Draco had arrived back at the castle with a new scarf for Hermione that would match her green cloak, it was incredibly soft and Hermione noted that Draco had removed the price tag before giving it to her.

‘What class has Umbridge not analysed yet?’ He asked as he sat down beside Hermione for breakfast and let out a loud yawn. He had gained noticeable bags under his eyes over the hectic weekend abroad while also managing his OWL homework.

‘Er – she was meant to do Transfiguration the other day but she heard Armand was in the castle to see Dumbledore and shot off to spy at them.’ Harry said. ‘Allegedly. That’s what Dean Thomas said, I didn’t see it myself.’

Draco nodded. ‘Yeah, Armand wrote to me on Sunday and said he’d found her hiding behind a statue on Friday.’ Draco rolled his eyes. ‘He was very much not impressed.’

‘Did she hear anything important?’ Harry asked in concern, who knew the important things Dumbledore and Armand could have been discussing?

‘I don’t think so. They wouldn’t talk about anything to do with the Order out in the open.’ Hermione said as she thought on it.

‘Hmm.’ Draco nodded. ‘She probably only heard them discussing the weather… it’s bloody shit.’

The rain was still pouring down from a grey sky. The fields of the school had been reduced to muddy trip hazards and as the first Quidditch match approached, people were excited but hopeful it would be over quickly.

Hermione rolled her eyes and then the dread set in. ‘Oh no, I have NEWT Transfiguration this morning… you don’t reckon she’ll inspect my lesson, do you?’

Harry and Draco shared a glance that said _“yes, I do think so.” _

‘Maybe not.’ Draco said with pretend optimism.

‘She might have a class this morning.’ Harry nodded as everyone began to rise and head off to their first lesson.

‘You guys could at least try and sound convincing.’ She groaned as she pulled her bag onto her shoulder.

Umbridge was in her Transfiguration class.

‘This ought to be good.’ Fred muttered in her ear as they spotted the ridiculous pink woman coming up to the classroom door with her clipboard. ‘Umbridge versus McGonagall.’

They entered the class; Hermione shared a desk with Fred and George – she sat in the middle of them at McGonagall’s insistence. There was probably some hope she would be a good influence over them, but alas, much messing about usually occurred.

Professor McGonagall marched into the room without giving the slightest indication that she knew Professor Umbridge was there. She stalked up the aisle between the rows of desks with a stack of papers which she placed down on her desk. Silence fell immediately once McGonagall turned to face them. 

‘Perkins, hand out the marked homework.’ She said, gesturing to a pile of papers at the edge of her desk. ‘Jordan, hand out the twigs.’

'Hem, hem,' Professor Umbridge cleared her throat with her silly high-pitched cough. Professor McGonagall ignored her.

Perkins passed Hermione’s essay to her. She’d gotten an “O” and a percentage mark of a hundred. There was a note attached to the front of her paper saying “_see me after class”. _

A glance to her side showed her late-night library sessions with the twins had paid off. Fred had gotten an E, as had George.

‘Everyone have a twig? We will be continuing working on our conjuring spells today. Most of you have managed to turn your twig into an umbrella now – once you have managed this again, see me and-’

‘- Hem, hem.’ Umbridge coughed again.

Hermione saw McGonagall clench her jaw as she turned to look at Umbridge in her corner with a raised brow. ‘Yes?’

Umbridge spoke with obvious fake cheer and friendliness. 'I was just wondering, Professor, whether you received my note telling you of the change to the date and time of your inspec -’

‘Obviously I received it, or I would have asked you what you are doing in my classroom.’ Professor McGonagall snapped impatiently, turning firmly away from Professor Umbridge to face her class again.

Many of the students exchanged looks of glee, Hermione and the twins included.

‘As I was saying: today, once you have successfully transfigured your twig, I will give you the next instructions for conjuring an umbrella from the air -’

‘- Hem, hem.’ Umbridge had lost her smile but still sounded cheery.

‘I wonder.’ McGonagall said harshly as she turned to face Umbridge with her little clipboard. ‘How you expect to gain an idea of my usual teaching methods if you continue to interrupt me? I do not generally allow people to talk in my class when I am lecturing.’

Professor Umbridge recoiled back in her seat as if McGonagall had just sent a jinx her way. She did not reply to this, but she did straighten in her seat almost instantly and begin scribbling furiously on her clipboard.

Looking supremely unconcerned, Professor McGonagall addressed the class once more.

‘As I was saying: to conjure your umbrella from nothing is very complex, the theory alone is a lot to remember, but with practice you will be able to manage this spell with ease… On with your twigs then.’ She said to the class, who all instantly began trying to transfigure their twigs.

Hermione managed a lovely emerald green umbrella with little Slytherin snakes running around the edge.

‘You couldn’t just make a simple umbrella?’ Fred rolled his eyes, his umbrella – as were many in the class – were simply the same brown as their twigs.

‘A Slytherin must be stylish at all times.’ George joked with false superiority.

‘A Lady – you mean, Georgie.’ Fred corrected with false airs.

Hermione restrained herself from whacking the boys with her fancy umbrella with Umbridge in the room, she settled for letting out a huff and telling them how to turn their umbrellas red with little lions on it.

‘Excellent work at this table.’ McGonagall said as she came to examine their work. ‘Here is the handout for the next steps, please spend the rest of the lesson completing it.’

Professor Umbridge did not follow Professor McGonagall around the class as she had followed all the other Professors; perhaps she realised McGonagall would not permit it. She did, however, take many more notes while sitting in her corner, and when McGonagall finally told them all to pack away, she rose with a grim expression on her face.

Professor Umbridge approached the teacher’s desk. ‘How long have you been teaching at Hogwarts?’

‘Thirty-nine years in December.’ Professor McGonagall said, clearly not in the mood for dealing with Umbridge.

Professor Umbridge pretended to make note of this already known fact, Hermione suspected her detailed notes were probably just doodles and scribbles.

‘Very well,’ she said gravely, ‘you will receive the results of your inspection in ten days' time.’

‘I can hardly wait,’ Professor McGonagall said, in a coldly indifferent voice. Then she noticed Hermione stood in front of her desk as commanded. ‘Ah! Granger, yes. Your essay. It’s being published.’

‘Oh?’ Hermione asked in pleasant surprise.

At the same time Umbridge startled. ‘You didn’t ask permission to send any essays off for publication.’

If looks could kill, Umbridge would be incredibly dead. Even Hermione winced at the furious look McGonagall shot at Umbridge.

‘I do not need permission to have my students’ papers published… I thought my inspection was over?’ McGonagall said furiously. ‘Granger, let’s talk in my office.’

She stormed from the classroom and Hermione followed after her, leaving Umbridge in a rage behind them.

‘You won’t get a nice report for that.’ Hermione said gingerly as McGonagall unlocked her office door with a wave of her wand.

McGonagall scoffed and pushed a biscuit tin at Hermione, which she waved off with claims she was still full from breakfast.

‘I don’t hold much to Professor Umbridge’s opinion… now, your paper. I sent it off to a friend at Transfiguration Today, I rather enjoyed what you had to propose about the creation of Bowtruckle habitats using recycled wands… and where did you get your information on Ancient Transfiguration practices?’

‘Oh… just a book in the library…’

* * *

‘Is that a royal bird?’ Daphne asked, looking up.

‘Yeah, that’s my uncle’s bird.’ Draco said. ‘Odd, now’s not the time for post…’

But the regal bird did not land in front of Draco, it landed in front of Hermione.

The King’s bird always attracted many curious eyes, especially when it went to anyone other than Draco or Dumbledore. Most of the eyes in the Great Hall were on Hermione as the great bird preened in front of Hermione.

‘Why’s the King writing to you?’ Blaise asked in surprise.

‘Probably just to say thanks for his birthday present.’ Hermione shrugged, freeing the letter from the massive bird. The great creature pecked affectionately at Draco for a moment and then took back to the sky and flew out of the Great Hall.

‘You’re not allowed to give gifts to the royal family.’ Daphne said in surprise.

Hermione shrugged. ‘Well, I figured Armand deserved a birthday present… and it’s not like I did it to gain favour.’

‘You already have it.’ Draco said.

‘Exactly.’ Hermione said. ‘So, I sent him a painting.’

She broke the royal seal on the envelope and pulled the small square of parchment out.

_From the desk of The King. _

_Dearest Hermione,_

_Thank you for the painting, it is exactly the kindness I needed in these times. I’m very fond of it, you have great skill.  
I hope you’re doing well!  
Fondly,  
Armand._

The paper itself was ridiculously expensive. It looked like it had real gold bordering it which shimmered under the candlelight.

‘Is that another one?’ Daphne asked, frowning at the ceiling again.

‘That’s Matilda’s bird!’ Draco said.

It landed in front of Hermione again.

Now every eye in the Hall was watching Hermione receiving royal post with interest. Umbridge was leaning that far out of her seat at the staff table that she looked like she was in danger of slipping onto the floor.

‘Why would she write to me?’ Hermione frowned.

‘Probably to tell you off for breaking the rules.’ Draco shrugged.

_From the desk of the Crown Princess. _

_Dear Hermione,_

_I’m sure my father didn’t do his enjoyment of your present justice in his letter. He absolutely loves the painting and he’s hung it over the mantle in his private rooms! He’s currently sat staring at it with his evening brandy with Banes.   
You’ve outdone even my gift!   
I hope you’re well!  
Love,   
Matilda._

‘Must have been some painting.’ Draco said. ‘What did you send him?’

‘Er – that one I did of Hogwarts the other day… but I used one of them books you gave me to animate it.’ She said.

Draco nodded. ‘Yeah, he’d love that.’

Dinner progressed with people in the Hall still glancing at Hermione in curiosity.

‘Umbridge is staring at you.’ Daphne said without looking up from her dinner.

Hermione glanced up to see Umbridge looking at her thunderously, no doubt thinking she was conspiring with the royal family now. The toad-like woman kept glancing at longing at the two letters on the table.

Hermione formed a sly grin, she reached up and plucked one of the floating candles from the air.

Umbridge stood up in a rage, her chair audibly scraping against the stone floor as it tipped and crashed back onto the floor. Everyone in the Hall turned instantly to find the source of the noise, then followed Umbridge’s line of sight.

Hermione was burning the two letters from Armand and Matilda. There was nothing secret or covert on either parchment, but Hermione took this slight satisfaction in winding Umbridge up.

Once the two letters were nought but ash, Hermione swept the pile onto the floor where it instantly vanished – no doubt by the hand of the house-elves.

Hermione couldn’t stop herself, she winked at Umbridge, who turned and stormed from the Hall.

Then she glanced at Dumbledore. He was openly laughing.

* * *

* * *

Chapter 92 is going to be a pretty interesting chapter...


	90. Soldier Boy

The pink powder was thrown onto the fire, and the real party began.

People began pairing off almost immediately either off up the stairs or occupying free couches in the Hufflepuff common room.

‘Drink? Fred asked Hermione, who nodded and pulled her short dress down as she stood.

It was an emerald green affair she’d picked up at the first Hogsmeade visit the other day. The dress was quite tight on her little body, strapless and ending at the thigh. Fred had already teased that she had defiantly dressed for an Orgy. ‘I just thought it was cute,’ she’d defended herself.

The duo walked through to the next room with the drink table. Draco was hunched over the other table in the room with a bunch of sixth years, he was doing lines of Pixie Dust with them and laughing.

‘Do you want some?’ Fred asked her, noticing her looking over at the drugs table.

Hermione shook her head. ‘Nah, I’m alright. You can go ahead if you want to though.’

Fred scrunched up his nose. ‘It’s no fun if you’re doing it alone, I’ll just stick to my drink.’

Fred was going a little bit slower with the alcohol this time around; it had taken him two days to get George’s and Lee’s drawings off his face after he’d passed out at the last party.

‘You know,’ Hermione mused as she sipped at her fruity cocktail, ‘I reckon I could brew a potion to get you really drunk in one go.’

Fred chuckled. ‘You’re such a nerd… but half the fun of these things is having a few drinks with mates.’

Hermione looked over her shoulder as she walked back into the main room with Fred, Draco was doing yet more of the powdered drug with one of the sixth-year girls who was laughing at something he’d said.

All but one of the couches were now occupied by couples in various states of undress. Not everyone got completely naked if they were having sex in the common room, some just pulled their dresses up or just opened heir pants. There were a few exhibitionists’ though that did just strip and rut away for everyone to see… perhaps they were too drunk or high to care.

Harry had already dipped out to spend the evening with Harry, he said there was no point in him staying for this part when he had a very much-loved girlfriend. ‘You know, if you’re formally courting, she can stay for this part, right?’ The seventh year Hufflepuff Prefect had told him. ‘Put a bracelet on her and she can stay.’ 

Hermione sat on the one free couch that held some of her friends, Theo and Tracey had already wandered off up the stairs, leaving her with: Daphne, Millie, Crabbe, Goyle, Blaise, and Pansy.

Hermione perched on the arm of the couch but Blaise stood up and offered her his seat. ‘I’m going now anyway.’ He told her before leaving the room without a backwards glance.

Hermione took the seat in between Daphne and Pansy.

‘For Vutris’ sake.’ Daphne said, putting her hands to her head.

‘What?’ Hermione asked in concern. Was she having another vision?

‘Being a True Banshee… sometimes I see things I _really _wish I didn’t.’ Daphne cringed at the images running through her head but she pointed at the door leading to the next room. ‘And they emerge in three… two… one…’

Draco came out of the room looking very drunk, very drugged, and very occupied. That blonde sixth year girl was kissing his neck as he pulled her across the room, stumbling and laughing as they went, and they disappeared up the staircase.

Hermione turned to Pansy with wide eyes, her fiancée had very openly just cheated on her (and not with Hermione for a change), but Pansy just blinked back at her looking very bored.

‘Are you alright?’ Hermione asked her. Ever since Pansy had snapped and screamed her situation at Hermione, something had changed between them. They weren’t besties by any measure, but there seemed to be an understanding between them now.

Pansy snorted and nodded as she lounged back into the chair. ‘That’s not the first girl he’s gone off with since the last party… I walked in on him in a broom cupboard with some Ravenclaw the other day.’

‘Snogging?’ Hermione gasped.

‘Nope. He had her bent over a chest. Draco’s getting around.’ Pansy said, then she stood up and stretched up high. ‘Well, if he’s doing it… when in Rome.’ Then she wandered over to a group of Hufflepuff boys in the year above and soon went up the stairs with one of them.

Millie and Daphne were both seeming to be in the middle of a funny conversation which she didn’t want to interrupt, so she looked over to the armchair across the hall where Fred was sat chatting with Lee.

Hermione crossed the room with her fruity cocktail, she walked into a coffee table as she went – maybe she was a little tipsy – and sat down on the arm of the chair that Lee had just vacated to go and snog some sixth year.

‘I see Draco’s keeping busy.’ Fred said with a raised brow as she rested her side against him, nodding towards the staircase that Draco had disappeared up and not returned.

Hermione shrugged. ‘He can do whatever he wants, Pansy didn’t seem to care much.’

Fred looked at her appraisingly for a moment and then he frowned at how she was sat. ‘That doesn’t look comfortable.’ Then he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her onto his lap. She shrieked as she was suddenly lurched from her perch but settled into her new seat on Fred’s thighs, her legs were left dangling over the side of the chair.

‘I nearly spilt my drink!’ She scolded him, and took a drink.

Hermione and Fred spend the next twenty minutes people watching and giggling into each other’s ears as they shared private jokes.

Fred finished his tale about George managing to fall from his broom the other day to her amusement. She noticed a slight shift in the air now – the party was in full swing.

On the couch to her left, someone was rutting into a girl, one girl was going down on a boy on the chair across from them, and to their right was another girl riding a seventh-year boy in Hermione’s Runes class.

She turned to look at Fred in surprise as she realised that he was sat laughing with her instead of participating. ‘Aren’t you going off with a girl?’

Fred grinned drunkenly up at her. ‘Why would I do that when the best girl at the party is sat on my knee?’

Hermione rolled her eyes and bats his chest, ‘No wonder you and George get all the girls, that’s a good line… now go and find someone it’ll actually work on.’ She jumped up from his knee and wandered back across the room towards her remaining friends.

She heard Fred’s laughter following her, and five minutes later he took her advice and disappeared up the stairs with a stunning brunette in Ravenclaw.

‘Where have the boys gone?’ She asked, had Crabbe and Goyle gone off with girls too?

‘Er – Goyle drank too much and Crabbe is presumably carrying him down a corridor right now.’ Millie said.

Hermione grinned. ‘How drunk was he?’

Daphne cringed. ‘Well, Crabbe put him over his shoulder after the stairs, and Goyle just chucked up down his back.’

Millie and Hermione cringed and groaned at the idea.

Then Millie yawned. ‘I think I’m going to head back too; I want some chips.’ Millie was the typical foodie drunk – once a certain time was reached her drunken mind always turned to the takeaway food.

‘Don’t forget about the invisible stair.’ Daphne called at her retreating back.

‘Does she faceplant?’ Hermione asked.

Daphne nodded. ‘Yup. Though she’ll be more bothered about dropping her chips.’

Hermione grinned and shook her head. _Oh, what are my friends like?_

‘Oh cool, look.’ Daphne said, pointing to two girls going up the staircase together to the hoots of several boys and calls asking if they could watch – they were silenced by glares.

‘What happened to French girl, then?’ Hermione asked her as she sipped at her drink.

‘Annette? She’s fine.’ Daphne nodded with a smile. ‘She’s the year above us so she’s sitting all her exams this year… they sit their version of NEWTs in their sixth year in France… so she’s really busy.’

‘When are you seeing her again?’ Hermione asked. She was aware that Daphne had spent a week over summer at the French girl’s family estate and had quite the wild week together.

‘She’s coming over in the New Year! Though my parents think she’s just a friend.’ Daphne told her.

It was occurring to Hermione that everyone but her seemed to be having sex… and Draco was apparently having a lot of it with a lot of different girls.

* * *

‘Neville!’ Hermione exclaimed as she threw herself into his waiting arms. ‘When did you get in?’

Neville pressed a friendly peck to her cheek and let her go. ‘Just now.’ His hair was still dark and wet from the pouring rain outside. Then he frowned as he took in her appearance. ‘Have you been cursed or something? You look ill.’

Hermione rolled her eyes. ‘Gee, thanks Nev. Just what every girl wants to hear.’

‘Then why are you so thin?’ He frowned as he took her in fully, the bones in her face were getting quite prominent.

‘I’m not! I’m perfectly fit.’ She waved him off. ‘You, on the other hand, look great!’

Neville had grown about a foot over the summer and his months abroad, his skin was darkly tanned, and he’d gained new muscles with weeks of outdoor work.

Neville blushed and waved her off, though he did notice that there were several girls giving him appreciative looks and he shifted uncomfortably. He scanned the room for the only one of his friends he couldn’t see. ‘Where’s Drake?’

‘He’s away.’ Hermione told him. ‘He’s got a meeting with his French council today, then he’s got to do some Duke things at his estate tomorrow, oh and the King’s called a council meeting on Monday morning so he’ll miss his AM classes.’

‘Wow, what a busy bee. I’m surprised he can keep up with his NEWT work.’ Neville said.

‘How did you keep up with your NEWT work while you were in Brazil?’ Hermione asked, the thought suddenly occurring to her.

Neville rolled his eyes. ‘I did have other classes besides Herbology, you know… but there was a lot of Herbology. It was so cool, they just take their class into the jungle on their doorstep and show them all these dangerous plants… like, there’s this one vine that grabs you and tries to feed you to this massive flower and their Ministry has an entire department to deal with the fallout from Muggles who get eaten by it.’

Breakfast, and most of the morning, was spent listening to the thrilling tales of Neville abroad.

‘Oh, and I found another Wolfblood bonus to make up for the fact I’m going to go loony. When I was a human in the jungle over there, there was this Brazilian Wandering Spider – super deadly – and it literally ran away from me.’

‘So, there I was, python in one hand, vines tying up the other hand, and I had to tear my way free and hurl the snake away from the group.’

‘And she said “well can you pass me the hammer then?” and she smashes the bloody thing!’

After lunch though, he wanted to be caught up on everything he’d missed. ‘What are the Hufflepuff parties like now then?’

‘They’re alright, I guess.’ Blaise said. ‘Not really my cup of tea.’

Neville seemed to deflate at the news that Blaise didn’t enjoy the Hufflepuff parties, and several people noticed – not that they said anything.

‘I hear you have a new wand?’ Neville turned to Hermione.

She nodded and pulled it out of her arm holster. ‘Cherry, and a dual core. Dragon Heartstring and Mermaid hair.’

‘Mermaid hair? You mean from a Merperson in the lake?’ He said.

Hermione grinned. ‘Nope. Mermaid. Queen Blythe to get specific.’

Neville rolled his eyes. ‘You couldn’t just have a normal wand, could you?’ Then he laughed. ‘Is it dead powerful, then? You’ve pretty much got a divine element.’

‘She knocked Flitwick on his arse at the duelling club.’ Blaise told him.

‘Hmm. Umbridge really isn’t a fan of that club.’ Hermione said. ‘She’ll probably find a way to cancel school clubs she doesn’t like soon.’ 

There were several nods of agreement as people flashed back to Umbridge sitting with a very clenched jaw in the corner of the room as everyone duelled around her, she’d appeared furious that there were so many students proficient at the practice.

‘Did you say Draco will be home by lunch on Monday?’ Neville asked as they ate.

Hermione nodded and grumbled. ‘Much to the pleasure of the female population, yes.’

Pansy chuckled darkly next to her.

Neville frowned. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

‘Oh, I didn’t say in my letters, did I? Draco’s turned into a whore.’ Blaise said with a nod.

‘A whore?’ Neville asked.

‘He’s shagging half the school if you listen to the rumours.’ Harry said from just down the table, where he was sat with Ginny.

‘You shouldn’t.’ Daphne said. ‘I overheard Lavender Brown saying they hooked up the other day but Draco was in the library with me at the time.’

Hermione rolled her eyes. ‘Half the girls in the school are claiming they’ve shagged a Duke.’

‘They’ll all hurt their marriage prospects if they say it’s happened outside of a Hufflepuff party.’ Theo said.

‘I don’t think there’s any Pure-blood girls claiming it… their parents would just murder them.’ Tracey said.

‘Don’t get me wrong, he is getting about a bit… he’s had a girl a week or something like that since the first party.’ Daphne said. ‘And please don’t ask me how I know that.’

Theo suddenly startled. ‘Please tell me you aren’t having visions of your mates all shagging?’

Daphne gave him a dry expression. ‘You keep your socks on.’

‘Sweet Merlin!’ He cried.

‘You see everyone?’ Blaise asked nervously, glancing at Neville.

‘I don’t go looking for it!’ Daphne said defensively.

‘I bet Draco’s drowning in girls in France?’ Hermione asked, trying to sound casual.

‘No. He’s too busy to sleep, never mind have sex with someone.’ Daphne told her.

Everyone sat in silence for a moment, thinking about every embarrassing or private moment Daphne might have been watching in on.

‘So… Hermione,’ Neville said to change the topic, ‘I hear you got yourself published again?’

* * *

Draco returned on Monday halfway through lunchtime and grabbed Neville in a tight “bro” hug.

‘I hear you’re shagging half the school.’ Neville said once they broke apart.

Draco rolled his eyes. ‘Wow, I must be busy then.’

He passed out some presents to his friends – mostly chocolates and sweets, though he’d gotten Pansy a new broach of a snake with emerald eyes and Hermione a new perfume that was one of the best things any of them had ever smelt, and he’d gifted Daphne a rather cool book on the ancient race of True Banshee’s that documented how they had used their gifts.

It was later at night when most of their friends had gone to bed when Draco turned to her, ‘come to the Ancient Temple with me?’

Hermione nodded and stood up. They walked the corridor and the underground tunnels in silence. Draco disappeared down the ladder first and helped Hermione down the last step.

‘What are we doing here?’ She asked, they didn’t have any rituals planned.

‘Two things.’ He answered. ‘Firstly, you know how you fixed that chandelier the other week?’

‘Hmm?’ Hermione nodded.

‘I thought you could try that down here, you know, return it to its original state?’ He said, nodding at the old rotting ladder.

Hermione nodded. ‘Good idea!’ She moved to stand against the wall of a faded mural, ‘come stand next to me or you might get knocked over.’

Draco silently moved to stand next to her and Hermione dragged her wand across her chest slowly, feeling some resistance.

At once, the empty rungs of the ladder were filled with a matching dark wood. The stone walls were all scrubbed clean to become a gleaming white, as were the statue of Atune and the alter that still held three massive white handprints.

The two murals on either side of the alter were cleaned and restored too, dust from the floor flying upwards to stick to the wall and gaining colour as it did. The left mural didn’t need much work, the image of Atune in full Goddess Regalia with her purple coronation style orb and her golden crown was merely cleaned and neatened up. Her strawberry-blond hair and light green eyes shone a little brighter against the stone. The mural on the right wall was another story.

The nearly vanished image was fully restored to its former glory.

‘Wow.’ Draco said.

Atune, holding her purple orb aloft as she stood over a body of water was what first drew their gaze… but what was in the water made Hermione gasp. Atune was stood over about fifty True Mermaids, all of different colours of skin and tail, of different sizes and expression. They all seemed to be swimming up to greet Atune on the surface of the water.

‘It’s beautiful.’ Hermione said.

‘I wonder if Atune is happy we’ve just neatened up her temple?’

In answer to her question, the stone eyes of the statue flashed a dazzling white for a brief moment before turning back to stone.

‘You’re welcome!’ Hermione called to the statue in a bit of shock. Then she turned on Draco, ‘what’s part two?’

‘Nothing this exciting.’ He said awkwardly, still admiring the new mural and tracing a finger over one particular blonde mermaid with a reddish tail. ‘I’m sorry, does that one look like Queen Blythe to you?’

‘Can’t be.’ Hermione said. ‘This place was built before she was born.’ Though it did look a lot like the ancient Queen, it had to be said.

Hermione turned to him with an expectant look. Draco sighed.

‘Right, well… I suppose I just wanted to talk to you about all those rumours.’ Draco told her.

‘The rumours that you’re shagging every girl in a hundred-mile radius?’ She asked.

‘Yeah, that one.’ He nodded. ‘I just… I don’t… I…’ He trailed off.

‘How many people have you actually slept with?’ She asked.

‘Five.’ He said. 

_Not as many as rumoured then. _Hermione thought to herself, happy at the news but sad it was anyone but her.

‘What about you?’ He asked while twiddling his thumbs.

‘What about me?’ She asked, not following.

‘How many guys have you shagged?’ He asked.

She frowned at him. ‘None?’

Draco didn’t hide his surprise. ‘What? Really?’

She shrugged. ‘Why would I have?’

‘Well… I thought maybe you and Fred?’

She shook her head. ‘No, we’re just friends.’

‘Oh.’ Draco said, and began examining the newly appeared wall of Mermaids.

Hermione could tell that he felt incredibly awkward talking about their sex lives that weren’t with one another, but one of the things Hermione loved about them was that they could speak about any subject even if it was uncomfortable.

She decided to lighten the mood. ‘Being the nephew of the King and carrying the legendary sword of Excalibur must not harm your chances with the ladies.’

But Draco did not laugh or even smile, actually, he looked quite upset. He stroked a finger over the purple dragon egg orb Atune held over her Mermaids.

‘I don’t want someone that cares about any of that stuff.’ He said slowly and quietly. ‘I want someone who likes me for me and… and so far, there’s only one person that meets that criteria… and I can’t have her.’

Hermione came to admire the mural with him, finding herself too upset to meet his gaze too.

‘Maybe things will be different when Voldemort’s been dealt with once and for all.’ She said.

‘My father has made it quite clear he’ll kill you if I so much as hold your hand in public.’ Then he shook his head. ‘I can’t be with you as long as he’s alive, I know what he’s capable of.’

‘Well then… I’ll hold him down and you hit him over the head with Excalibur?’ She tried to joke.

‘We should go back.’ Draco said and he let out a loud yawn. ‘Sweet Merlin I’ve got to go back to France on Friday, I’m bloody dead on my feet.’

‘How are you keeping up with your OWL work?’ She asked.

‘I’m staying up all night to get it done.’ He admitted.

Hermione frowned. ‘Well, that won’t do… from now on every lunchtime we’ll work in the library together and I’ll do my NEWT work and help you out.’

Draco pulled her into a tight hug. ‘Thanks Kitten… I’d be lost without you.’

* * *

‘What are you doing in the library at six in the morning on a Friday?’ Madam Prince asked with a stern expression at the sight of Hermione walking in the moment the library doors had opened.

Hermione frowned. ‘I couldn’t sleep so I thought I’d get some coursework done… is that okay?’

Madam Prince ignored her and turned to setting up her desk.

Hermione rolled her eyes and set off towards the history aisles, intent on getting the necessary copies of the Daily Prophet from the archives for the final Goblin war which happened after the paper was founded. She didn’t get that far though; she quickly became distracted by the reports from the last war.

_Auror Frank Longbottom and wife Alice tortured to insanity by desperate Death Eaters!_

_You-Know-Who Falls! Lily and James Potter dead, son Harry survives killing curse!_

_Queen Marie killed by Death Eaters! Princess Matilda rushed to St Mungo’s! Several royal guards killed in the attack!_

_Marlene McKinnon dead at own hand when surrounded by Death Eaters!_

Hermione worked her way backwards through time and the horrible articles, several titling deaths and the horrors of Voldemort.

Draco found her on the floor in front of the newspaper collection an hour later when he came to return a book before breakfast.

‘Hermione!’ He gasped when he saw her crying, he dashed to her and wrapped his arms tightly around her. ‘What is it? Are you hurt?’

She shook her head and gestured at the papers lain out in front of her. ‘It just really hit me.’ She said as she wiped at her eyes. ‘We’re not all going to make it out of this, are we?’

‘No, we’re not.’ Draco said honestly. What was the point in lying?

Hermione let out a sob, wiped her eyes again, and took a deep breath. ‘I can’t imagine anyone… any of them… or us…’

Draco nodded and sat down on the floor next to her, then he began neatly stacking the papers so they wouldn’t have to look at them. ‘It keeps me up at night sometimes… Armand and Matilda are massive targets, and so are two of my best friends… and the rest of them are going to get caught up in it on both sides.’

‘Maybe we should all just run away.’ She mused.

‘Could you?’ He asked curiously. ‘Could you run?’

Hermione gave the matter serious thought for a moment. ‘No. Could you?’

‘I’d seriously like to… Just grab you and run… but no.’ Draco told her.

‘I don’t see how we can beat them.’ She admitted. ‘They fight dirty.’

Draco looked soulfully into her eyes. ‘Then we’ll fight dirty too.’

Then Hermione let out another sob before she straightened up. ‘I don’t want to bury my friends… or what if it’s me? What about my parents? They’re not of this world, I’d just never come home.’

‘I’d look after them.’ Draco told her instantly. ‘But you’re not dying. I refuse. They’d have to kill me first.’

‘Don’t you go jumping in front of any curses.’ She said seriously. ‘You’re more important than I am.’

‘No, I’m no-’

‘Yes, you are.’ She interrupted him. ‘You’re a Duke – you have lands and responsibilities and people to look after… and you’re pretty much running France for Armand now. I got two papers published, what’s that in comparison?’

‘You’re just as important as I am… and I will jump in front of as many curses as I need to.’ He told her finally. ‘Now, let’s go to breakfast.’

He pulled Hermione up and while she cast a glamour charm to hide her red eyes, he put the newspapers she’d cried over back into their case.

‘Come on.’ He said as she picked up her bag. ‘Everyone should be in the Hall by now.’

Everyone was in the Hall reading the newly delivered newspapers when they walked in.

‘Oh bloody hell.’ Draco said as he saw the front cover and realised the date. It was his half-brother’s birthday.

‘The terrible twos.’ Hermione said as she took in the picture of the tot fidgeting in Eloise Lestrange’s arms as she walked down the streets of Diagon Alley with Lucius Malfoy.

‘My father won’t let my uncle anywhere near him in case he turns him into a blood-traitor like he did with me.’ Draco told her as he reached for the copy of the paper. ‘Wow, he looks a lot like I did at that age.’

‘Well, he is your brother – wait, why are you surprised to see what he looks like? Don’t you ever see him?’ Hermione asked in surprise.

‘Of course I don’t see him. When would I?’ Draco said. ‘They live at their own estate and if they were in the manor, I don’t go there anymore.’

‘When was the last time you saw him?’ Hermione asked.

‘Er… face-to-face? Probably the last Christmas Ball? I don’t think he was there when I was created a Duke, was he?’ He asked.

Hermione shrugged. ‘I barely remember that day… too much champagne… I’m sorry, are you saying you’ve never even held him or played with him?’

‘I don’t think I’ve ever said two words to him. I don’t want to upset my mum… It’d feel like I’m siding with my father if I was close to him.’ Draco mumbled.

‘So… you’re just going to let your dad mess him up?’ Hermione frowned.

‘No.’ Draco said instantly. ‘I won’t let him be raised to hate muggle-borns and such… I’m going to convince him when he’s older and can actually think and speak and stuff not to be prejudiced.’

‘Your dad would just love that.’ Theo cut in from across the table.

Draco shrugged. ‘If he disowns him, I could always hive him my Earl of Pemberley title and estate… it’s not like I need it now.’

* * *

The first weekend that Draco was remaining in the country was partly due to the looming Slytherin-v-Gryffindor match. With Neville’s return, Perkins – who had performed admirably - was returned to the bench and the team restored to its usual members.

‘Malfoy, Zabini, Nott!’ Montague called from down the table. ‘Time to be off.’ He said, then moved on to collecting the rest of his Quidditch team. Draco sighed and took a final large bite of his jam toast and a swig of his apple juice and moved off with the other boys.

At the other end of the Hall, Harry was walking with: Ginny, Neville, and the twins down to the pitch.

‘Bets on who wins ladies?’ Lee Jordan said, approaching the Slytherin table with a collecting tin and some parchment.

‘Er-’ Hermione thought on a wager.

‘Slytherin to win by a hundred points. Adrian Pucey catches the Snitch and everyone wants it verified because it’s that close. Oh, and Ginny to score two hundred points single handily.’ Daphne said suddenly with a coy grin. ‘What odds would you give me on that?’

_Never bet against a Banshee. _Hermione put the same bet on.

‘You should bring an umbrella,’ Daphne told their group as they rose from the table. ‘It’s going to start raining towards the end.’

‘But it’s the first clear skies in weeks!’ Millie complained.

Daphne shrugged. ‘Don’t shoot the messenger.’

To stop everyone having to go back to their dorms, Hermione used her latest success in Transfiguration and conjured them all some Slytherin-styled umbrellas.

They got amazing seats in the very centre of the stands and soon the crowds began to file in around them.

The two teams streamed out of their respective locker rooms, Montague and Johnson shook hands and shared a bit of friendly banter before taking to their brooms.

Ginny was on fire. She was a one-man unit against the opposition, Hermione had been to a few professional games now (two) and had never seen anyone fly quite like Ginny did. It was hard work for her boys to get the Quaffle off of her – but both teams were raking up points.

Neville was working incredibly hard to either get the ball in a hoop, or get it to Ginny, either way – his flying was also notably powerful. There was the notable moment when he threw the Quaffle that hard at the Slytherin Keeper he nearly knocked him from his broom. _Surely, playing Chaser when you have super-strength is cheating. _

The sky darkened and Hermione put up her umbrella just as the rain started to bucket down.

Then everyone stopped in mid air as screams picked up from the crowds, screams of excitement. Harry and Adrian were streaking up the pitch, neck and neck to get the Snitch.

‘And – er! Someone has the Snitch!’ Lee Jordan’s voice announced.

Harry and Adrian both had hold of the small golden ball, and the looks they were giving each other showed they weren’t exactly sure who had gotten there first.

‘And – I think it’s Slytherin?’ Lee Jordan proclaimed, but it came out as an unsure question.

‘Check the Snitch!’ Several Gryffindor’s began to shout.

Madam Hooch flew over to the two boys and asked them a question to which they both shrugged and shook their heads. So, Hooch took the Snitch from them and waved her wand over it, then handed it to Adrian.

‘And Slytherin _have _caught by Snitch by a finger!’ Lee proclaimed to the roaring cheers of the Slytherins’.

Harry didn’t seem very put out at having lost the match, it was ridiculously close after all, and the moment he’d touched ground Ginny had smiled and pulled him in for a kiss.

The Slytherin team all took a lap of the field, all clapping Adrian on the back as they went. The Slytherin team would need some new players next year, Adrian and Montague would both be leaving after this year – and Hermione wondered if one of her boys would get the Capitan’s badge.

Neville, who’d had a tough and very physical game involving a few run ins with Beaters, mopped at his brow with the bottom of his shirt, before huffing and pulling his tight fitting top off and mopping his brow with that.

Then the catcalls began. Neville had really buffed up in Brazil. Firm, tanned muscles glistened with sweat as Neville held his shirt in his hands. The gruesome scar on his shoulder and neck where Lupin had bitten his was bold against his skin – but the girls shouting for him didn’t seem to mind it one bit. Then Neville realised everyone was hooting at him, blushed furiously, and hurried back into his locker room.

The Slytherins’ disappeared back into their locker rooms and the girls headed back to the common room, where a party was being set up.

‘How much does Lee Jordan owe us, then?’ Daphne asked. ‘I don’t really understand gambling and all that odds business.’

‘Er… He’ll owe us each ten Galleons but I doubt he’ll have that on him.’ Hermione laughed. ‘Poor sod, he won’t have made any money.’

Lee Jordan grumbled that he’d only have earned a few Sickles because of the two of them as the Gryffindor Quidditch team came to join in their festivities, but he handed over the money all the same.

Neville entered to the catcalls of several people, causing him to blush again.

‘I think the ladies enjoyed that little strip-tease.’ Hermione joked as he sat down next to her with a beer in hand. ‘Your scars healed up really well.’ She added.

Hermione was one of the few people Neville felt comfortable discussing his bite scar with, she had a Werewolf scar too after all.

‘Hmm, that scar paste you gave me did a great job in neatening it up a bit… but I think I’ve reached the point where it’s not going to get any better.’ Neville mused as he pulled the corner of his top aside to let her view the mangled skin.

‘I think you’re right there.’ Hermione said as she examined the mark. It wasn’t pretty or neat by any means, it was a horrifying scar for a horrifying condition. ‘And the Wolfblood curse? Any symptoms?’

‘Any murderous impulses?’ Neville asked lightly. ‘Nope. I don’t feel any different… the Wolfsbane must be helping… even if just slows it down for a few years it’ll be something.’

‘We’ll fix this, I promise.’ She said.

Neville shrugged. ‘You’d have to cure the Werewolf curse… and you’re brilliant, but even you’re not that good.’

* * *

‘Are you sure this is a good idea?’ Hermione asked Daphne over the next Friday meal.

‘She marked Flitwick down because he’s got goblin and dwarf blood.’ Daphne said hotly. ‘So we’re going to piss her off with a war song.’

Hermione shook her head and let out a sigh. ‘Fine. On your own head be it.’

Dumbledore was taking the stand as the dessert plates vanished. ‘Now-now, settle down. Our school choir’s lead singer, Miss Greengrass and Miss Moon are going to play us out. Over to you ladies.’

Daphne and Lily Moon, a violinist Slytherin in the year below, hurried over to the stage.

Lily began to strum out a beautiful slow, and mournful melody.

Then Daphne began to sing.

_This is going to get back to the Minister, Umbridge is going to be livid. _

_‘Leaves from the vine_   
_Falling so slow,_   
_Like fragile tiny shells_   
_Drifting in the foam._   
_Little soldier boy_   
_Comes marching home,_   
_Brave soldier boy_   
_Comes marching home._

_Those leaves did grow_   
_From branches overgrown,_   
_Drifting slowly down_   
_Resting on the loam._   
_Little soldier boy_   
_Taken from home,_   
_Forced to fight a war_   
_That’s not his own._

_Leaves from the vine_   
_Falling so slow,_   
_Like fragile tiny shells_   
_Drifting in the foam._   
_Little soldier boy says_   
_“Carry me home”,_   
_Sleeping soldier boy_   
_Is carried home.’_

Daphne’s singing always earned applause, and it did here, as did they younger girl’s violin playing, but there were several confused or worried glances shared between friends.

This was one of the best well known war songs known. It grew to prominence during the Arthur and Merlin against Morgana and Mordred wars and re-emerged during further conflicts. People had grown up hearing this song and associating it to the horrors of Voldemort. 

Umbridge had gone red, she stood up and marched from the Hall. No doubt she was heading to write to the Minister about the naughty choir spreading fear to innocent children.

Harry, Ginny, and Neville were sitting with them tonight at the Slytherin table and Harry was shaking his head as he watched Umbridge storm out.

‘What a joke.’ Harry said. ‘Who gets angry over a song?’

‘Umbridge apparently.’ Ginny fumed. ‘Her lessons are a bloody joke; she just has us highlighting from pointless handouts of things we learnt in first year.’

‘Hmm.’ There came nods of agreement from everyone at the table.

‘Snape can spare enough time to get me through my NEWTs but… we need to learn to deal with what’s out there.’ Hermione nodded. ‘And Umbridge can’t do that.’

‘We need a proper teacher.’ Draco nodded. ‘I could ask Tonks to teach on the sly?’

‘We’d only be able to see her during Hogsmeade weekends and she’s busy with the Order anyway.’ Hermione said, ‘we need someone with practical experience facing these people that we have access to.’

‘Who fits that criteria?’ Harry asked, raking his brain.

‘You do.’ Hermione said.

‘Me?’ Harry asked, frowning at her.

‘Yes, you.’ Hermione said. ‘You could teach us all.’

Harry glanced around the table hoping to see people coming to his side to say how ridiculous Hermione was being. But everyone was looking at him just as seriously as Hermione was.

‘That’s a good idea.’ Neville said.

‘But… I’m not a teacher, I can’t…’ Harry tried to say.

‘You’re the best person for Defence Against the Dark Arts.’ Blaise nodded.

‘No, I’m not! What about Hermione?’ Harry tried.

‘If you all want a theory lesson or some tutoring, I’m your girl. But in terms of practical experience you’re running rings around me.’ Hermione said. ‘Think about everything you’ve done-’

‘- You’ve fought Voldemort!’ Harry said.

‘I cursed him once because I got him by surprise. And I used a really dark curse… Think about everything you’ve done, Haz. You saved the Philosopher’s Stone, you went down into the Chamber of Secrets fully intent of fighting that thing, and you fought off all those Dementors!’

‘But… no! You were with me to get the stone, Draco killed the Basilisk, and Draco helped me with all those Dementors.’ Harry argued.

‘I think I scared about two of them off.’ Draco grumbled. ‘You did all the work mate.’

‘And last year you actually duelled Voldemort.’ Hermione said finally.

Harry huffed. ‘It all sounds great when you say it like that but it really wasn’t! I didn't know what I was doing half the time, I didn't plan any of it, I just did whatever I could think of, and I nearly always had help.’

Everyone was still looking at him expectedly.

‘Don't sit there grinning like you know better than I do, I was there, wasn't I?' he said heatedly. 'I know what went on, all right? And I didn't get through any of that because I was brilliant at Defence Against the Dark Arts, I got through it all because - because help came at the right time, or because I guessed right - but I just blundered through it all, I didn't have a clue what I was doing - 'STOP LAUGHING!’

Everyone who had been grinning became serious faced, Harry had gained quite the temper this year and they didn’t want to make it worse.

‘You don’t know what he’s like! Really what he’s like! I thought I was going to die at any second, I really didn’t have a clue what I was doing. So don’t sit there and ask me to teach you how to fight _him _like I’m some duelling genius and Cedric Diggory was some idiot who messed up… because it could have just as easily been me.’ Harry said finally.

Ginny took his hand under the table and he seemed to deflate.

‘Maybe that’s what we need to learn mate.’ Blaise said. ‘Hermione and Draco know what it’s like but the rest of us… we have no idea to think in those situations.’

‘Hermione knows more about duelling than I do.’ Harry said finally.

‘I’m sorry, did you not watch me getting my arse kicked all of last year?’ Hermione snapped hotly. ‘You walked away from Voldemort and I ended up with a snapped arm and a gap in my memory from a loony Death Eater.’

‘Yeah, and you nearly blew him up in that fight!’ Harry snapped back. ‘You know just as much as I do. If you think for one second that I could have done better in that fight than you did then you’re bonkers.’

Hermione let out a frustrated sigh. ‘Fine. Fine! We’ll do it together. You and me. If we come together, we could really help people.’

‘I’ll – I’ll think about it.’ Harry said, calming slightly at Hermione’s offer.

There came a great buzz and scraping against the stone as Dumbledore dismissed the school.

Harry pulled Ginny straight up the boys’ staircase the moment the common room had cleared.

‘Will you do it?’ She asked once she was safely hidden behind his bed curtains.

‘I don’t know.’ He said as he lay down and pulled her down to rest on his chest.

‘I think you should.’ She yawned. ‘What if it were me up against _him_? Wouldn’t you want me to be as prepared as possible?’

A few sleepy breaths later and her eyes drifted shut.

Harry lay awake listening to her gentle breathing for a few minutes to calm himself, and when he eventually fell asleep he was tormented with dreams of the long corridors in the depths of the Ministry and woke up spooning Ginny with his scar prickling.

* * *

* * *

90 chapters! Thanks so much for coming along on this journey with me! I love every comment (apart from that one mean one) and it amazes me that one person would want to read this. So, thank you. 

And yes, I did nick that song from Avatar. It fit perfectly and I couldn’t improve on it. Sue me. I know it’s not to be done with a violin, but I imagine it is for the Wizarding world.

It occurred to me the other day that this time last year I’d begun to think up this story. Here’s to a year of me walking around my house muttering to myself.

I've probably made myself late for work to post this oops.

E x


	91. Paintings and Orbs

_King hangs Muggle-Born Art in place of Honour!_

‘Holy Vutris.’ Hermione gasped at the front page of the society section.

_Word has spread through Palace sources that the King has hung a painting of Hogwarts over the mantle in his private rooms. The enchanted painting was apparently a birthday gift from the Lady Granger! _

_Surely Lady Granger is aware of the rules against sending gifts to members of the Royal family, but perhaps some unknown event might have made this allowed. Could there be a proposal announced soon between the Duke of Abington and the Lady Granger?_

Hermione rolled her eyes at the paper and shut her copy of the Daily Prophet.

The morning delivery of mail that day was quite interesting.

_Lady Granger!  
I am writing to you from the Emrys galley in Wales, I would be happy to pay ten thousand Galleons for any large paintings you might have, eight for a medium, or five for a small. Looking forwards to hearing from you.  
Lord Culfast  
Director of the Emrys Gallery._

_Good Morning Lady Granger,  
I was wondering if you would take a commission to paint my family estate here in Madagascar, we would be pleased to host you and any friends you might bring to the island, and can offer generous pay for your services.  
Haja Rakotomalala_

(Okay, that one did sound tempting)

_Lady Granger,  
I would like to invite you to paint my family estate in Istra and will pay you a thousand Galleons. Due to your lower blood-status I cannot allow you inside the house.   
Oleg Gorky _

(That one did not sound tempting)

_Dear Lady Granger,  
I have heard that King Armand has one of your wonderful paintings hung at Regia, and I am happy to buy any of your other works if you would name a price. There has been a lot of blood purist stirrings in Bulgaria and I feel hanging one of your portraits in my office will silence many of them.  
Kind Regards  
Oblansk, Bulgarian Minister for Magic. _

(That one was seriously cool and she was quite tempted to do it)

It occurred to Hermione that these people were offering her serious money to paint, which is something she enjoyed immensely. She could live off that kind of money, and get to travel the world while she went. She might send a painting or two away to the really nice people who asked… and the prospect of spending a few days in Madagascar with friends was incredibly tempting… no, she was too busy.

She needed to thank someone for this, and she knew exactly who. Well, two people. Daphne had taught her how to paint, she would be showered in appreciation. But the French-Married Mabel had suggested she take it up in the first place.

_Dear Mabel,  
I hope you enjoyed your eighteenth birthday and I hope your son is doing well. I heard in the Society section that you and Mr Delacour are expecting another child, congratulations!  
I just wanted to write and say thank you for suggesting I take up painting when we met at the Ball. You were right, it has been a most useful skill.   
Sending my love,  
Hermione Granger._

Poor Freddie must have been sick of lugging her paintings about at this point, but Hermione decided to send Mabel her second attempt at animating a painting.

It was one of her favourites, if she was being honest with herself and not at all humble, it was rather good. She had remembered the scene from her trip to France with her parents several years ago and had painted a peaceful scene of small boats going down a French river under a bridge with a vacant café sat at the side. 

* * *

‘What were they like with you at the full moon?’ Draco asked Neville over dinner.

Neville nodded. ‘Yeah, they were great with it. They were really interested in growing the mandrakes for me, it’s not something they’ve ever had to do over there.’

‘And they just sent you off into the jungle?’ Draco asked in surprise.

‘Yeah, they just don’t have the same stigma against Werewolves as they do over here… they actually have tribes of wizards still living in the forest who are all Werewolves which is awesome.’ Neville grinned.

Hermione was absently tapping her Dragon and Mermaid wand against the breakfast table; she was waiting for Harry to come in so she could ask him if he’d had any further thoughts about leading a Defence group.

After logging the food she’d eaten in her new secret book that usually lived under her pillow, she stowed it away in her bag, and continued her tapping. Everyone kept saying she was getting too thin, even Draco had begun to join in now. But she was fine. She really was.

She was hiding the food log because she knew her friends wouldn’t approve of it, but she was fine. Last year had been really hard for her, she’d been beaten several times in a fight and then her own wand had broken underneath her when she fell on it. She was just trying to get a little control again, this diet was helping, and she was fine. Fine.

Draco, on the other hand, was very clearly not fine. He was looking pale at all times and the bags under his eyes were growing more prominent by the day. He looked completely worn-out. 

At the grand age of fifteen he: was literally running the country of France, he had his King’s Council duties, the running of his large Duke’s estate, was dealing with the fact his father was a loony on Voldemort’s side and had threatened to murder the girl he loved, the worry for his mother’s safety, the problem. Oh, and it was his stressful OWL year. No wonder he was burying his feelings in meaningless sex.

No matter who Draco and Hermione thought was dealing with the present situation worse – Hermione obsessing over every gram she ate, and Draco doing drugs and having lots of sex – everyone was looking at the pair of them in concern.

‘Are you sure you don’t want me there tomorrow for the full moon?’ Hermione asked Neville as Freddie swooped down in front of her, no doubt carrying a reply from Mabel.

‘Yeah, I’ll be fine. Draco’s said he’ll come with me… and if a Dragon can’t keep me in check…’ Neville smiled. ‘What is it you’re doing under a full moon? Something potion-ish?’

‘Nah, I want to do a little Gods’ research.’ She said as she freed the letter from Freddie and gave his feathers a fond stroke before he took off again.

Neville nodded and shrugged and turned back to his dinner just as Hermione let out a yawn.

‘What are you doing tonight?’ Neville asked.

‘Oh, I’m just going to get some reading done in bed, I’m quite tired today.’ She said as she broke the seal on the letter.

‘Yeah, you look it.’ Neville nodded, then paused. ‘I mean – lovely. You look very lovely.’

‘Nice save.’ Hermione said dryly as she got to her feet. ‘I’ll see you all later. Tell Harry to stop hiding from me.’ She added. Harry was clearly avoiding her so he didn’t have to talk about forming a group.

‘He is thinking about it.’ Neville said. ‘At least, that’s what Ginny told me.’

Hermione shrugged at this and set off from the Great Hall, nodding to those who greeted her on the way. Then she quickly scanned the letter, it was indeed from Mabel.

_Dear Hermione,  
Thank you for the birthday wishes, my little boy is doing very well. I just found out a few days again that I am expecting another son. As a reward, my husband is allowing me to host another art gallery and I would like to include the painting you sent me as a part of the collection. It is beautiful work, you should be very proud.  
I hope you are well,   
Mabel Delacour _

Once she was safely back in her dorm room, she crossed the room to her trunk and began to dig through it until she came upon a protective sleeve in which lay _The Prophecy of Triad. _

She was going to spend the evening going through the _Book of Atune, _the revelation of the Mermaid mural had restarted her interest in the creatures.

She was curious about the purple coronation-style orb that Atune was holding in both Murals, especially since it appeared in the Mermaid art, it clearly had something to do with the magical creatures.

_ Creatures of Atune  _

_The Gods’ built the Temples so they could be called upon and spoken to when needed, for the Gods’ are not Omnipresent. The offering of gifts can also be performed to gain their eye._

_In Atune’s Temple of Alba, she hid the ability to create a Mermaid._

Hermione was hunched over her book. She knew Alba was a reference to Scotland at the time this translation was penned. The ability to become a Mermaid was just below her feet.

_The final of the three orbs, the Orb of Atune holds the final power. The power of creation, of life itself. _

_The Mermaid can only be created under the light of the full moon, for this is when Atune allows access to her orb. _

Hermione slammed the book shut. The secret room. The room that only opened from the light of a full moon… and tomorrow she was going in to find answers.

* * *

‘My Lord.’ Lucius Malfoy nodded to Voldemort as he took his seat at his right hand. ‘Where are the others?’

The long table from which Voldemort usual directed his servants was bare but for the Dark Lord and Nott Sr.

‘My plans cannot progress further without the breakout of the Azkaban prisoners.’ Voldemort began, sitting straight back in his chair with his wand lain of the table before him. ‘Tell me of your progress.’

‘Well, my Lord.’ Lucius began in haste. ‘I’m pleased to say I can manage it before Christmas. The King and the Princess will both be out of the country, and I have managed to discover the time they will change the guard for that week. We can strike while they are weakest.’

‘Excellent.’ Voldemort nodded. ‘And you know who to get out first?’

‘Bellatrix Lestrange is to be recovered first.’ Lucius said.

‘Yes. Only she can accomplish my most important task.’ Voldemort said.

Lucius sat a little straighter in his chair trying to give off an air of importance. ‘Perhaps I could be of use in this matter, Sir?’

‘No. Only Bellatrix is capable of retrieving what I want.’ Voldemort said. ‘Dismissed, Lucius.’

The Duke of Wiltshire rose at once and nodded to his master, before turning and disappearing on the spot.

‘Am I the only one who knows about the Orb?’ Mr Nott asked nervously.

‘You have done well collecting the information on it’s hiding, Nott.’ Voldemort said. ‘You will be rewarded once Bellatrix has retrieved it for me.’

‘Sir?’ Nott asked nervously.

‘You are wondering why I want Vutris’ Orb of Power?’ Voldemort asked. ‘This curiosity is natural.’

Nott didn’t reply, he just watched his master nervously.

‘You see, Nott. It is a precaution. To take in more power would guarantee my victory against Dumbledore and Potter. I will be all-powerful. Undefeatable.’ Voldemort lied. ‘And, of course, I will bestow power on my most faithful servants.’

Nott bought every word and bowed his head. ‘I am your servant, My Lord.’

‘Very well. Now, when we began hunting the Orb, I was under the impression it would be hidden in a Temple? Are you sure it is in the Ministry and not a decoy?’ Voldemort asked seriously.

Nott shrunk under his gaze. ‘Yes, my Lord. It was discovered under the floors of the Ancient Temple of Vutris several hundred years ago and moved to the Ministry for better protection.’

‘I see.’ Voldemort nodded. ‘And you are sure of the protections upon it?’

Mr Nott nodded. ‘The Unspeakables have given it every form of protection, known and unknown to the public. They are very aware of the power that they are guarding.’

Voldemort nodded; this wasn’t new information for him.

‘When will we retrieve the Orb for you, My Lord?’ Nott asked.

‘Lucius is going to lead a team into the Hall of Prophecy after the King has been… taken care of… I will send Bellatrix into the vaults to retrieve the Orb while the Ministry are distracted with their break-in – I have instructed them to case as much disruption as possible as they escape the Department of Mysteries.’

‘And will you join us, Sir?’ Nott asked with an excited grin. ‘We could tear down the Ministry with you by our side.’

‘I will join you once Bellatrix has the orb… and then we will burn the Ministry to the ground.’

* * *

* * *

Are we all excited for chapter 92? Can we guess what's going to happen? Dramatic things, that's what's going to happen. 

Lots of love,

E x


	92. Mermaids

‘Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?’ Hermione asked as she scooped a goblet of steaming Wolfsbane out for Neville, Draco was stood at his side.

‘Nah, we’ll be fine.’ Neville waved her off.

‘What research is it exactly you want to do?’ Draco asked her with a frown.

‘Er – Mermaid stuff?’ She said.

‘Please don’t tell me you’re planning on going into that secret room on your own?’ Draco said as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

‘Would it make you feel any better if I said no?’ She said.

‘Well I wouldn’t believe you, so no.’ Draco said flatly. ‘I can’t let you go down there alone!’

‘Well, you don’t have to come with me.’ Neville said quietly. ‘I don’t mind going alone.’

‘Of course I’m not going to make you do it alone!’ Draco turned on the boy. Then he rounded back on Hermione. ‘Promise me you won’t go into that room?’

‘Promise.’ She said.

Seeing as she had never lied to Draco, he accepted this. Neville glanced between them for a moment and then knocked his potion back. ‘Shall we get going then? Or you’ll have to get a Werewolf out of the castle.’

Draco nodded. ‘Yeah, we’ll go now.’ Then he pointed at Hermione. ‘Don’t go into that room!’ He said firmly.

She followed the two boys out of the private brewing room and watched them go up the stairs and disappear around the corner from view. She counted to ten to make sure they weren’t coming back, then she turned and walked straight to the portrait of the flute player at Regia.

‘Ostium.’ She said.

The flute player nodded and the portrait swung open for her. Hermione didn’t wait for the torches to burst into life around her, she hurried down into the dark tunnels.

She made sure for the tenth time that her Dragon and Mermaid wand was still in place in her arm holster as she approached the trap door.

The ladder was much easier to climb down now that it was fully restored, and Hermione’s feet hit the stone ground. She glanced at the large stone that had once held Excalibur before she let go of the ladder and turned to face the tiny square temple.

The Temple was still looking nice and clean from her restoration spell, the gleaming brick welcomed her as the torches burst into life and the grey statue of Atune was thrown into a brilliant light.

Hermione locked eyes with the statue for a moment as she took in Atune’s kind face and her crown braid. She tore her eyes away from the captivating statue and moved on. The secret door was yet to be opened; the moon was not at its highest point.

Hermione traced her hand over the three white handprints on the altar before moving over to the newly restored mural.

Atune still stood over the crystal blue water that grew darker and darker the closer it got to the floor, her strawberry-blonde hair and green eyes clashed with the purple orb in her hand. The purple orb that all the Mermaids were swimming up to, the orb Hermione was investigating.

Hermione traced a finger lightly over the purple orb before moving her finger down over several prominent Mermaids.

There was the one that looked like Queen Blythe, the one with snow-white hair, the one with flaming red hair who looked a lot like the mural in the secret room, the ones in the deepest depths of the water whose dark skin and tails made it hard to make them out, there was a pair of Mermaids both with green tails swimming hand in hand and Hermione wondered if they had been transformed together.

Her wonder was cut off though as there came a great scraping noise. The moonlight had hit the stone wall on the other side, and the hidden room was revealed.

_Sorry Draco_. Hermione thought. She took a deep breath, and the moment the sliding stone vanished into the wall, she shut her eyes and stepped into the darkness.

She wasn’t entirely sure if she expected any great change in this room, but there was none. The stone had been scrubbed into its original white marble just as the rest of the temple had been, and the mural on the wall was a little brighter. But that was it.

The small square room was still lit by a small crack in the rock and the moonlight that was streaming into the room. In the distance, she heard a powerful howl ripping through the calm night and knew that Neville had transformed.

The long red hair matched the Mermaid of the mural in the main temple perfectly, too easily for it to be a coincidence. Hermione found it difficult to look into her piercing blue eyes, so she tore her eyes away from her face and moved to look at the bottom half of the mural. The tail was as red as her hair.

She turned her eyes down to the six-foot circular hole in the ground. The water was completely still, and pitch black.

Hermione pulled her wand from her holster as she knelt down next to the dark pool before her.

She jabbed her wand into the surface of the water.

Nothing happened.

‘Ostendo.’ She said as she waved her wand with the common diagnostic spell.

Nothing happened.

‘Manufesto.’ She tried next, waving her wand in the complicated motion. This reveal spell was common for curse breakers in tombs to know what they were up against.

Nothing happened.

‘Conmostro.’ The tip of her wand brushed the water for this spell.

Nothing happened.

‘Promo.’ She said.

Nothing happened.

‘Adclaro!’ She tried, scraping the bottom of the barrel for diagnostic spells.

Nothing happened.

No dark spells to be found then.

‘Venenata est?’ She waved her wand in spirals over the dark water.

Nothing happened.

_Not poison then._

Hermione had hoped that in the alleged birthplace of Mermaids, the Mermaid hair in her wand might make this easier. _Apparently not._

There were no spells left that she could perform on the small pool.

_I wonder how deep it is? _Hermione wondered.

She pointed her wand down into the water. ‘Lumos Maxima!’ The ball of light shot out of the end of her wand and disappeared beneath the water with a splash. But there came no view of the water underneath. The light couldn’t be seen anymore, and the pool of water returned to its glass-like state.

She returned her wand to its holster up her sleeve and bent back over the water.

_I’m so going to regret this._ She thought to herself as she reached out slowly for the water.

She nervously snatched her hand back before her fingers could skim the surface.

_Be brave._ She scolded herself.

With a deep breath, she plunged her entire hand into the icy water.

Nothing happened for a moment.

Then, as if someone had gripped her wrist under the water, Hermione was yanked headfirst into the pool, giving her time only to gasp in shock before her head hit the water.

_Shit. Shit. Shit. _Was all she could think as she was dragged down, down, down, headfirst into the depths of the pool by the hand.

It was pitch black; she couldn’t see a thing at all.

She reached out desperately to grab something, anything, only to cut her hand on a sharp rock.

She was still being pulled down; the terror set in. _I’m not going to be able to swim back to the surface!_

She wasn’t sure how long she had been dragged down for, could it have been ten seconds? Or more? But the pressure on her arm suddenly vanished.

With great motions of her arm, she pulled herself the right way up and kicked desperately for the surface.

_You’re going to make it. Just keep swimming. You’ll be fine._ She reassured herself as she kicked as hard as she could.

All she could see in the darkness was the faintest circle of light overhead, that was her goal. The circular hole she had been yanked through was looming overhead.

Her chest was beginning to burn from lack of air and her head was pounding. But the circular hole and the faint light of the moon was just seconds of kicking away.

Hermione reached a hand out, she could grab the edge of the pool and heave herself out. Air was seconds away.

Then her hand hit something solid.

She was there, right at the hole.

But she couldn’t put her hand through the gap.

It was as if she were slapping against a window as she desperately pounded against the surface of the water.

Her chest was on fire, she needed to breathe. SHE NEEDED TO BREATHE.

She pounded urgently at the layer of water, her hand was screaming in agony as she hit and hit again at the surface. But she might as well have been hitting against concrete.

She couldn’t break through.

She couldn’t.

She couldn’t.

The instinct not to breathe underwater was so strong it had overcome the agony of running out of air. But her vision was starting to darken at the edges, not that it made much difference – she couldn’t see anything but the taunting light overhead.

How long had she been under water? A minute? Longer?

She had reached the breaking point. She realised sickeningly that she was going to die. It would be nice to say her final thoughts were of her parents or friends or Draco, but all she could think was: _shit._

She was going to pass out. She was going to drown. She was going to die.

A hand flew to her throat, as if she could stop the involuntary breath in that was coming as every inch of her body screamed for that sweet taste of oxygen.

She couldn’t fight anymore, she couldn’t move. Her body felt heavy and her hand floated aimlessly away from her throat as her eyes drooped.

Every muscle, every nerve, burned. She felt like she was about to explode from the pain of it.

An involuntary reflex, a spasmodic breath. She breathed in – she breathed in deeply.

Icy water rushed down her throat – burning as it went - and she instantly coughed it up.

But the coughs ended with more breaths in that she couldn’t control, and more water rushed down her throat and nose.

She was too weak to do anything.

The last thing she saw before her eyes shut and she lost consciousness was a brilliant purple flash that encompassed her entire body.

* * *

In the woods the dragon and the Werewolf were frolicking around the trees.

Draco was trying his hand at flying, spreading his vast wings and flapping his hardest like a bird. Neville’s wolf let out a howling laugh time the great dragon face-planted the dirt.

Neither of them had any idea that there was anything wrong.

Again, Draco spread his wings – he managed a few feet of ground clearance before he crashed back to the ground, knocking Neville down as he went.

* * *

Her eyes snapped open as she took a deep, shuddering breath.

She could breathe. She could breathe. She could see!

Her eyes snapped around what appeared to be an underwater cave, she was fully alert.

Her hands came up and she saw that her skin was unmarked, she was so sure she had cut her hand on a rock, but there was no wound.

Why could she breathe? _Maybe I’m dead?_

A glance down and she let out a shriek that resonated perfectly underneath the water, her voice wasn’t muffled and garbled despite being submerged.

Her legs weren’t there. They were gone. In place of them was a tail.

A beautiful, grey-blue tail.

Hermione clapped her hands over her mouth in shock and let out another, longer, shriek.

_MERMAID. _

_What happened to my clothes?_ Was the only thing she could manage to think. Her top half was completely naked, her long hair was floating around her. Her wand was still holstered to her arm, it wasn’t much use to her at the moment stuck in an underwater cave as a Mermaid, but it was a comforting sight.

She instinctively tried to swim for the surface again, but she still couldn’t get through the invisible barrier.

‘For fucks sake.’ She said to herself. Her voice was completely clear under the water.

At least she could breathe. All she had to do was stay calm and think.

_If you can’t go up, go down._

Taking a calming breath, and feeling herself breathe water as easily as if it were air – which was super weird.

This cave was incredibly dark, she could just about make out the stone walls, she couldn’t see a floor, but she figured there had to be some way to swim out. Using her arms to turn herself upside down – she kicked with her leg…no, tail... It was an odd sensation – a little like having one really wide leg instead of two normal ones.

She kicked her way down the rocky wall of the chimney until she was at the same point she had been dragged down to by the unseen force.

She could swim further down, but there was a cavity in the rocks big enough to fit through.

_Worth a go. _

She reached up to the gap with both hands and pulled herself through.

This had definitely been the right way to come, she was at the end of a long passageway of bedrock. The very foundations of the castle, what’s what she was swimming through. There was a current coming from somewhere and she was swimming with it, which is how she assumed she reached the end of the passageway so quickly.

She looked up to see another cavity in the bedrock overhead and kicked up towards it.

_I best not be stuck in a fucking labyrinth. _

She pulled herself through the gap in the rock to find herself in a massive cavern with a clear exit overhead again, and she swam at quick speed and pushed herself out of it.

She was at the bottom of the Black Lake at the base of a large rock that depicted several Merpeople carrying spears and worshipping a True Mermaid.

_Well, at least I’ll be able to find my way back, that’s a pretty memorable monument. _

And then Hermione heard it, sweet voices in the muddy water, a beautiful melody.

_‘Oh, the oceans daughter,  
she would swim far and wide.  
Oh, the oceans daughter,  
she was taken as his bride.’_

Hermione swam straight in the direction of the singing; she really had no idea where she was in the lake – they could help her get back to the castle much faster.

It occurred to Hermione as the underwater village loomed into view through the water that this is where she had been tied up and rescued by Krum less than a year ago.

It was the middle of the night, but as she was towards a large statue of a Mermaid hewn from a massive boulder, several Merpeople began swimming out of their caves and were gasping at the sight of her swimming past them.

‘Hello?’ She called out. ‘Could someone help me, please?’

One Merperson swam near to her, close enough for Hermione to recognise the Merperson that had tried to snatch her new wand from her hand while she was out on patrol.

The leader of the Merpeople bowed deeply to her, and Hermione automatically bowed back.

The Merperson chief seemed very surprised to see Hermione bow back.

‘Divine one.’ The chief said. ‘How can we help you?’

_Divine one? _

‘Er – hi? Could you show me the way to Hogwarts? Please?’ She said.

Having a conversation underwater was just as strange as breathing underwater or having a tail.

The chief nodded and sunk into a bow again. ‘Yes, Divine one. This way.’

Hermione had no issues in keeping up with the experienced swimming of a Merperson, she realised as they swam to the left out of the village that she was much faster.

Once they passed by a crumbling stone column the Chief Merperson began to swim directly upwards.

Hermione broke the surface and took an automatic deep breath. She was at the shores of Hogwarts.

_Sweet oxygen! _

The Chief of the Merpeople had come to the surface too.

_‘It was an honour to be of service, Divine one.’ _It was a series of shrieking hissing and clicking that came from the half-fish woman, but Hermione found she could understand her perfectly.

‘My name is Hermione.’ She said awkwardly. ‘Thanks for your help.’

But the Merperson had already disappeared back under the water.

Hermione made for the shore, she had to drag herself up the banks to get back to land since she had no legs to walk up the slope.

Once she was completely back on dry land, she realised she had absolutely no idea how to turn back into a human.

_Fuck, I’m going to be stuck like this forever._

_Right. Calm. Breathe. Think. _

_You can turn into a wolf and back, you just survived drowning, think about it. _

_Try the Animagus approach. _

Hermione concentrated on an image of herself with human legs.

It took a few attempts, and several minutes, but a green burst of light flashed under Hermione’s closed eyes. When she opened them again, she was a human again.

She was a very naked human.

‘Hermione?!’ Draco’s very shocked voice came from the edge of the woods just to her left.

_Shit. _

Her long hair was covering her breasts, and she instantly moved her arms to cover the rest of her body.

‘WHAT THE FUCK?!’ Draco said. ‘DID YOU JUST HAVE A FUCKING TAIL?!’

_Oh shit. They saw me transform. _

She tried to stand up, but her legs gave out underneath her and she fell back to the ground in a heap.

Draco did a very good job of averting his gaze as he unfastened his cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders, Neville was very pale beside him and nursing a slice on his side from transformation.

Hermione realised her entire body was shaking, her face felt wet, was she crying?

Yes, she was.

A great sob escaped her lips. ‘I drowned!’ She sobbed. ‘I couldn’t breathe!’

Draco looked down at their shared Gods’ mark on his wrist. ‘I didn’t feel anything.’ He said quietly and in shock. ‘Can you stand?’ He asked.

Hermione tried to stand, pulling the cloak closed with one hand and trying to push herself up with the other. But her legs gave out again through her tears.

Draco stuffed his wand into his pocket to free his hands and then he reached an arm around her back, and one under her legs, and scooped her off the ground.

Hermione was too overcome with panicked tears to care that Draco was carrying her – especially when she was naked but for a black and silver cloak bearing the crest of the Duke of Abington.

‘I can get to Pomfrey on my own.’ Neville said as they hurried up to the castle.

‘Don’t you think we should take her? She said she nearly drowned?’ Draco asked him in a worry.

Neville shook his head as they walked through the school front doors. ‘No. I think Mermaids are a bit beyond Pomfrey… she sees medically fine, I think she’s just freaked out… Hermione, are you hurt?’

Hermione managed to pause her sobs long enough to gasp out a raspy; ‘no,’ which seemed good enough for Neville.

‘See, she’s fine.’ Neville said.

‘Drowned isn’t fine.’ Draco said firmly.

‘Snape.’ She gasped. ‘Take me to Snape.’

Draco nodded. ‘Fine. Nev, sure you can make your own way?’

Neville nodded. ‘Yeah, I’ll be fine, it’s just a cut.’

The boys parted ways at the staircase, Neville went up and Draco carrying Hermione went down.

Her head was lolling on his shoulder and the corner of her vision was getting blurry as Draco kicked open the door to Snape’s rooms.

‘Malfoy?’ Snape appeared in black pyjamas. ‘What is the meaning of – WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED? He had seen Hermione in his arms. Her eyes red, cloak wrapped around her with a bare leg exposed up to the mid-thigh.

‘Brewing room, now.’ Snape said and Draco carried her back out of the room and into the brewing room next door.

‘What happened?’ He asked as Draco lay Hermione gently down on his empty desk and made sure the cloak was wrapped tightly around her body.

Snape was waving his wand over her limp body.

‘What happened?’ Snape asked again.

‘Er – I only saw the end of it. She was a Mermaid and she kept saying that she drowned.’ Draco said.

‘SHE DROWNED?’ Snape asked in a fret of worry.

Diagnostic spells complete, Snape examined his wand for the result. ‘She’s not hurt.’

Then he turned to the nearest wall of potion vials and began rooting through his options. ‘Get her sat up.’

Draco wrapped both his arms around Hermione and pulled her to a sitting position. She was dead weight in his arms.

‘Why’s she like this if she’s fine?’ Draco asked as Hermione sagged in his arms.

‘Exhaustion, I imagine.’ Snape said as he crossed back across the room with a vial in his hand. ‘She said she drowned; she’s not just going to be fine after that… it sounds like she kept herself calm until she was back on land though.’

‘She only started crying like this when I got to her.’ Draco nodded.

‘Hermione. Drink this.’ Snape said in a steady voice and he held a vial up to Hermione’s lips and tipped the liquid into her mouth.

It was a calming draught.

The shaking of Hermione’s body ceased the moment the sweet sensation passed through her body, and her sobs came to an abrupt stop. She could take several deep breathes now.

She pulled the cloak tighter around her naked body, now calm enough to be embarrassed.

‘What happened?’ Snape asked Hermione again.

She looked to Draco. ‘I went into the secret room.’

Draco gave her a dry look. ‘Yeah, I figured that bit.’

‘I touched the water.’

‘No shit.’

‘What secret room?’ Snape asked in complete confusion.

‘Erm. Short version. The Ancient Temple of Atune is under the castle and there’s a secret Mermaid room there and there’s this pool of water and when I touched it, I got pulled into the water.’ She said.

‘Why not just swim back through the hole?’ Snape asked.

‘Yeah, I tried that thanks.’ She said dryly. ‘I couldn’t break the surface… and then I drowned.’

‘Well, if you drowned, you’d be dead.’ Snape said.

‘Or turned into a Mermaid.’ She shot back.

‘So what? You’re an Animagus and a Mermaid at the age of sixteen?’ Snape asked.

‘She always was an overachiever.’ Draco said.

‘Am I okay?’ She asked Snape.

‘Medically yes. But I don’t want you to be alone tonight, lets get you up to the hospital wing.’ He said.

‘No!’ Hermione said.

‘No?’ Snape asked.

‘I don’t want to spend the night in the hospital wing.’ She said firmly.

‘I’ll keep an eye on her.’ Draco said.

Snape glanced between them, pinched the bridge of his nose, and sighed. ‘Fine. You can keep an eye on her overnight. Hermione, go and put some clothes on… I’m going back to bed.’

Hermione was still a little bit shaky on her legs, so Draco put an arm around her waist to take some of her weight.

Hermione was keeping the cloak shut with two hands as she stumbled into him.

‘Sod it.’ Draco muttered as Hermione nearly faceplanted in the corridor. He bent down and scooped her up again.

He made much faster progress down the corridor and crossed the empty common room with her in his arms, then he carried her down the boy’s stairs.

‘I need my pyjamas.’ She said weakly as he pressed his back against his bedroom door and opened it.

‘Shh.’ He said. ‘You can borrow something of mine.’

He set her down on the edge of his bed and turned to dig through the trunk at the end of his bed. He tossed his Quidditch Jersey and a pair of shorts at her then shut the hangings on his bed so she could get changed in privacy.

‘Okay.’ She called once she had gotten changed, and Draco climbed through the bed hangings in a pair of jogging bottoms and no shirt.

‘Could you get me my copy of _The Prophecy of Triad? _Please?’ She asked just as Draco began to settle down on his side of the bed.

He sighed. ‘Fine. Where is it?’

‘It’s in my trunk.’ She told him.

Draco let out a sigh and soon disappeared back out of the room.

He reappeared a minute later clutching the book.

‘How did you get it? You can’t go down my corridor?’ Hermione asked as he slid into bed beside her.

‘Your best mate can see the future. She was waiting for me at the top of the boy’s stairs with it.’ Draco said. ‘She also said that you’re fine and to stop worrying you’ll die in your sleep.’

‘Noted.’ Hermione said as she took the book from him.

She instantly flipped to _the book of Atune._

‘What are you looking for?’ Draco asked.

‘That bit about Mermaids.’ She said as she flicked through the pages.

‘Oh yeah, that makes sense.’ Draco said, scooting closer into her side to look at the page with her.

‘Look here. “The Witch was pulled into the depths of the well.” It’s literally written right here. That’s exactly what happened.’ Hermione said, pointing to the lines.

Draco read the passage, then frowned at her in concern. ‘Wow. Does that mean all the stories in there are true?’

Hermione grimaced. ‘Hmm. Maybe. I mean, I’m not sure I believe that bit about – never mind, off topic. This is what I’m interested in.’

She flipped to _the book of Ledur._

‘Read this bit, “the entrance to hell is under the door” What if that’s literal? A secret room in the ancient temple of Ledur?’ She said, handing the book to him.

Draco read the passage and gulped. ‘Of hell? A secret room of hell?’

‘Might mean something else, it’s probably not literal.’ Hermione shrugged.

‘The Mermaid bit was literal.’

‘Good point… let’s not investigate this one.’ Hermione said.

‘Yeah, I’m good with not going to hell.’ Draco nodded.

Hermione said. ‘We should go to sleep and not discuss this any further.’

‘Yes. We should do that now.’ Draco nodded. ‘You’re alright? Right?’

‘I’m good… Goodnight Malfoy.’ She said, putting the book on the bedside table outside of the curtain.

‘Night Kitten.’ He said, laying down next to her.

Then the two of them realised that they were sleeping in the same bed again, something they had expressly forbidden.

Their eyes locked. Draco’s eyes flicked down to her lips.

They were both leaning in.

Their eyes were drifting shut.

Then their noses bumped and shocked them back to reality.

They both moved so they were laying on their backs, staring up at the canopy of his bed.

‘So, what do you think is in hell?’ Draco asked quickly.

........................................................  
Not one word about being unrealistic. They're wizard's and there's Gods.   
Love you  
E x


	93. The Mural

The next morning Hermione had nipped into her own room to get dressed, while all of her friends were still asleep, then met Draco in the common room.

‘Ready?’ He asked.

She nodded. ‘Ready. But shouldn’t you be setting off for a council meeting?’

‘I sent Armand a letter to tell him you nearly drowned yourself through stubbornness and told him what my votes were for.’ Draco told her as they made their way out into the corridor.

‘Ostium.’ Hermione told the flute player, and the portrait swung open.

‘After you.’ Draco says, ever the gentleman, and he steps in behind her.

‘It’s pretty pointless, us going down there, you know?’ She tells him as they walk towards the swimming pool and the Ancient Temple.

‘Why is that?’ He asks.

‘Because the door into the chamber won’t be open until the next full moon?’ She reminds him.

‘Well, I was thinking it might open for you now, Mermaid and all.’ He says.

Hermione has to give him that one, it’s a good theory. ‘I doubt it.’ She shrugs. ‘It’s a Celestial door, me being a Mermaid won’t change that.’

Draco shrugs and opens the hatch that leads down the Temple. Now that the ladder is fixed, she goes down first.

She isn’t sure if she expected to feel any different or if she expected something might happen upon her return, but she was wrong. It was a bit anticlimactic really. Though she imagined she would probably have a full-blown panic attack the next time she saw the circular hole she had been pulled through in the secret room.

Draco hit the stone floor beside her and scanned the room. ‘Anything happen?’

‘No.’ She said.

‘Statues eyes didn’t glow? No Godly presence? Any new handprints on the alter?’ He asked.

‘Nope.’ She confirmed.

‘Huh.’ Draco said, eyeing up the statue of Atune. ‘Not even a little glow?’

‘Nothing.’ She said.

‘Huh.’ Draco said in surprise. ‘I thought there might be a little glow… not even a sparkle?’

Hermione shook her head.

‘Well… how disappointing.’ Draco mused, but then his eyes settled on the mural on the right wall and broke into a grin. ‘Or not.’

He quickly stepped over to the Mermaid mural and put his finger on one of the beautiful women. ‘That one’s new.’

‘What?’ Hermione frowned and came to stand next to him.

Draco removed his finger from the wall and Hermione saw that there indeed was a new addition to the wall. A new addition with a grey-blue tail and long mousy hair.

‘It’s me!’ Hermione gasped.

But Draco had moved to stare at one of the other Mermaids, ‘I said that one looked like Blythe!’

Hermione couldn’t stop staring at herself swimming up to Atune and the purple orb. She looked so happy and free among her new kind.

‘So what? Is this a running total of _every _Mermaid ever?’ Draco wondered. ‘There’s way less of them than rumoured… and why are you so much further away from the rest of them?’

There was a noticeable gap in how far apart the Mermaid Hermione was to the closest Mermaid, who had a black tail that matched her hair. Arabella.

‘Because there’s a four-hundred-year gap between us.’ Hermione said instantly. ‘That’s Arabella, she became a Mermaid in fifteen-eighty.’

Draco frowned at her. ‘How do you know that?’

Hermione frowned back at him as she tried to figure that out. ‘I don’t know… I just do?’

Draco pointed to a random Mermaid next to Arabella. ‘Who’s that?’

‘Habiba. She jumped from a slave ship forty years before Arabella was even born. She wasn’t even a witch, she’s a Muggle.’ Hermione said instantly. Then she blinked in surprise. ‘Wow.’

Draco grinned, ‘do another one!’ He pointed at the very bottom Mermaid near the floor.

‘That’s Sofia, she was the first Mermaid. Greek... A group of men took her and tried to drown her.’ Hermione said. ‘How do I know that?’ She gasped.

‘You’ve got a headful of Mermaid knowledge!’ Draco was practically bouncing with excitement.

‘No, I don’t! I don’t!’ She insisted. ‘I don’t know anything!’

‘Who’s that?’ He asked, pointing to a random Mermaid, he’d pointed to the redhaired Mermaid that was immortalised in mural form in the secret room.

‘Alfrida. The last Mermaid turned in the Ancient Temple before the castle was built on top of it.’ Hermione said. ‘Stop asking me who everyone is, it’s unsettling.’ She said.

‘Sorry.’ He said. ‘It’s just cool.’

‘Me blurting out information that I do not know is cool?’ She asked.

‘You have like, a built in Mermaid I.D, yes it’s cool.’ Draco said.

Hermione shook her head at him. ‘Well, apart for being on a Temple wall for eternity, I don’t think anything is going to happen… shall we move on?’

Draco gained an excited sparkle to his eyes. ‘Hell yes! Swimming pool?’

Hermione nodded. ‘Swimming pool.’

They made their way quickly out of the Temple; Draco went up the ladder first and pulled her up the last few rungs.

Hermione wondered if it was just a coincidence that the swimming pool was so close to the Temple, now she knew what she did. She severely doubted it.

‘Are you sure you can’t show me where you changed the first time?’ Draco asked.

‘Not in a million years. Deep dark caves with a current. You’d drown.’ She told him as they walked through the corridor.

‘I could take Gillyweed like Harry did for the second task!’ Draco insisted.

Hermione pushed open the door that led to the frankly ridiculously large swimming pool, ‘I don’t want to go back. I drowned there.’

‘Fair enough… sorry.’ Draco murmured. ‘Pool it is.’

Hermione kicked off her shoes and waded into the pool fully dressed in an old summer dress that she didn’t mind disappearing forever. Draco was carrying a fresh change of clothes in a bag for her.

Once she was submerged up to her shoulders, she turned back to face Draco. ‘Ready?’

‘Ready.’ He said.

Hermione closed her eyes and focused on the image of her grey-blue tail; it was such a lovely colour.

Behind her eyes, a purple flash soared across her vision. She experienced a pleasant warmth, and her legs fused together. She fell backwards into the water as her clothes blinked out of existence.

She opened her eyes under the water, the chlorine didn’t seem to bother her eyes. It was just as it had been before, clothes gone and a beautiful tail.

She made sure her hair was covering her chest before she emerged from the water, she really didn’t feel up to flashing Draco today.

Draco wasn’t trying to get a look at her chest though, he was a little preoccupied with the long tail behind her in the water as she swam up to the edge of the pool and heaved herself out to sit on the ledge.

‘Ta-da!’ She said with mock enthusiasm as she gestured down at her tail.

Draco had gone wide eyed as he approached and knelt down next to her, eyes still fixed on her tail rather than her chest only being covered by her thick hair.

‘Can I touch it?’ Draco asked.

Hermione nodded. ‘Go for it.’

Draco poked the tail. ‘Oh. I thought it was going to be all gross and scaly… but it’s… soft?’

‘Hmm.’ Hermione nodded and Draco put a firm hand on her tail to examine it.

Then he gained a coy grin. ‘What do you think influences the colour of the tail?’

Hermione examined the grey-blue colour. ‘I dunno.’ She shrugged. ‘It’s a pretty colour.’

Draco leant back, beaming.

‘What?’ She asked.

‘You don’t recognise that colour?’ He asked with his grin.

‘It’s a nice colour… go on then, where have I seen it before?’ She asked.

Draco pointed at himself, rather, he pointed at his eye. Hermione’s eyes widened and her cheeks flushed as she realised that her Mermaid tail was the exact same colour as Draco’s eyes.

She batted his arm. ‘Yeah, yeah. Wipe that smile off your face.’

Draco tried, but he couldn’t stop smiling.

Hermione lunged herself forwards into the water with the purpose of splashing Draco.

But he was still too busy grinning to care. Actually, he kicked off his shoes and removed his sword belt, and jumped into the pool fully clothed.

‘You think you can catch a Mermaid in the water?’ She laughed.

‘I’ll give it a go.’ Draco grinned, then dunked under the water.

Hermione also went under the water; thankful her hair was still partly covering her chest. Not that it mattered, she was impossibly fast under the water and was on the other end of the pool in the blink of an eye.

She was back where she had waded into the pool when she insisted Draco turned his back so she could change back.

Draco blushed red and turned around in the water as she closed her eyes and pictured her human form.

It was very odd to be naked in a room with Draco, even if he couldn’t see her. So she made haste to open the bag he’d left by the door and pull on a dress that actually fitted her.

‘Okay.’ She said as she pulled out her wand from the bag and began to dry herself with a charm, ‘you can look now.’

Draco turned and instantly began to march through the water until he was dripping on the floor next to her, still grinning. ‘Dry me?’

Hermione pointed her wand at his face and gave it a last little wave, Draco felt a warm sensation and a heat on his clothes as he was dried.

But Hermione didn’t lower her wand once he was dry, she remained with her arm aloft and staring at her wand in shock.

‘What?’ Draco asked.

‘Mermaid hair.’ She said. ‘My wand has Mermaid hair in it.’

Draco nodded. ‘Yes?’

Then she raised a hand to her own long locks. ‘Mermaid hair!’

Draco understood what she was getting at and rolled his eyes. ‘Bloody hell, even your hair is magic now? You’re such an overachiever.’

Hermione grinned and dropped her fistful of hair and stowed her wand away. As Draco crossed the room to collect his shoes and sword, Hermione busied herself in putting her hair up in its usual bun.

‘Come on.’ Draco said. ‘I want some breakfast.’

* * *

‘Haz?’ Hermione asked later that day as Harry sat down for lunch.

Harry sighed, knowing what she was about to ask. ‘Yes, Hermione?’

‘Well, I was wondering if you’d thought any more about teaching some Defence Against the Dark Arts classes?’ She asked.

‘Of course, I have.’ Harry said, and raked a stressful hand through his hair. ‘I’ve been thinking about it a lot… and you’ll do it with me?’

Hermione grinned. ‘I will… is that us agreed then?’

Harry nodded. ‘I mean, nobodies going to come, but yeah.’

‘I think you’d be surprised at how many people will want to come, mate.’ Draco told him before he took a large bite from his cheese on toast.

‘There’s a Hogsmeade visit on Saturday.’ Hermione said. ‘We could call a meeting then?’

‘Why can’t we do it at school?’ Neville asked.

‘I don’t think we should do this near Umbridge.’ Hermione told him.

Neville nodded. ‘Fair enough.’

‘Right then.’ Hermione said, getting down to business. ‘Everyone, get people you trust, and we’ll meet at twelve at the Hog’s Head.’

* * *

The morning of the Hogsmeade visit was bright, but a little windy. Hermione and her friends all bundled into their cloaks, Hermione received a lot of compliments on her green cloak, and they all battled against the wind to the pub.

‘I was sending a letter to Sirius the other day.’ Harry told them as he walked down the street, hand in hand with Ginny, ‘and Filch comes running in saying he’s been tipped off I’m ordering Dungbombs.’

‘That is a bit odd.’ Hermione nodded. ‘No doubt Umbridge is just trying to get a hold of your mail.’

Harry shrugged. ‘Doesn’t matter if she does, it’s all coded.’

‘Hermione?’ Blaise asked as he walked next to Neville. ‘Why aren’t we going to the Three Broomsticks?’

‘Too noisy.’ Hermione said. ‘And students don’t normally go to the Hog’s Head, so nobody is going to be spying on us.’

They passed Zonko’s joke shop where they were met by the twins and Lee, who would be joining them.

The Hog’s Head was a bit grim. A battered wooden sign hung over the door, on it was depicted a decapitated boar’s head dripping blood onto a white cloth.

‘Not a family friendly establishment, is it?’ Fred said as he eyed up the sign.

Inside was one small dingy room and a strong musty smell. The bay windows were so encrusted with grime that very little daylight could permeate the room, which was lit instead with the stubs of candles sitting on rough wooden tables.

‘Floors could do with a scrub.’ Draco muttered.

Hermione glanced down to look at the blackened stone floors, probably never cleaned.

There was only one other customer in the bar, who was completely wrapped in bandages, and knocking back several shots of a smoking substance through a slit in his bandages. The barman wasn’t facing them.

‘You sure about this, Hermione?’ Harry asked nervously.

She nodded. ‘Even if nobody else turns up, you’ve got all the Slytherin’s in our year and a few Gryffindor’s.’

‘We’re not breaking any school rules. I’ve looked it up. It’s just a study group, perfectly allowed.’ Hermione assured him. ‘It’s just not a good idea to go about shouting we’re training.’

‘It’s not exactly a simple study group though, is it?’ Harry said dryly.

Hermione shrugged. ‘Practical wand-work. That’s what we’re doing. Revision.’

Draco turned to the barman, then back to count how many heads were in the room. ‘Sixteen Butterbeers, please, Mr Dumbledore.’

Harry’s eyes widened at this and he quickly examined the barman. _Dumbledore’s brother is a barman?_ He was a grumpy-looking old man with a great deal of long grey hair and beard. He was tall and thin.

‘Two Galleons.’ Mr Dumbledore said in a gruff voice that wasn’t at all like his brothers.

Draco handed the coin over and waved off any offers of other people paying. ‘How are you, Aberforth?’ He asked politely as the barman poured out sixteen drinks.

He grumbled an answer. ‘Just fine, thanks. How’s your uncle?’

Hermione realised that as a Dumbledore, the man would have undoubtedly met the King a few times.

‘He’s very busy at the moment.’ Draco told him.

Aberforth filled the final dusty glass. ‘Well, give him my best.’ Then he turned and went into a back room.

‘Not much like our Dumbledore, is he?’ Ginny asked.

Draco shrugged. ‘He’s always been quiet apparently… shall we get sat down? Blaise, you take that table with Neville and push it up to this long one… Crabbe, Goyle, you two grab those chairs… Girls, you get sat down. Fred, George, Lee, you can help me and Theo carry everyone’s drinks over.’

Everyone did as ordered, and soon the furniture had been rearranged to accommodate the crowd and everyone was sat with a drink. Hermione and Harry were at the head of the table, with Draco and Ginny sat on either side of them.

‘I bet he’d let us order anything.’ Draco murmured. ‘I might buy a bottle of Firewhiskey to take back to the castle…’

‘You’re a Prefect.’ Hermione reminded him.

Draco shrugged. ‘Meh, it’s not like I’d drink it in the corridors.’

‘Who did you all invite?’ Harry asked.

Everyone’s answer was the same, ‘a few people.’

But a few people by sixteen, was quite a lot it turned out.

Dean and Lavender, followed by Padma and Parvati, Katie Bell and Angelina Johnson, Colin and Dennis Creevey came in to represent Gryffindor in a decent turnout.

Then the others came in. Cho Chang and one of her usually giggling friends, Ernie Macmillan, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Hannah Abbott, Anthony Goldsein, Michael Corner, Terry Boot, Roger Davies, Montague, Zacharias Smith, Susan Bones, and Adrian Pucey filled up the rest of the space.

‘A few people?’ Harry hissed at his group of friends.

Hermione shrugged. ‘Decent turnout.’ She told him.

‘There’s twenty-odd people!’ Harry hissed at her.

‘We’re going to need more chairs.’ Theo was grinning.

Mr Dumbledore came out from the backroom and froze at the sight of a completely full pub. The crowd all gathered at the bar to order drinks while Hermione stood and conjured more chairs for them all to sit on once they had their drink.

‘I don’t even know some of these people.’ Harry said to Hermione. ‘What have you been telling them that this is?’

Hermione held her hands up to her chest level in mock surrender. ‘They just want to hear what you have to say…’

‘I’ll talk if you want.’ Draco said calmly, he was very used to public speaking after a summer leading an entire country.

Hermione nodded to him and turned to scan the table, everyone looked very interested. Everyone apart from Cho’s friend who looked like she’d rather be anyone but here.

Once everyone was settled Draco straightened up in his chair. ‘Hi everyone.’ He said clearly. ‘You all know why we’re here. We’ve had the idea to form a study group for Defence Against the Dark Arts… because Umbridge is a bit rubbish’

There were resounding cheers form several students at this.

‘We need to learn how to defend ourselves properly.’ Hermione said, nodding at Draco as he turned to her and retook his seat.

‘And pass your NEWT.’ Michael Corner said, with an intense glance at her.

‘I could sit my NEWTs tomorrow, Michael.’ She said coldly. ‘We need to learn how to defend ourselves. Voldemort is back, we need to be ready.’

Several people shrieked at the use of Voldemort’s name, but everyone now turned eagerly to Harry.

‘If you want to join us – we need to -’ Hermione began.

‘Where’s the proof You-Know-Who is back?’ Smith asked rudely.

‘Dumbledore and the King both believe it.’ Hermione said back to him.

‘No, they believe him.’ Smith said, nodding at Harry.

‘_I _believe Harry.’ Hermione said. ‘Do you take me for a fool?’

‘You’re his friend.’ Smith said back. ‘I think we have the right to know exactly what is making him say he’s back.’

‘That’s not what we’re meeting for.’ Hermione said flatly.

‘It’s alright.’ Harry said, voicing up for the first time. Ginny had given his hand a reassuring squeeze under the table, and it had given him the courage he needed. He looked straight at Smith. ‘He is back. I saw him, I fought him. But I’m not going to spend my afternoon trying to convince you.’

‘All Dumbledore said last year was that Cedric Diggory got killed by You-Know-Who and that you brought his body back. He didn’t tell us exactly how Diggory got himself killed.’ Smith huffed.

Harry met Cho’s eyes over the table, she clearly was sharing his anger in this moment. She had only just taken off her courting bracelet from Cedric, after all. She gave him a nod.

He turned back to Smith. ‘He didn’t “get himself killed”. Voldemort killed him. It could have been me just as easily. I’m not going to talk about Cedric, if that is why you are here, you should leave.’

Nobody got up or even moved an inch.

‘Right then.’ Hermione said, taking back control. ‘Now we’ve gotten that out of the way. If you want to learn some defensive magic, we need to work out the details.’

‘Is it true you can put out a Corporeal Patronus?’ Susan Bones asked Harry suddenly.

‘Er – yeah, I can… but you should see Draco’s, it’s awesome.’ Harry said. ‘Mine’s just a stag.’

‘You did a lot more with yours.’ Draco said calmly, leaning back in his chair.

‘What about sword-work?’ Lee Jordan asked. ‘Could we all train in that?’

Hermione and Harry both looked to Draco.

He shrugged. ‘Sure, I don’t mind leading a few lessons.’

‘Is it true you’ve got a Gods’ sword?’ Terry Boot asked.

Draco nodded and everyone’s eyes flicked to his right side, where Excalibur currently sat.

‘Why aren’t you our main teacher?’ Dean asked Hermione. ‘You’re the smartest person, like, ever.’

‘I can memorise a book. Harry has practical experience. My experience is just me getting my arse kicked.’ She told them. ‘I know a few dark curses, Harry knows the defence.’

There were some nods at this.

‘Would you teach us the dark curses?’ Smith asked.

‘No.’ She said firmly. ‘Are we all agreed we want to form a group?’

Everyone nodded.

‘Well then, we need to decide how often we will meet.’ Hermione said.

‘We need to be careful not to clash with Quidditch or any other school groups, or Umbridge will get suspicious.’ Draco said to the nods of everyone.

‘I’m sure we can find a time that will suit everyone.’ Hermione nodded. ‘But I think that learning to defend ourselves against Voldemort and his Death Eaters should be everyone’s priority.’

'Well said!’ Michael Corner said. ‘I, personally, am at a loss to see why the Ministry has foisted such a useless teacher on us at this critical period. Obviously, they are in denial about the return of You-Know-Who, but to give us a teacher who is trying to actively prevent us from using defensive spells- ’

‘We think the reason Umbridge doesn't want us trained in Defence Against the Dark Arts,’ Hermione said, ‘is that she's got some bonkers idea that Dumbledore could use the students in the school as a kind of private army. She thinks he'd mobilise us against the Ministry.’

‘That’s loony.’ Crabbe said with an angry shake of his head.

‘We’ve got to sacrifice our education because the Minister for Magic is a nutter.’ Cho nodded along angrily.

‘Where will we meet?’ Harry asked.

‘Draco and I have a few ideas about that.’ Hermione said. ‘There’s two rooms we know about that Umbridge definitely doesn’t.’ The room of Requirement and Gryffindor’s Duelling room would suit them well.

Harry nodded at this.

‘We’ll just need to find a suitable date and we’ll get out a message about where to meet.’ Hermione said.

Then, she very calmly reached into her bag and pulled out a parchment and quill. ‘Before you leave here, I want you all to sign this. If you put your name down, you are a member of this club and you are agreeing not to shout about it to Umbridge.’

There were a few grumbles, but Hermione said she would keep the list of forty names safe, and everyone added their name.

Hermione slipped the parchment back into her bag. ‘You’ve just signed a magical contract to keep your mouths shut. Don’t break faith.’ She said, looking sternly at the twitchier students at the table.

Everyone nodded seriously at this and stood up to take their leave.

‘Everyone shouldn’t leave in one go.’ Draco called out. ‘Leave in groups of two or three.’

It took about ten minutes to get everyone out in this way, Draco said a quick goodbye to the other Dumbledore, and they went back out into the biting wind.

* * *

The very next day Umbridge took action.

‘Drake?’ Blaise called. He and Neville, who had appeared suspiciously early in Blaise’s bedroom, were examining the notice board.

‘Yeah?’ Draco called; he was in a deep chess-match against Theo.

‘You’re going to want to see this.’ Blaise said.

Draco sighed as he and Theo both pushed back from the table to walk over to the notice board.

‘Shit.’ Draco muttered as he read the notice.

_BY ORDER OF THE HIGH INQUISITOR OF HOGWARTS_

_All student organisations, societies, teams, groups and clubs are henceforth disbanded._

_An organisation, society, team, group or club is hereby defined as a regular meeting of three or more students._

_Permission to re-form may be sought from the High Inquisitor (Professor Umbridge)._

_No student organisation, society, team, group or club may exist without the knowledge and approval of the High Inquisitor._

_Any student involved in an unapproved organisation will be expelled._

_Dolores Umbridge._

‘She knows.’ Blaise said. ‘Someone must have blabbed.’

‘I’m going to tell Hermione.’ Draco said instantly, knowing she was still in her room.

It was then he did something incredibly stupid. He put his foot down on the girl’s corridor and it instantly sunk an inch into the stone, and he couldn’t pull it free.

Draco pinched the bridge of his nose while Theo and Blaise roared in laughter at him.

‘Can one of you go and get Snape?’ He snapped. Theo disappeared out the doors, his laughter could be heard as he went down the corridor.

Hermione and Daphne, having heard this laughter, appeared on the corridor to investigate.

‘What have we got here?’ Hermione instantly began laughing as she realised Draco was stuck.

Draco sulked and pointed at the notice board. ‘Go read that.’

Hermione, still laughing and asking if someone could _please _take a photograph of him.

‘Oh dear.’ Hermione said as she read the notice.

Before she could say anything else, Snape appeared with a still laughing Theo.

He didn’t look pleased. ‘Why are you trying to get down the girls’ corridor?’ He asked sternly as he crossed his arms.

‘I wanted to talk to Hermione and forgot I’d get stuck.’ Draco told him honestly.

‘You wanted to “talk” to Hermione?’ Snape repeated slowly.

Draco nodded. ‘Yeah, I wanted to show her it.’

‘You wanted to show her “it”?’ Snape repeated.

‘The notice!’ Draco huffed and pointed at the wall.

Snape just stared at him with an unamused raised brow.

Hermione started laughing. ‘Stop torturing him and let him out.’

‘I think I might leave him here for an hour or two.’ Snape said.

‘Please just let me out.’ Draco huffed.

Snape pulled his wand out and pointed it at Draco’s trapped foot. ‘You can pull him out now.’ He said to Draco’s friends.

Theo and Blaise, both still hysterically laughing at him, each grabbed an arm and yanked him out of the stone.

‘Cheers.’ Draco said.

‘Next time I have to come and get anyone from this corridor I will be issuing detentions and letters to your parents.’ Snape said coldly, and swept from the common room.

Once everyone had returned to their usual business, the group all gathered around the notice.

‘Do you reckon someone’s blabbed?’ Blaise asked Hermione.

‘They can’t have.’ Hermione said.

‘Just because we have an idea of honour doesn’t mean the other houses do.’ Crabbe grumbled.

‘Hey, less of that.’ Millie said firmly to him.

‘No – I mean they literally can’t have. I cursed that bit of parchment everyone signed. If someone’s spilled the beans, we’d know.’ Hermione told them.

‘What’ll happen to them?’ Draco asked.

‘Nothing pleasant.’ Hermione said.

It was clear as they entered the Great Hall for Breakfast, that everyone in the other three houses had been given the same notice.

Harry, Ginny, and Luna slid onto the Gryffindor bench.

‘Did you see it?’ Ginny asked.

‘Yup.’ Hermione said, unconcerned as she buttered her muffin.

‘Do you reckon she knows?’ Harry asked.

‘Yup.’ Hermione said before taking a bite from her muffin.

‘What do we do?’ Luna asked.

‘We carry on. Fuck Umbridge.’ Hermione said.

This message passed on to the other members of their club as they approached the Slytherin table one by one, pretending to casually say good morning.

Montague was in a foul mood. ‘I’ve got to ask permission to reform the Quidditch team.’

‘Seriously?’ Draco gaped.

‘Everyone does.’ Montague nodded.

‘You won’t have a problem.’ Hermione said. ‘She likes Slytherin. Gryffindor will struggle. She’ll probably stop them practising right until their next match.’

‘Just practice anyway and if she says anything you can just say it’s friends having a game of pick-up-Quidditch.’ Draco said.

Montague nodded at Harry. ‘Yeah, I’m going to go and talk to the other Capitaines, we can say we’re just having a friendly little match. She can’t stop that.’

The Owl post arrived after Montague had departed to talk to Angelina Johnson over at the Gryffindor table.

Hedwig landed uncharacteristically roughly in front of Harry.

‘She’s hurt!’ Ginny gasped.

Her feathers were ruffled and her wing was at an odd angle.

‘Someone’s tried to grab her there.’ Theo nodded as he leaned over the table to get a look at the owl who was brushing her face against Harry’s hand for reassurance and comfort.

‘Go and take her to Professor Grubbly-Plank, she was walking to set up her first lesson as we came in.’ Blaise nodded.

Harry set off at once, a concerned expression on his face as he tried to comfort Hedwig with a few stroked to her soft head.

Hermione didn’t see Harry again until lunch.

‘Is Hedwig okay?’ She asked.

Harry nodded. ‘She’s going to stay with Grubbly-Plank until she gets better. Theo was right, someone’s grabbed her.’

Hermione nodded. ‘Umbridge trying to get your mail, no doubt.’

‘Well, she didn’t get it thankfully. Sirius wants to talk tonight in the common room fire. You coming?’ He asked her and Draco, who both nodded.

‘What if Umbridge is watching the Floo?’ Hermione asked.

‘Sirius wants to talk quite late; she’ll probably be in bed by then.’ Harry said. ‘I want to get this first meeting scheduled. What are the two rooms you think we should be using?’

‘Well, there’s Gryffindor’s duelling rooms behind that portrait of Godric and his family.’ She told him. ‘You need a password to get in so that’s quite secure… and then on the seventh floor there’s a room that becomes anything you ask it to, which could be very useful.’

Harry blinked at her. ‘Blimey. How’d you find out about those?’

‘Books are useful things Harry.’ Was her reply.

‘What have you got this afternoon?’ Draco asked Hermione.

‘Double potions.’ Hermione told him, then looked at the clock. ‘Which I should be setting off for now.’

Hermione sat down on her solo desk, for once she felt fond of her memories of her desk buddy, she knew he would approve of teaching proper defence to the masses.

‘You will notice.’ Snape said, as he stepped through the class and stopped at his desk. ‘We have a guest today.’

Hermione turned in her seat to see Umbridge sat on an empty desk in the rear corner of the room.

‘We’ll be continuing with our Poison antidotes today.’ Snape said. ‘You will find your mixtures as you left them last lesson, carry on.’

Professor Umbridge spent the first half of the lesson making notes in her corner.

‘Granger.’ Snape came to a stop in front of her cauldron to inspect it. ‘You’ve added peppermint?’

‘Yes, sir.’ She said, on best behaviour while he was being inspected.

‘To counteract the foul taste?’ He asked.

‘Well, yes. But it should also strengthen the concentration.’ She said.

He nodded. ‘Excellent. Ten points to Slytherin.’

Umbridge suddenly appeared at their side and peered into Hermione’s cauldron. ‘You approve on your students deviating from the set instructions?’ She asked.

‘If they know what they are doing, I do.’ Snape replied.

‘And _she _knows what she’s doing?’ Umbridge said, looking at Hermione in distaste.

_Blood purist trash. _Hermione thought bitterly.

‘Yes, she does.’ Snape said firmly.

Umbridge wrote something down. Snape met Hermione’s eyes and they shared an eye roll.

‘This class is fairly advanced for NEWT work?’ Umbridge asked next. ‘Though I doubt the Ministry would be happy to hear they’re learning how to manage Poisons. I think the Ministry will probably prefer if they were removed from the syllabus.’

Snape didn’t bother replying to this.

‘How long have you been teaching at Hogwarts?’ She asked next.

‘Fourteen years.’ Snape said dryly. Then he looked over Umbridge’s shoulder at Roger Davies, ‘Salamander blood, Davies. Not Dragon blood. Not unless you want to blow the castle up.’

Of course, there was no bomb to be made with Dragon’s blood to Hermione’s knowledge, but Umbridge began scribbling furiously. Snape sent Hermione a wink.

‘I believe you applied first for the Defence Against the Dark Arts post, I believe?’ She asked next.

‘Yes.’ Snape said.

‘But you were unsuccessful?’ Umbridge asked with false pity.

‘Obviously.’ Snape said and Hermione had to hide a snigger as a cough.

‘Do you have any idea why Dumbledore doesn’t want you to teach that subject?’ Umbridge asked next.

‘I suggest you ask him.’ Snape droned.

‘Oh, I shall do.’ Umbridge said as she scribbled on her parchment.

She moved away to begin questioning students, heading straight to the Head Boy.

‘That went well.’ Hermione said sarcastically. ‘Do try not to get yourself fired, won’t you?’

Snape rolled his eyes at her and moved off to critique Lee Jordan’s potion.

That evening Hermione and Draco made their way up to the Gryffindor common room, making it a slight detour to their Prefect rounds.

Sirius’ head was already in the fire as they walked in.

‘Hey Sirius.’ Hermione smiled at him as she sat down next to Ginny.

Ginny was stroking her miniature dragon who was beginning to look a little bit grey now in old age.

‘Hi.’ Sirius grinned back at the new to join students.

‘Sirius was just telling us that Mundungus was the bandaged wizard at the bar, so the Order knows what we’re doing.’ Harry said with a grin, from his tone and joyful expression Hermione gathered that his Godfather approved.

‘Why was he in the Hog’s Head?’ Harry asked.

‘Following you.’ Sirius said.

‘I’m still being followed?’ Harry asked.

‘Of course you are.’ Sirius said. ‘Everyone’s keeping an eye on you.’

Sirius turned to Ginny. ‘Your mother wants me to tell you that you are not allowed to join a secret club and get expelled.’

Ginny didn’t even blink. ‘Tell her I’m joining.’

‘Will do.’ Sirius grinned, he rather approved of Harry’s girlfriend. ‘She’d have come to speak to you herself, but she’s on duty tonight.’

‘On duty doing what?’ Harry asked instantly.

‘Never you mind.’ Sirius said. ‘Order stuff.’

‘You’re not going to tell me not to get involved, are you?’ Harry asked Sirius.

Sirius snorted. ‘No. I’d rather you’re able to defend yourself and get expelled, than get a nice handful of OWLs and be killed the second you step out of sch -’

He broke off. His face was suddenly tense, alarmed. He turned sideways, apparently looking into the solid brick wall of the fireplace.

‘Sirius?’ Harry asked anxiously.

But he had vanished. Harry gaped at the flames for a moment, then turned to look at his friends for answers.

Hermione gave a horrified gasp and leapt to her feet, still staring at the fire. A hand had appeared amongst the flames, groping as though to catch hold of something; stubby, short-fingered hand covered in ugly old-fashioned rings.

They all ran for it. Harry and Ginny made for his bedroom while Hermione and Draco tore from the common room, at the exit portrait, Hermione glanced backwards to see Umbridge’s hand still making snatching movements amongst the flames – she had tried to grab Sirius.

* * *

A meeting was arranged for Gryffindor’s duelling room the next night, Hedwig’s injury and the attempt to snatch Sirius in the fire had spurred Harry on a bit.

‘Ostium is the password.’ Hermione told everyone, who were all eager to begin their lessons.

‘She’s put Firenze on probation.’ Draco told her as they waited for people to arrive in the duelling room.

‘Well, she’s against half-breeds, isn’t she?’ Hermione said with an angry shake to the head. ‘He’s not actually done anything worth firing though, so she can’t get rid of him.’

‘He seems pretty unconcerned. Armand has ordered him to be there, Umbridge can’t get around that.’ Draco told her.

‘Want to tell me why you were clutching at your scar this morning at Quidditch practice?’ Hermione asked, Gryffindor had been given permission to reform this morning.

Harry frowned at her. ‘How did you hear about that?’ Then he rounded on Ginny who was looking away suspiciously. ‘Traitor.’ He muttered.

‘Voldemort was angry. He’s frustrated. He wants something that he can’t get… I think he’s waiting for something.’ Harry admitted to Hermione while Ginny did a good job of pretending that she couldn’t hear as she struck up a conversation with Draco.

‘Well, that’s alarming.’ Hermione said. ‘Can you tell how he’s feeling every time your scar hurts? Because that could be valuable information to the order.’

Harry nodded. ‘Sometimes, yeah. My scar hurt soon after he came back, because he was really angry and frustrated. And then there was a few weeks ago, he was happy about some news I think… but he’s been frustrated all year I know that.’

‘That’s interesting.’ Hermione nodded. ‘You should write to Sirius and tell him that once Hedwig is better… or I could tell Snape?’

‘Yeah, you tell Snape. Shouldn’t I be worried that Voldemort is in my head?’ Harry asked nervously.

‘Oh, definitely. He could be spying on us all through your head, possessing you, or removing memories… I mean -’ She backtracked upon seeing the alarm on Harry’s face, ‘we’d know if any of that was happening. It’s not an imminent threat… I wouldn’t go talking about this in public places either, if the Prophet gets a hold of it, you’ll end up carted off to Mungo’s… Is there anything else we should know?’

‘I keep dreaming about a door.’ Harry said.

Hermione nodded. ‘Right, you’ll be fine. Don’t worry.’

Harry didn’t seem very consoled but was pulled out of his slump by the arrival of the study group.

Everyone was blinking as they took in the room. Hermione didn’t feel very sad about sacrificing the privacy of this room, or the Room of Requirement, but there was no way these classes would be held in the secret tunnels.

Once the forty members of their club were assembled, Hermione stood up on the duelling stage with Harry and Draco to begin the meeting, Ginny moved to stand next to the twins.

‘Hi everyone.’ Draco said, and everyone fell silent. ‘So, we will either be meeting here, or in the Room of Requirement on the Seventh floor, you’ve all been told how to get in there, yes?’

There were nods from the students.

‘So, these lessons are going to be divided between the three of us depending on what we’re doing.’ Draco said, gesturing between the three on the stage. ‘I’ll teach sword work but apart from that I’m here to learn too.’

‘Harry is our main source for defensive magic.’ Hermione said.

‘And we’ve decided that Hermione can teach us a little bit of offensive magic too.’ Harry said.

This caused a bit of excited chatter.

‘And we need to pick a name. A team name for us to use.’ Hermione said.

There were nods at this.

Draco nodded. ‘Yeah, we can’t go around calling ourselves the Defence Against the Dark Arts study group, can we?’

There were more nods.

‘The Anti-Umbridge League?’ Angelina Johnson suggested with a grin.

‘What about the Ministry of Magic are Morons Group?’ Fred suggested jokingly, earning a few laughs.

‘We need a name that we can use around people, something that doesn’t tell people what we’re up to.’ Hermione said, hoping to steer the meeting in the right direction.

Everyone fell silent while they thought of a name.

‘What about the Defence Association? We could call it the DA for short to keep it secret?’ Cho Chang said after a minute.

‘That works.’ Hermione nodded, and offered the older girl a smile.

‘Could we make it stand for Dumbledore’s Army?’ Ginny suddenly said. ‘Because that’s what they’re scared of.’

_You can tell she’s related to Fred and George. _Hermione thought to herself as she noticed her brothers looking proudly at her for this suggestion.

‘All in favour?’ Draco asked.

Every hand went into the air.

Hermione pulled out the sheet of parchment from her bag that held everyone’s signature and wrote _Dumbledore’s Army _on top of it.

‘Right. We’re going to ease into things.’ Hermione said to the group. She had, of course, drawn up lesson plans. ‘Harry?’

Harry nodded and stepped forwards. ‘I was thinking that the first thing we should do is Expelliarmus, the disarming charm. It’s basic but useful.’

‘Oh, please.’ Zacharias Smith muttered, rolling his eyes and folding his arms. ‘I don't think Expelliarmus is exactly going to help us against You-Know-Who, do you?’

‘I’ve used it on him.’ Harry snapped back. ‘It saved my life.’

Smith couldn’t come up with a snappy reply to this.

‘If you think it’s beneath you, feel free to leave.’ Hermione said coldly to the boy.

He didn’t move, and looked stubbornly at the floor.

‘Everyone get into pairs, please.’ Harry said. ‘And Hermione and I will come around and check you.’

There was a sudden cry and flashes as everyone began to disarm each other.

‘Michael, don’t flourish your wand so much.’ Hermione said gently as she demonstrated the correct technique. Michael was a good enough pupil; he nodded and accepted the feedback.

‘Aim for the chest, not the wand.’ Harry said to Smith.

‘Fred, George, that’s not what you’re meant to be doing.’ Hermione scolded her friends, who were taking it in turns turning Smith’s hair different colours without him noticing. She flourished her wand and pulled both their wands out of their hands. ‘Do that to each other or I’ll jinx you.’

Fred and George pouted, but they picked their wands up from the floor and began to disarm each other.

‘Cho, hold your wand a little higher, you’re pointing it at the ground.’ Harry said.

Hermione had to extinguish one small fire, but everyone did quite well.

‘Ginny, you’re just trying to disarm the poor boy, not blast him across the room.’ Harry laughed as Draco picked himself up from the ground.

‘Sorry, Drake!’ Ginny said. ‘I didn’t mean to do that!’

‘Mariette.’ Hermione said, coming to stand with Cho and her friend, who was having the opposite problem to Ginny. ‘You’re hearts not in it; you need more ferocity.’

Cho’s friend, Marietta, looked sourly at the younger girl telling her what to do, and turned away.

‘Don’t mind her.’ Cho muttered to Hermione. ‘I made her come with me. Her parents don’t get her getting on Umbridge’s wrong side, they both work for the Ministry.’

‘What do your parents say?’ Hermione asked her.

‘They don’t want me getting involved either, but if they think I’m not going to fight after what happened to Cedric…’ Cho trailed off and absently brushed a hand against her now bare wrist. ‘I wrote to his mum to tell him what we’re doing, he said it was a good way to honour his memory. She wants us prepared for what’s out there.’

Hermione felt rather misty eyed at this, so she just nodded rather than trying to speak. The knowledge that Cedric’s mother approved of this group meant a lot to Hermione, as it clearly did to Cho.

Hermione put a comforting arm on Cho’s arm, who was working herself up. ‘Cedric would be really proud of you being here.’ Was the only appropriate thing she could say.

Cho nodded. ‘I know.’ Then she wiped at her eyes and smiled at Hermione. ‘He’d be proud of you helping everyone.’

Hermione nodded. ‘Thank you.’ She wiped at her own eyes, and told Cho to carry on with her friend.

‘Terry!’ Hermione’s attention was instantly drawn as his wand went whizzing past Harry’s ear and hit Alicia Spinnet on the nose.

‘Alicia are you alright?’ She moved instantly to the girl with a nose bruising nose. ‘Right, your nose is broken, stay still while I fix it.’

There was a snapping crunch as Alicia’s nose was magically set, and several student’s nearby winced, but Alicia was right back into her practice with Angelina.

Hermione moved to Blaise and Neville, and nodded at their good work, they seemed a mixture of having fun disarming each other and not wanting to hurt each other.

Then she moved on to Luna, who was practising with Crabbe (Goyle was with Millie). ‘You don’t need to wave your wand so much.’ Hermione corrected Crabbe.

Once it hit nine o’clock, they called the meeting to an end. This was only because they needed to get people back before curfew lest they face Umbridge’s wrath.

‘Same time in the other room next week? We’ll alternate between them to throw off the scent.’ Harry said.

‘Sooner!’ Dean Thomas shouted eagerly, which was met by many nods.

‘We’ve got to fly under the radar.’ Hermione explained. ‘You can practice what we’ve done here in the meantime.’

‘Wednesday in the Room of Requirement, then?’ Harry asked the room, and everyone consented.

They sent everyone out in small groups, the Hufflepuffs left first, followed by the Ravenclaws, and then Harry and Ginny left with the Gryffindors.

After a five-minute wait, Hermione and Draco led their friends back to the dungeon.

‘That was amazing!’ Tracey said to Hermione as they walked down the steps.

‘What curses are you going to teach us?’ Theo asked.

‘Nothing too out there.’ Hermione told him. ‘Just enough to put someone out long enough for you to get away.’

There were nods at this, they hadn’t expected Hermione to teach them anything lethal.

Daphne, looking rather pale, said she was going to go and have a bath before bed and disappeared down the girls’ corridor. Everyone else busied themselves in the common room.

Draco tossed himself down on the couch and Hermione sat down on the floor in front of his head and tipped her head back to rest against the couch cushion.

‘Teaching is exhausting.’ She grumbled.

‘Try fighting Ginny for two hours. That little witch is powerful.’ Draco grumbled. ‘I’m covered in bruises.’

Hermione grinned. ‘Yeah, she is good.’

Draco reached into his pocket and pulled out a bit of pottery, his means for summoning Aloise, and began to twiddle it between his fingers.

‘I’m sure she’s fine.’ Hermione said, noticing the pottery from the corner of her eye.

Draco shoved the pottery back into his pocket and chose instead to start playing with Hermione’s hair, to which she shut her eyes and enjoyed the feeling.

‘How was she chosen?’ Hermione asked, she’d quite forgotten the answer to her question.

‘She told me that the Dusman were humans who all died tragically young deaths… Atune reanimates them but it’s a bit sucky. They don’t really come back as the same person.’ Draco said.

‘Imagine having that kind of power.’ Hermione mused; she opened her eyes to stare into the cosy fire in front of her.

‘Hmm?’ Draco asked, he’d quite distracted himself with her hair.

‘To bring people back. Imagine being able to do that?’ Hermione said.

‘Yeah, it would be good… If only we were Gods, eh?’ Draco said.

‘It would be bloody convenient.’ Hermione said.

Daphne wiped away the sweat on her brow as she stumbled into the bathroom, and clutched at her pounding head.

‘Ahhh.’ She cried in discomfort. She kicked the bathroom door shut and locked it.

She couldn’t tolerate this, the pounding in her head, it was agony.

She caught sight of her reflection in the mirror and saw a poor imitation of herself looking back at her, pale and sickly looking with bloodshot eyes.

She let out a shaky breath as she pulled out her wand and silenced the room.

Then her hands began to shake too much for her to maintain her grip on her wand, and it fell to the ground with a clutter against the tile.

The pounding intensified to the point her vision blurred. She potted the radio and banged it with her fist, a Martha Maybank song began to blast out, and Daphne turned the dial to full volume in an attempt to drown out the other noise ringing in her ears.

She climbed into the empty bath and sat with her knees to her chest, clutching her hands over her ears, rocking back and forwards in torment.

The rain was blasting in her ears, and she couldn’t drown it out.

* * *

* * *

It’s this story’s birthday today! I cannot believe I’ve been writing this for an entire year! Thank you so much to those of you who’ve been here since the first chapter, and those of you who have joined along the way!  
Happy birthday Royal Blood!

Got another interesting chapter coming up in 96. We’re going back to Temple City! But who will go to visit the High Oracle and why? Let me know your theories!

Lots of love  
E x


	94. The Dusman and the Wolfblood

‘Are you alright?’ Hermione asked Daphne over breakfast as she wrote her breakfast banana down in her book.

Daphne had been pale and jittery all week. ‘Yeah, I’m fine.’ She said. ‘This bloody rain won’t let up.’

‘And you’ve told Snape?’ Hermione said.

‘Hmm. He gave me a pain-potion so at least that’s something.’ Daphne grumbled.

‘Is it imminent?’ Hermione asked.

‘No… people don’t need to go on high alert yet, the door won’t be opened yet. But it’s getting closer.’ Daphne said.

The fact that Harry was dreaming about a door and Daphne was hearing that a door would be opened during a terrible storm leading to several deaths, was something causing quite a lot of panic in the Order according to Snape.

‘We’ll make sure any important doors are guarded. Regia is well guarded, so is Hogwarts, and the Ministry door is being constantly guarded by an Order member.’ Snape had told her and Daphne, though it did little to console the Banshee.

Hermione pulled out her wand from its holster and cast a more powerful numbing spell on Daphne, who was still complaining about a headache.

Lightning stuck loudly nearby, causing several girls like Lavender Brown to shriek.

The Banshee sagged in relief. ‘Thanks.’ She said as she could finally take a deep breath.

Hermione glanced at her powerful wand before she stowed it away back up her sleeve, then she absently fingered her hair. _I wonder how much people like Ollivander would pay for a few strands of hair? _She couldn’t help picturing powerful wands made from her own hair.

The DA had been practising for two weeks now, and everyone was making a good effort with defensive magic. Hermione and Harry were very impressed.

There most recent lesson had been on the Reductor Curse, and Hermione had been very taken aback at Ginny’s skill with the spell. She had reduced one of the training dummies to tiny specks of dust on the ground.

The fact that this was one of the wettest years on record for the Highlands was actually playing into their hands. If Quidditch had to be rescheduled at the last moment, they could hold a last-minute meeting and Umbridge was none the wiser.

‘Not in France this weekend?’ Blaise asked Draco.

Draco shook his head. ‘Nah, nothing set this weekend. I can actually have some time off for a change.’ He said happily.

‘I wouldn’t count on that.’ Hermione said with wide eyes. She, like many others, were staring in shock at the doors into the Great Hall.

Draco’s head snapped around to see what everyone was staring at, and he leapt to his feet at the sight. _‘Aloise?’_

There was a petite young girl, tanned, with dark hair stood in the entrance hall. But nobody was looking at her pretty face, everyone was gasping at the full coverage of scars that encompassed her body.

_If only they could see how many Gods marks’ she has. _Hermione thought as she got to her feet next to Draco.

Aloise spotted them, and began to stride over to the Slytherin table.

The Hall had fallen silent, every eye in the room was on this woman. Even Dumbledore looked quite taken aback at the sight of her, and he quickly stood and began walking to the Slytherin table. Unfortunately, Umbridge was only a few steps behind the Headmaster.

‘Draco.’ Aloise greeted him with a polite nod. ‘Hermione.’

‘You’re here!’ Draco said, seeming to be that surprised he’d turned into an idiot.

‘Yes. I’m hunting a demon in the area but I can spare you a day. Atune wants me to check in.’ Aloise said casually.

‘Atune wanted you to check on me?’ Draco asked, completely taken aback.

‘Yes. You have her sword; did you think you’d just be allowed to run around with it without the occasional check in?’

‘I haven’t seen you in years! I thought you could have been dead!’ Draco said, suddenly angry.

Aloise raised a brow at him and he fell silent and sheepish. ‘I have been very busy hunting. The demons are getting into a frenzy with all the dark magic your kind are suddenly performing.’

‘Yeah, Voldemort’s back.’ Hermione told her.

‘Yes.’ Aloise said. ‘Atune told me as much…’

‘Do you know what he’s doing?’ Draco asked.

‘No, none of my business. I don’t get involved in mortal struggles.’

‘Maybe you should.’ Draco said.

‘Ah yes. Let me just abandon my sacred duties and let the Demons tear up the world while I help you defeat a nasty old wizard.’ Aloise said sarcastically.

‘Fair enough.’ Draco sighed. ‘So what are you doing here?’

‘Well, I have a day. Let’s train.’ She said.

‘Can I help you?’ Dumbledore said, he obviously recognised the Dusman from her last visit. ‘Will you be requiring rooms again?’

‘No thank you, Albus.’ She said. ‘I’m just passing through while I hunt.’

‘Is the school in danger?’ Dumbledore had to ask.

‘No, no. He’ll be miles North from here by now tending his wounds.’ Aloise told him.

Dumbledore nodded at this. ‘Well, you are welcome to join us for as long as you wish.’ Then he bowed respectfully.

It made for an odd sight to see Dumbledore bowing to someone who could have been a seventh year, though Hermione knew Aloise was impossibly old.

‘I’ll be the judge of that, Professor.’ Umbridge’s shrill voice came from behind the headmaster. ‘Who are you?’

Aloise politely extended her hand. ‘I am Aloise of the Dusman. Who are you?’

Umbridge did not take the offered hand. ‘The Dusman? I am not familiar with that organisation.’

‘I am a member of an ancient race born of Atune.’ Aloise told her.

Umbridge clearly didn’t believe this. ‘Do you have permission from the Minister of Magic to be here today?’

Dumbledore opened his mouth to tell Umbridge that she didn’t need Fudge’s permission to be there, as she had his.

But Aloise got there first.

‘I don’t answer to any Minister for Magic, or the High Oracle, or even the King.’

Umbridge looked very uncomfortable. ‘Then who do you answer to?’

‘The Gods. Who are you to stand against them?’ Aloise asked, her voice firm and cold against the pink woman.

‘You cannot be here. I must ask you to leave!’ Umbridge tired.

‘And who will force me out? You? I am a warrior of heaven, and I will be here.’ Aloise barked.

‘I could have you removed!’ Umbridge was shrieking now.

‘Professor. Aloise has my permission to be here.’ Dumbledore said, finding his voice. ‘She is a guest for the day and here to train with Draco, I presume?’

‘I am.’ Aloise nodded.

‘Very well. We’ll leave you to it.’ Dumbledore said, and moved to walk away.

‘I don’t think the Minister would approve of this?’ Umbridge said.

Draco’s face went from entertained to stony. ‘Professor. I do not need permission from you nor from the Minister to train with a blade with any instructor of my choice.’

Umbridge’s face was very red now. ‘You are underage.’

‘I am the Duke of Abbington, the Lieutenant of France, and the nephew of your King. Know your place.’ He said in an incredibly cold voice. He had heard what Umbridge had forced Hermione to write in her own blood, and that recognition was clear in Umbridge’s face.

She clenched her jaw, nodded, and swept from the room. No doubt she was on her way to send a letter to her boss that the young Duke was receiving instruction from a nutjob with Dumbledore’s permission.

‘Outside then.’ Aloise said, not caring one bit that she was now on Umbridge’s list.

‘But it’s raining.’ Draco pouted.

‘It rains in battle, too. Outside.’ Aloise said.

Draco sighed and nodded. ‘Can Hermione come?’

Aloise didn’t blink at this. ‘Of course. I trust Hermione to know the secrets.’

‘Well, I won’t keep you.’ Dumbledore said, and he turned and made his way back to the teachers’ table.

‘One moment.’ Aloise said, then she found Daphne in the crowd and bowed her head respectfully to her. ‘Now we may go.’

The moment they were outside the Hall there came an explosion of chatter behind them as everyone speculated as to what had just happened.

Once they were outside in the rain Hermione asked her why she had bowed to Daphne.

‘She is a Divine creature. Speaking of, how old are you now?’

‘Sixteen.’ Hermione answered.

Aloise instantly bowed to her. ‘Divine one.’

‘That’s what the Merpeople called me.’ Hermione said.

‘That is your title now.’ Aloise told her as she straightened up.

‘How did you know?’ Hermione asked. _How had my age told her what I am?_

‘An old friend told me.’ Aloise said, a knowing look in her eye told Hermione something was amusing about this.

But Aloise drew her sword on Draco before Hermione could answer anything else.

‘Hey, can we keep any of your blood if I cut you again?’ Draco asked as he unsheathed Excalibur. ‘We could make loads of healing potions with it.’

‘I’ll allow that. But I’m not going to give you such an easy time, you’re older now.’ Aloise said.

Then she swung.

They took a break for lunch, soaking wet, they trooped back into the Great Hall for a sandwich and a warming cup of tea.

‘Last time we saw you,’ Hermione began, ‘you said it was odd seeing us that young. What did you mean by that?’

‘Oh… Nothing.’ Aloise said. ‘Time gets all odd when you’re as old as I am, and I only know five beings alive older than I.’

Aloise chose that moment to excuse herself to go and chat with Dumbledore at the Headmasters table.

‘Isn’t she cold dressed like that in the rain?’ Millicent asked.

Aloise wore the same dark shorts and top as she had last time, her hair was pinned back and soaking wet.

‘Maybe the Dusman don’t get cold?’ Hermione theorised. ‘They are divine creatures.’

‘Yeah, you don’t get cold anymore.’ Draco nodded.

‘What?’ Hermione said.

‘You, you’ve not complained once today about how cold it is and your fingers haven’t gone white either.’ Draco said casually, taking a bite from his cucumber sandwich.

Hermione looked down at her fingers to inspect them. ‘Oh.’ She said, she hadn’t noticed over the weeks that he was right. Since her transformation, she didn’t feel the cold. ‘I guess it’s so I don’t freeze to death in the ocean… Hey, I wonder what water depth I can survive! I could go and look at the Titanic wreck… or go and find that Lion Turtle for a swim.’

‘The what wreck?’ Blaise asked over the table.

‘Muggle ship that sunk. Very famous, they discovered it a few years ago… I think they’re on about making a film about it.’ Hermione trailed off, realising that none of her friends (bar Tracey) understood a word she was saying. ‘Never mind.’

‘Right. Back outside.’ Aloise said to Draco, once she had finished her conversation with Dumbledore and received several deathly glares from Umbridge.

The grounds were turning to hazards from the rain, and Aloise and Draco quickly became caked in a thick layer of wet mud as they slid about for the best possible blow. Both were working up a sweat as they held nothing back, and they were cutting each other regularly.

‘Fuck!’ Draco hissed as Aloise slashed her blade against his side, not hard enough to cause any real damage, but enough to bloody hurt.

‘In a real fight, you’d be dead.’ Aloise said.

Then she lunged again.

The sky was beginning to grow dark and the rain had long since stopped when Aloise said that their time was up.

Draco was absolutely filthy with mud; he’d spent a lot of time on the ground. ‘Can you clean me up?’

Hermione pointed her wand at him and vanished the mud from his skin, his hair returned to its usual white and his clothes became neatly pressed once again.

‘Cheers.’ He said, then he turned to Aloise – who Hermione also cleaned of a thick layer of mud.

‘Are you going now? Or do you have time for dinner?’ He asked.

‘I must go. The Demon is moving again, I feel it.’ She said. ‘But there is a little time to discuss your sword, apparently you have questions.’

‘I do.’ Draco said, not bothering to ask how she would know. ‘I commanded a Werewolf with this sword two years ago, and I felt a change.’

‘Yes. You awakened an old power in that blade. I don’t think it will be long until the other swords are claimed now, I can feel their new owners getting closer. Using all three swords together can command a great power, I doubt I am the only being that can sense this coming.’

They both took this in with slow nods. Hermione had been suspecting ever since Draco had found this sword that the other two would be claimed soon, in legends they always appeared as a set.

‘What about the command of other supernaturals’, I seem to have a lot of influence over the Merpeople?’ Draco asked.

‘No idea.’ Aloise said. ‘You’re the chosen one, Your Grace, you’ve got to figure it out.’

‘When will we see you again?’ Hermione asked.

‘I do not know… Whenever I’m not hunting.’ Aloise said.

‘You’re always hunting.’ Draco grumbled.

Aloise just winked at them and gave them both a parting nod. ‘You might want to stand back.’

She looked to the sky and Hermione and Draco both leapt backwards to avoid what they knew was coming.

A bolt of lightning hit the ground where Aloise had been stood, and she was gone.

‘They couldn’t have a less dramatic means of travel, could they?’ Draco said as they walked back into the castle.

* * *

‘I wish I’d asked her about Atlantis.’ Hermione groaned as she and Draco set about their usual Thursday rounds of the castle.

‘I don’t think there’s a right way to ask an immortal warrior about that time two thousand years ago when she was tortured and her sisters were all killed.’ Draco said.

‘I suppose so.’ Hermione mused.

‘Oi!’ Draco said, ripping aside a tapestry to reveal two sixth years necking. ‘Back to your rooms and five points from each of you.’

The couple grumbled at the loss of points.

‘Would you rather we make it detentions? No? Then move on.’ Hermione snapped at them, and they disappeared up the nearest staircase.

‘Are we doing the full moon with Nev?’ Draco asked as they walked down the main staircase, nodding to the Bloody Baron who happened to be gliding past.

‘I said we were, yeah.’ Hermione said. ‘I’m in no rush to go back to that bloody Mermaid room.’

‘I wouldn’t mind having a nosey.’ Draco muttered.

‘We’re not going back to that room for a while.’ She said seriously. ‘It’s not safe.’

‘For girls.’ He said. ‘Boys can’t be turned into a Mermaid apparently.’

‘No, you’d just drown.’ Hermione told him. ‘You’d get dragged down and you wouldn’t be able to break free or see anything… and you’d die.’

Draco nodded. ‘Well, when you say it like that.’

They continued down to the Slytherin common room at a quick pace. December was approaching Scotland and bringing a bitter cold with it from the North, how anyone managed to live in the constant cold of Temple City was beyond Hermione.

‘Pure-Blood.’ Hermione said the most recent password with noticeable discomfort.

Upon entering the common room, several groups fell silent at the sight of her. It was pretty clear that people had been talking about the Dark side in this building conflict – Hermione and her friends had noticed many of their fellow house-mates, many of whom had been friendly enough to Hermione in the past, were now being rather cold to her.

Unpleasant as it might have been for her to go through, the implications were clear, lines were being drawn and children were being pulled into their parent’s war. Draco and Blaise had tackled a boy in his fourth year a few days ago for calling her a Mudblood.

For the first time really, she realised that perhaps not everyone was the friend they had been pretending to be. Her association with royalty had no doubt been why people had pretended to be nice to her, but now their side was on the rise and there was no reason to put on a façade.

Theo and Tracey were huddled together under a blanket for warmth in front of the fire, whispering and laughing together, and Hermione didn’t really want to disturb her friend’s happiness. Theo was clearly having a hard time of it at the moment, Draco had told her about Nott Sr’s involvement with You-Know-Who and the pressures Theo was facing to join them. It hurt, but Hermione had forced herself to distance herself from her old friend in public.

‘I’m going to bed.’ Hermione grumbled.

Draco nodded; he was busy scanning the room for their other friends.

Daphne had her nose in her sketch book, and all he could wonder was what horrors she might be drawing.

Millie was sat drawing next to her, but instead of the terrifying future, she was doodling ideas for new dresses and capes – she’d recently discovered the joys of jewellery design and was occupying herself with that a lot.

Crabbe and Goyle were in the midst of a heated arm-wrestling match at one of the tables, a bomb could have gone off and it wouldn’t have broken either of their concentration.

Pansy was talking with a group of sixth years, not that Draco cared to see her flirting with other boys. He knew they understood one another. They had actually started getting on massively since she had admitted that she didn’t really want to marry him either, being forced into something like this together had given them something a light friendship… and the fact that she had stopped bullying his one true love out of frustration didn’t hurt.

‘Me too.’ Draco said with a sigh, which was followed by a loud yawn.

‘I can’t get over how tired I am.’ Hermione told him grumpily as they crossed the common room.

‘Me too.’ He said. ‘I don’t really sleep anymore.’

‘I’m too bloody stressed to sleep.’ She said in frustration.

Draco nodded. ‘We could try drinking until we pass out?’ He said with a grin.

Hermione rolled her eyes. ‘I’m looking for good quality sleep, not a hangover. See you in the morning.’ She nodded her farewell as he disappeared down the boys’ stairs.

Hermione added her dinner into her food journal, plain porridge and a glass of water, before she hid the book under her pillow and tucked herself into bed.

_Tomorrow will be better. _She told herself as she stared up at her canopy. _Tomorrow will be better. _

* * *

Tomorrow was not better, as it turned out.

Hermione turned the corner into the entrance hall to join the dinner queue.

‘Rubbish!’ Harper, the same boy who had called Hermione a Mudblood, yelled at Harry.

‘I’m not a liar.’ Harry said, keeping his cool from whatever argument was ongoing.

‘I heard you!’ Harper said. ‘You just said you fought the Dark Lord! Liar!’

_He’s trying to wind him up. _Hermione thought, and tried to fight her way through the crowd to put a stop to it – but she couldn’t break through the line. _Why is he doing this?_

‘I did fight him.’ Harry said. He sounded impatient, but Ginny was right by him and her presence was soothing.

‘That’s enough, boys.’ Ginny said, stepping in between them. ‘Harper, you twat, go bother someone else.’

Harry couldn’t help grin at this, and thinking the confrontation over with, he turned to face the doors to the Great Hall again.

‘Ooh, got your blood-traitor girlfriend fighting for you?’ Harper snapped; he really was trying to goad Harry into a fight.

Hermione saw a flash of pink at the same time that Harry punched Harper in the face and sent him flying.

Harpers friends instantly got involved… and so did Harrys’.

Blaise tackled one boy and got a good punch to the gut for his efforts.

Crabbe and Goyle both leapt on top of two more of Harpers friends for pointing their wands at Harry.

Ginny was shouting for Harry to stop as he pummelled Harper into the ground, a violent flash passed through his eyes. But then one of Harpers mates tried to aim his wand at her boyfriends back, and Ginny pounced on his with her boxing skills and bloodied his nose.

Fred and George, who were on the scene with Lee Jordan, weren’t exactly happy that q boy was fighting their little sister -no matter how capable she might have been, and the three older boys got involved too.

The pink blob was getting closer, Hermione carried on wrestling her way through the crowd to try and stop it, but she just couldn’t force the animated crowd apart fast enough.

‘ENOUGH!’

_Oh thank Vutris. _Hermione thought with relief.

Draco had fought his way through the crowd at the opposite end. He spoke firmly and with the full authority of his rank, Exalibur was aloft in his hand – and he was pointing it at the group ahead of him.

The large group fighting on the floor froze to look up at the Duke.

‘Separate now.’ He said with equal firmness.

All of his friends instantly responded to this order, some of them even had the conscience to look guilty.

‘What is going on here?’ A shrill voice rang out. The gathered crowd instantly began to flee for the safety of the Great Hall less they remain and face the wrath of the approaching Professor. Umbridge was here.

‘Oh no.’ Hermione muttered to herself at the sight of the pink woman.

Hermione understood now why Harper had been trying to provoke Harry, he was acting for Umbridge. _I wonder what she gave him in return?_

She looked like it was Christmas day as she eyed Harry’s bloody knuckles and Harpers battered face.

‘Fighting with a younger student!’ She barked at him. She didn’t spare a single glance at any Slytherin who had been fighting, she only scanned her eyes over the Gryffindor’s.

‘You five, follow me. The rest of you get inside the Great Hall.’

Harry, Ginny, Fred, George, and Lee sulked and pouted but they followed Umbridge down the corridor towards her office.

Hermione instantly turned to her friends. Theo and Tracey had appeared on the scene now, and were picking a bloody Blaise and Crabbe up from the ground.

‘Get them to Pomfrey.’ Draco grumbled, and their group of friends set off down the opposite corridor.

Once they were alone, Hermione moved to stand next to Draco.

‘Well.’ He said. ‘That was bloody dramatic.’ 

Hermione shook her head angrily. ‘Harper was purposefully trying to wind him up.’

‘It’s common knowledge that it doesn’t take much to set him off these days.’ Draco nodded.

‘Let’s go in.’ Hermione muttered to him and he re-sheathed Excalibur.

The Great Hall was abuzz with excited chatter about the most exciting fight Hogwarts had seen for many years.

Hermione and Draco only managed a few bites of their pasta bake before they’d had enough of the stares and they stalked off to the Gryffindor common room to see what Umbridge had done with their friends.

‘Do you know the password?’ Draco asked her as they stood in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. ‘Some Prefect you are. Elvan.’ She said to the Fat Lady, who nodded and allowed them entry.

To say that Harry was happy inside, was a massive understatement. He was pacing and ranting.

‘What happened?’ Draco asked.

‘Banned! FOR LIFE!’ Harry ranted.

‘Banned?’ Hermione asked.

‘From Quidditch.’ Ginny said from her armchair.

‘All of you?’ Draco gasped.

‘All of us.’ Ginny said, then she teared up and stalked off up the girl’s staircase.

Harry put his head in his hands. ‘She was so excited about making the team.’

‘She knew what she was getting into when she punched what’s-his-face.’ Fred told him.

‘She’ll get over it.’ George said.

‘It’s a lifetime ban.’ Harry groaned.

‘Only while Umbridge is here.’ Hermione said.

‘Did any of the Slytherins get banned for fighting?’ George asked.

‘They didn’t even get in trouble.’ Hermione said.

George huffed at this one and left for the boys’ staircase muttering words like favouritism and unfair.

The news broke over breakfast the next day as Angelina Johnson discovered she had lost half of her Quidditch team in one go.

‘WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU’RE BANNED?!’ She roared at Fred and George.

‘We’re not exactly happy about it, you know.’ George grumbled, resting his chin on his fist.

‘We also got a month of detention.’ Fred said.

‘I got two since I don’t play Quidditch. She thought I’d need the extra punishment.’ Lee sulked.

‘We can take this to Dumbledore.’ Angelina said. ‘Surely he can override this.’

‘Actually.’ Hermione said sadly. ‘Educational decree number twenty-five means she has complete authority to dole out any punishment she likes. Dumbledore can’t change anything.’

‘But he’s the Headmaster!’ Angelina huffed in frustration.

‘And she’s the High Inquisitor.’ Draco said.

‘Why weren’t any of you Slytherin’s punished, eh?’ Angelina turned on them.

‘Ang.’ George said gently. ‘It’s not their fault.’

Angelina threw her hands up in the air and stormed off, no doubt to arrange trials for two new beaters, a chaser, and a seeker.

‘At least Harry will have more time for the DA now.’ Hermione said weakly as she and Draco left the Great Hall together.

‘Yeah, probably don’t say that to him… or Ginny.’ Draco said.

‘Poor Ginny.’ Hermione nodded.

Draco nodded. ‘She’s bloody good. Professional standards… oh well, she’ll get back on the team next year.’

‘Unless Umbridge is still here next year.’ Draco said darkly.

‘Defence teachers never last the year… and if I turn up in September and she’s still here, I’ll curse her myself.’ Hermione told him.

* * *

‘Right. Everyone take one.’ Hermione said to the DA members in the Room of Requirement a few days later, she was carrying a basket laden with coin.

‘Everyone have a coin?’ She asked, everyone nodded, ‘good. So the numerals around the edge of the coins will change to show the next meeting. And the first letter will be a R or a G for what room we’ll be meeting in.’

Everyone examined their fake Galleons.

‘Why are we having these?’ Luna asked, holding her coin up to the light to examine it.

‘Because you can’t all keep coming up to me and Harry at the Great Hall to get the next date. Umbridge is probably getting suspicious.’ Hermione told her.

‘Right, so the coin will grow hot when I change the date to make you aware. So, keep it in your pocket or something… and try not to accidentally spend it.’ Hermione said. ‘I just figured a coin was an uninteresting thing to have on you, Umbridge keeps getting students to turn out their pockets, so if she sees this, she won’t think anything of it.’

Rodger Davies was looking at her in amazement. ‘This is a brilliant bit of magic Granger!’

‘Cheers.’ She smiled at him.

Then she turned to Harry, who was examining his own coin.

‘These kind of remind me of the Dark Mark.’ Draco said from her right.

‘I was just thinking that.’ Harry said.

‘Yeah that’s where I got the idea from.’ Hermione admitted.

Snape had his sleeves grown up while they worked on their fire conjuring spells in his private rooms a week ago, the sight of his prominent Dark Mark had caused a spark of inspiration.

‘If you don’t want the coin, I figured out how he tattoos his followers. I could do that to you if you want.’ She said jokingly.

‘I’ll stick with my coin thanks.’ Harry grinned back at her.

Draco looked to the back of the room, and then straightened up. ‘We’ll have to end it there, folks.’

‘Why are we finishing so early tonight?’ Smith asked.

‘So I don’t turn into a Werewolf and kill you all.’ Neville said hotly, he was getting a bit twitchy at the back of the room.

‘Right. We’ll go first.’ Hermione said, gesturing to herself, Draco, and Neville. ‘Harry, you wait five minutes and start sending the groups out.’

Harry nodded at his orders.

Hermione, Draco, and Neville made their way down to the dungeons to collect Neville’s Wolfsbane potion from Snape.

Neville pinched his nose and knocked back the foul potion in one go, he left the still steaming goblet by the cauldron and the group journeyed quickly out to the forest.

‘Imagine if Umbridge catches us out.’ Hermione said to Draco.

‘In the company of a savage Werewolf no less.’ Neville said.

‘If she sees us, play it up a bit, would you?’ Draco joked. ‘She talks a big game but she’d run in fear if she thought you were about to change.’

‘I _am _about to change.’ He said, raising his right hand to show the tremors.

They hurried into the woods; Hermione lit the tip of her wand to avoid stumbling over the thick tree roots.

‘Stop.’ Neville gasped. ‘I can’t go any further.’ His entire body was trembling.

They hadn’t gone very deep; Hermione could still make out the tips of the tallest towers through the treeline.

‘Alright.’ Draco said. ‘We’ll change and then carry on heading deeper.’

Neville was on Wolfsbane, after all, it would be easy for them to move deeper into the woods after they’d all shifted… Right?

Wrong.

Neville began to claw at his throat and cough roughly, with gasping breaths in between.

Hermione and Draco rushed forwards helplessly.

Something was wrong. His face was growing red as a rash appeared on his cheeks.

‘Nev? Nev? What’s wrong?’ Draco asked, whacking Neville on the back to dislodge whatever was caught in his throat.

A rattling breath was his answer.

In Hermione’s Primary School, St Cyprian, a girl in her class had a severe peanut allergy. One day, she’d accidentally come into contact with some peanuts, and had a reaction right next to Hermione. The girl, Tessa, had been fine in the end. She’d gone into anaphylactic shock and the hospital had sorted her out, but Hermione had never forgotten the sound of her desperate breaths.

‘He’s having a reaction to something.’ Hermione said urgently, whipping her wand out and waving it over him with the aim of a diagnostic spell.

She examined the result. ‘Well. Shit.’

‘What is it?’ Draco asked in clear panic as Neville’s eyes bulged, his vision went dark and he fell to the ground hard in a dizzy heap.

‘It’s the Wolfsbane. He’s having a reaction to the Wolfsbane.’ Hermione said, raking a worried hand through her hair.

Draco was trying to hold Neville upright as his panicked and weak breaths rang through the clearing.

‘Do we get a bezoar?’ Draco asked quickly.

Hermione shook her head. ‘No time.’

She was running through every line she had ever read on the Wolfsbane.

_Dark Creatures, page fourteen, line nineteen. “The Wolfblood is nearly impossible to kill due to their accelerated healing, and wounds they have will be healed as they shift on the full moon. Aggravated injury, such as a broken bone, will trigger their healing ability. It is thus recommended when exterminating them to behead them, rather than any other means.”_

‘Shit.’ Hermione said. She looked up helplessly at Draco.

‘What? What do we do?’ He gasped.

Neville was choking beside them.

‘You need to break his arm.’ She said.

Neville, who couldn’t breathe, looked at her wildly at this suggestion.

It was nothing to how Draco was looking at her. ‘He can’t breathe and you want me to break his arm?’

‘He’ll be dead before he shifts. We need to trigger his healing ability. Break. His. Arm.’ She said. ‘Trust me.’

Draco groaned, but unsheathed Excalibur. He slammed the butt of his pommel down on Neville’s right arm. Neville was too far gone in his reaction to care or even notice, his eyes were rolling back in his head.

‘Again.’ Hermione said.

Draco mashed the sword handle down again and again in fury but the tough Wolfblood bone would not break.

Hermione brandished her wand. ‘Get back.’

Draco barely had time to leap out of the way before she brought her wand slicing down against Neville’s arm. ‘Frango!’

The crunch of Neville’s bone rang out.

The effect was instant.

Neville’s eyes came back into focus and glowed the Werewolf yellow as he let out a howl of pain.

The healing effect was clear, Neville’s breathing became less laboured and steady once again as his body greedily gulped down the oxygen it had been starved of.

The awkward flatness of his arm where Hermione had crushed his bone with great impact, ballooned back up in a most unsettling manner.

The yellow of his Werewolf eyes did not fade, and Neville let out a scream as his just healed bone shattered again in the transformation.

‘We need to change, now! The Wolfsbane won’t have worked!’ Hermione said in a panic.

Neville’s screams and fits on the ground punctuated her every panicked breath as she tried to clear her mind in order to transform.

Draco seemed to be having similar difficulty as he couldn’t picture anything other than mashing the handle of his sword on his dear friend’s arm.

But finally, Draco let out a deep breath to calm himself and with a great shudder, the beautiful Dragon emerged.

Later, Hermione put her mistake down to the sight of the Blue-Grey scales that matched Draco’s eyes. As she had been moments from shifting into her wolf, the Mermaid popped into her head.

Her clothes blinked out of existence as the Mermaid tail formed. ‘Aahh!’ She gasped in shock as she fell backwards. Mermaids can’t stand up, obviously.

_Wolf. Wolf. Wolf. _She thought in a panic as she seemed to fall in slow motion.

The brown fur of a wolf hit the forest floor and she rolled quickly from her back onto her four paws.

The dragon, which had grown a few extra feet to mimic Draco’s own growth, was blinking at her in surprise.

She had just gone from Mermaid to Wolf, did that mean all three forms were linked as opposed to being three separate states as she had previously believed? No time to dwell on that question at the present moment though, as the snap of Neville’s femur painfully echoed through the forest. Fur war spurting on his bloody chest and his fingernails were being pushed out and replaced with claws.

His nose began to crunch and another scream burst through Neville’s lips as the blood began to pour down from his now broken nose, his entire face was becoming longer.

His teeth were covered in blood too as his teeth were pushed out to be replaced with the devastating fangs of a Werewolf.

_We’re too near the school! _Hermione thought desperately in a panic.

Draco seemed to have the exact same idea as he opened his golden patterned wings and surged forwards. He grasped Neville in one massive claw, still screaming and shuddering with the transformation, and grabbed Hermione in the other mid-flight.

_Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit. _Was all Hermione could think as Draco beat his wings and pulled the group over the treeline.

Draco was very wobbly in the air, he hadn’t mastered flight really, but he got them a good mile into the forest by the time Neville’s transformation finished and he heavily dropped them both ten feet from the ground before crashing heavily himself.

The underbelly of the dragon heaved with exertion, apparently, flying for a dragon was like running for a human.

The Werewolf was on its feet before Hermione or the Dragon, and it let out a mighty howl. Neville was gone, and only the beast remained.

Hermione ran at the Werewolf quickly, so it couldn’t escape. The yellow eyes snapped at the brown wolf before him, and he growled at it.

Hermione opened her mouth to growl back, they needed to get the Werewolf subdued and in-line.

But the warning growl of a smaller wolf than he could do nothing to stop an already panicked Werewolf.

Usually not a harm to other creatures, this Werewolf could hurt anyone.

A furred claw raised for the attack, bloody fangs leering.

The ground trembled as the earth itself seemed to shake. A booming roar ripped across the forest and echoed like thunder.

The great dragon had said its piece.

The Werewolf backed up, still seeming on edge and ready to attack.

The dragon roared again; Hermione wished she could cover her sensitive wolf ears against the piercing sound. The birds in the trees flew away in fear at this second, louder and fiercer roar.

The Werewolf shrunk in on itself and looked down, tamed by the fierce beast before him.

The thunderous roar had shaken the entire Hogwarts valley, back at the school students were rushing to the windows in excitement to catch a glimpse of a dragon. Teachers, unaware of Draco’s alternate form, instantly sent for the beast division to come and catch a rogue dragon.

Draco bared his own massive fangs at the wolf, his head alone was bigger than the Werewolf, his sharp teeth were a petrifying sight.

The dragon, seeing the Werewolf as settled down, sat back on its flank. The beams of moonlight, fighting their way through the thick and twisted branches of dead and dying leaves, settled upon the muscles shifting under thick scales.

The row of golden spikes running down his spine reflected the rare light back into Hermione’s eyes, and she was forced to look away – back to the Werewolf cowering before them.

_Someone will have heard that. _Hermione realised. _We need to get deeper into the forest. _

Again, it was as if Draco could read her mind – or perhaps being best friends for so long meant their minds were just perfectly in sync.

The dragon angled its head at the Werewolf, the message was clear and received. _Follow. _

* * *

Apart from having to hide in the deepest parts of the forest to avoid a Ministry patrol hunting for a massive dragon, the rest of the evening was rather normal.

Hermione even had time to dwell on the fact she’d been a Mermaid for a full month as they wandered through the thick overgrowth of building and branching tree roots.

The group had scared the living daylight out of some of Aragog’s children, who had been sent scuttling along the floor back to their clearing with a simple show of Draco’s fangs.

Once the moon had fully disappeared overhead, and not a single beam of light could penetrate the forest, Hermione and Draco (though if she was being honest it was about ninety per-cent Draco) began to guide their Werewolf companion back to the school so that they wouldn’t have to trek miles back to school on human legs. Though she supposed Draco could just fly them anywhere.

The sky ahead was beginning to seem lighter with the faintest and earliest of the suns glow, when the Werewolf let out a pained cry and fell to the ground.

_Oh shit. He changed in his clothes; he’s not got anything to put on… at least he won’t remember the pain this time. _Hermione thought. The subject of clothes sparked something in her. _Shit. I don’t have any clothes either._

The fur fell out, the limbs cracked and shrunk into a human form, the fangs retreated, the claws fell out the nailbeds. Neville was left in a breathless heap on the floor, completely naked.

Draco shifted back to human quickly, and moved to cover Neville with his cloak.

Hermione remained as a wolf and padded behind a bush before she shifted back to human, the tops of her shoulder were barely visible over the overgrown hedge, but Draco seemed to get the message that her clothes were gone. Thankfully, her wand was still holstered to her arm as it had been under her robes – she dreaded to think what would have happened to it if she’d been keeping it in a pocket still.

‘Bring your cloak here.’ Hermione told him. ‘I’ll duplicate it.’

Draco did his best job averting his gaze as he stepped up to the bush and tossed his cloak at her, then he stepped away again.

‘Adsimulo.’ Hermione said, waving her wand in a triangle-like shape.

A single thread of velvet erupted from the end of Hermione’s wand and began to weave itself against the continuous string coming out. It only took a moment for the rich cloak to complete itself, and she tossed the original back at Draco to cover Neville.

‘Numb him, will you?’ She said, as she pulled the cloak around herself tightly.

Draco cast the necessary charms on Neville and his shuddering breaths stopped. ‘Thanks.’ Neville gasped as Draco wrapped the cloak around his form.

‘Sorry about the arm.’ Draco muttered as he helped Neville stand. The broken arm had, of course, been completely healed as he turned back.

‘What arm?’ Neville frowned, then his brow creased further. ‘What happened? I don’t remember…’

‘You had a reaction to the Wolfsbane.’ Hermione said as she stepped, barefoot, out from behind the bush with the imitation cloak wrapped firmly around her shoulders. ‘Like you were allergic to it… it nearly killed you.’

‘Oh.’ Neville said. ‘Well, shit.’

Hermione nodded. ‘Shit.’

‘We could try tweaking the potion?’ Draco said.

He and Neville looked expectedly at Hermione.

The distraught look on her face said all Neville needed to know.

‘It’s the Wolfbane I reacted to, it’s it?’ He asked.

She nodded.

‘This is the Wolfblood curse kicking in, isn’t it?’ He asked hopelessly.

She nodded, feeling helpless.

‘I don’t remember the pain of turning.’ He said. ‘But shouldn’t I remember walking into the forest with you?’

‘What’s the last thing you remember?’ Draco asked.

‘Er – we were walking across the grounds and my hands started shaking.’ Neville said.

‘That must be the very start of transformation.’ Hermione said. ‘You started reacting to the Wolfsbane once the transformation started.’

‘Well, it is a poison.’ Neville said weakly.

‘There’s barely any of it in the potion though!’ Hermione said in frustration. ‘Certainly not enough to cause a reaction like that!’

‘Are you saying I can’t use the Wolfsbane potion again?’ Neville asked nervously.

‘I’m saying it could kill you if you take it again.’ Hermione said seriously.

Neville was silent for a moment. ‘Wolfblood curse.’ He said, more to himself than anyone else.

Then he caught sight of his hands. ‘Of for Merlin’s sake!’

Normally, once the claws were pushed out as he turned back, new human nails would rapidly grow in their place. Not this time. Bare and bloody nailbeds remained, as if all ten of his nails had been ripped out.

* * *

* * *

One more chapter and we're going to Temple City! Feed more your comments and theories. 

We're getting very close to Christmas now! The ball is only a few weeks away! How do you think she'll be spending her week with Draco? Somehow I've planned a lot to happen over the course of four weeks, because the Xmas break starts really on chap 102... hmmm.

BTW - I've been referring to December as Theo and Tracey's month of advanced courting - take from that what you will.

Love you all, stay safe -

E x


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